Sunshine Coast woman Kathy Sundstrom was on the local beach with her husband when her teenage daughter called to report that there was smoke coming out of her solar system.
Sun safety:
- Maintenance must be performed by an authorized electrician according to the manufacturer’s instructions
- Damage such as cracked panels, loose fittings or exposed cables must be repaired by a qualified person.
- Keep solar panels clean
- Electrical equipment that is constantly exposed to the weather degrades over time
- Queensland experiences harsh UV which causes the equipment to degrade faster
- Failure to maintain solar power systems can result in a power failure that could result in electric shock or fire. Source: electricalsafety.qld.gov.au
“We were like, ‘Oh, you know, everything’s going to be fine.’ We’ve been enjoying the beach.
When Sundstrom’s eldest son called moments later, they knew the situation could be worse.
“He was a little more panicked and said, ‘Should we call the fires?'”
“Even though we had turned off the main power supply and with the switch on, it looks like the lot is still being generated on your roof, which is the number of solar fires that usually start.”
Ms Sundstrom says she hates thinking about what might have happened if her family hadn’t been home at the time and her children hadn’t noticed the smoke coming out of the insulator box next to her house.
Kathy Sundstrom returned home and found firefighters containing a fire in the switch isolating her solar system. (Provided by: Kathy Sundstrom)
Firefighters who attended the incident told the family that the recent rain had allowed water to enter the insulation box.
He said the box was under a roof next to the main power box.
“It has a cover, not just an open box.
“It simply came to our notice then [at the mains] it does not prevent electricity from being produced on the roof, “Ms Sundstrom said.
Roof power plant
Jock Howard, owner of a Sunshine Coast solar company that has been working in the industry since 1987, says humid weather can affect solar system insulators.
Howard said weeks of rain could cause water to seep into faulty cracks and joints, reaching a point where it could reach the insulation of the system, causing it to sparkle and burn.
“If you have water in your insulation box, you basically set up an electrical reaction using water as a conductor between the positive and the negative,” he said.
Jock Howard says regular testing is the key to safety. (Pixabay: MariaGodfrida)
As these wires corrode, they can break and create a spark and the plastic parts will burn.
Howard said the best way to prevent a solar system fire was to check it regularly.
“You have a power plant in your home, it’s literally a generator and it’s generating useful amounts of energy and that energy can cause fires,” he said.
“The older it gets, the more it needs to be maintained,” he said.
Howard said that once a system reaches the age of 10, it should be checked every year.
Do a solar check
The electrical safety office said 50 fires were initially recorded in solar installations in 2020, 79 in 2021 and 22 by 2022.
The director of security and equipment licenses for the Electrical Safety Bureau, Brian Richards, said there needed to be more awareness among owners of the maintenance program for their solar systems.
“The facilities need maintenance, you need to check your system,” he said.
“Any component that passes electricity has the potential to become a problem if it deteriorates.
“Get a licensed electrician who has experience in solar installations to check your system on a regular basis,” he said.
“They will be able to develop a proper maintenance regime for your system and it will give you peace of mind.”
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