A series of fires on school roofs attributed to solar panels has led to urgent calls for safety evaluations of the renewable energy systems. In Suffolk, local officials have disconnected 80 solar panel systems on classrooms after three fires occurred in less than a year. Similar incidents have been reported at schools in Shropshire, Nottinghamshire, and London, as well as Northumberland, where 81 solar panels were disconnected following a primary school fire last summer.
These events coincide with plans, supported by Ed Miliband's Great British Energy initiative, to install solar panels on an additional 250 schools and colleges across England. The ongoing safety concerns have drawn criticism from some political figures, who argue that the push for renewable energy should not compromise safety. "This is yet another example of why the Government's mad rush to meet net zero must never come at the expense of common sense," stated Richard Tice, Deputy Leader of Reform UK, emphasizing the need for rigorous safety checks.
School leaders have expressed their unease, drawing parallels to past issues with building materials like asbestos and RAAC. Pepe Di'Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, stated, "Nobody should have cause to feel unsafe at school, and we would welcome more work being done to establish the cause of these fires and ensure no pupils or staff are being put at risk."
The most recent fire occurred on June 24th at Sidegate Lane Primary School in Ipswich, where a staff member detected smoke, leading to the building's evacuation. The fire brigade confirmed the cause was a solar panel. This incident followed fires at Brooklands Primary School and East Bergholt Primary School, also blamed on solar panels.
In response to the Suffolk fires, the county council began temporarily switching off systems installed between 2011 and 2016. The National Education Union's Eastern Region had previously voiced concerns for months regarding the safety of teachers and pupils, criticizing the delayed response until after a third fire in an occupied school.
Authorities in Northumberland had also been aware of fire safety issues linked to solar panels prior to a fire at Shanklea Primary School last July. As a precautionary measure, Northumberland County Council disconnected similar systems installed before 2019 on many of its buildings, including 81 schools.
The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) stated that fire and rescue services are addressing emerging fire risks seriously and highlighted the importance of safe installation, maintenance, and management of technologies like solar panels as their use expands.
Officials from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) noted that none of the affected schools had solar panels installed as part of the recent Great British Energy program. They emphasized that the risk of fire from solar panels is low, comparable to household appliances like cookers, and affirmed that safety standards are paramount. Experts suggest that cable issues or problems with the units connecting panels to the electricity network are the likely causes of these fires.