Rooftop solar – a fire risk you might not think about

If not already, there’s a good chance photovoltaic (PV) panels will be on the roof of your building in the coming years. And there are good reasons for that.

The large and typically unused rooftop area allows easy access to the sun’s energy. Matched with energy efficiency measures like insulation, buildings can significantly reduce their energy bills and dependence on fossil fuel-based energy. That’s also why the EU – as part of its building renovation wave – has put installation of rooftop PV into law, with rolling deadlines for different building types starting as early as 2027.

All of this is good news, but it also raises fire safety risks.

For example, like any electrical equipment, PV panels can act as an ignition source. If a fire occurs beneath the panels, there’s a risk the panels will radiate heat from the fire back down to the roof structure, adding to the fire load and increasing the fire spread and intensity.

On large, flat roofs, fires involving PV panels are also difficult to extinguish – in part because such roofs can be difficult to access, while firefighters might struggle to reach the actual fire if it’s covered by solar panels.

Having non-combustible materials underneath the panels can help reduce the risk of a fire spreading to the rest of the building. This is why multiple insurance companies advise against using combustible roof top insulation materials in combination with PV panels.

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So yes, rooftop solar panels reduce energy costs and emissions, and together with energy efficiency measures, accelerate the region’s transition to greater energy independence.

Even better, Europe can do so without unnecessarily increasing the fire risk – simply by requiring that buildings with rooftop solar panels be combined with non-combustible roof materials such as insulation. Why take the risk to do otherwise?

It’s called resilience by design. If it’s worth building, it’s worth protecting.