It is suspected that the fire at the Vodacom building at Century City in Cape Town on Sunday 9 July may have been caused by an issue with the rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) installation.
Such systems are increasingly popular for homes and businesses seeking to mitigate the impact of ongoing loadshedding. However, for insurance purposes the PV systems need to be installed by an accredited installer or electrician. Michael van Niekerk, CEO of ASP Fire, highlights that the onus is on home- and business owners to ensure the installation is correct, especially in terms of accompanying gensets.
“There are several fire safety measures that should be taken into account when installing a solar power system, to prevent the risk of fire,” says van Niekerk. Firstly, solar panels must be installed by experienced professionals, to prevent fires that could be caused by faulty wiring or overheating.
He adds that it is important to use high-quality solar panels, inverters, wiring, batteries and other components from reputable manufacturers. Inferior quality components, particularly when it comes to lithium-Ion batteries, are more likely to malfunction, increasing the risk of a fire. Lithium-Ion batteries that are not equipped with a thermal management system have a high chance of overheating, resulting in thermal runaway and a subsequent fire.
Battery storage rooms must be fire rated to control a battery fire, as these are exceptionally difficult to control and extinguish, van Niekerk says. The flammable gas produced during a lithium-ion battery fire can build up inside a garage or room and, if ignited, can result in an explosion with severe consequences.
Another critical consideration is using properly sized and rated wiring in the installation to prevent overheating, short circuits or other electrical problems that can lead to fires. Wiring should be insulated, and conduit used where necessary to protect the wiring from the elements.
Faulty, poor quality or incorrectly installed solar panel junction boxes located outside on the roof might allow for water ingress into the housing, which can lead to a short circuit and potentially a fire that could result in the loss of the roof top solar installation.
Van Niekerk adds that an isolation switch should be installed to shut down the roof-mounted solar panel installation safely in case of an emergency. Such an isolation switch must be clearly labelled and easily accessible to the fire department. He says the impact that roof-mounted solar panels have on smoke ventilation and emergency firefighting smoke ventilation in a building are also important factors to keep in mind when designing solar panel installations.
In addition, a solar power system must be grounded to prevent electrical shocks and fires. All metal components, including the solar panels and storage batteries, must be grounded to a common ground point. Van Niekerk emphasises too, that regular maintenance and inspection are critical to ensure all components function properly and to identify any potential fire hazards.
For more information visit: www.aspfire.co.za