Improper maintenance of solar panels in summer can lead to significant fire hazards

A fire risk assessment (FRA) of a block of flats in east London whose roof was gutted after a blaze, damaging 36 homes, failed to declare solar panels had been installed at least eight years before.
About 50 people were evacuated from the Pembury Estate in Dalston Lane, Hackney, on 5 June but none of the residents have moved back home, a month after the roof sustained significant damage.
A 2019 FRA by Peabody, the housing association responsible for the building, stated there were no solar panels on top of the flats, something an independent fire safety expert said made the report "defective and dangerous".
The Metropolitan Police said inquiries were ongoing to establish the cause of the fire, which took two hours and 100 firefighters to bring under control.

If solar panels are not cleaned and maintained regularly in summer, the accumulation of dust or bird droppings attached to the solar panels can cause a hot spot effect, leading to fires.

So how to regularly maintain solar panels?

1. Regular cleaning of solar panels: The surface of solar panels is prone to dust and dirt, and regular cleaning of solar panels can improve their power generation efficiency and service life.

For cleaning household solar panels, we recommend the MULR-A/C/D series semi-automatic cleaning brush from Multifit Solar.

 

 

 

For cleaning solar panels in industrial and commercial systems, we recommend the MR-G1 and MR-T1 series fully automatic cleaning robots from Multifit Solar.

 

 

 

2. Remove debris such as leaves and bird droppings: The debris that covers the surface of solar panels usually includes leaves, bird droppings, etc. These debris can affect the normal power generation of solar panels and should be removed in a timely manner.

3. Check plugs and connectors: The plugs and connectors of solar panels should be checked regularly to ensure that they are clean, tidy, and securely fastened.

4. Testing solar panels: Use testing instruments to test the performance of solar panels, ensure their normal operation, and promptly detect and handle any abnormalities.

5. Check photovoltaic cables: Check whether the photovoltaic cables are damaged or aged to avoid damage to the photovoltaic power generation system or a decrease in power generation efficiency caused by the photovoltaic cables.