Introduction : Fire safety in solar PV systems is critical—not just for property protection but for the long-term reliability and insurance compliance of your investment. While solar is inherently safe, poor installation practices and inferior components can increase the risk of fire or electrical faults.
Here’s what you need to know.
Common Fire Risks in Solar PV Systems
- DC Arcing from Loose Connections: One of the most common causes. Loose or poorly crimped DC connectors can cause resistance, leading to heat build-up and eventual arcing. Arcing leads to fire.
- Crushed or Pinched Cables: When DC cables are routed incorrectly (e.g. under panels without proper spacing), they can become damaged over time from movement or vibration.
- Walking on Panels: Installers walking on panels will create microcracks in the tempered glass, allowing moisture ingress to enter. Over time (several years) the freeze/thaw action will expand these cracks in size creating a larger more dangerous issue that leads to short circuiting – causing fire.
- Non-Compliant Equipment: Some systems use cheap, untested inverters or connectors that do not meet EN50549 compliance. This poses a fire and grid-safety risk. ESB Networks will only allow EN50549-1 Compliance equipment to be connected to their grid, it is mandatory.
Safety Measures We Take at Moontree Solar
- Proper String Design: We assess Panel/Inverter matching to reduce mismatch and overloading.
- Optimisation: We design systems to avoid shading, if shading cannot be avoided we install optimisers where required. Without optimisers, shading on a single panel caused by a chimney or wall will drop the performance of ALL the panels on the string to the same performance as the affected panel.
- 6mm² Cabling Minimum: We use oversized DC cabling to minimise resistance and future-proof the system. This will enable higher poer panels to be installed later and also minimises power loss further, improving performance.
- Quality Connectors Only: All connectors are MC4-certified and properly matched for Manufactured products – Inverters and Fire-Shunts. We use STAUBLI for solar panels (Industry Standard).
- Crimp Testing & Torque Checks: We perform physical pull tests and torque verifications during install. All Screws/Nuts/Bolts installed on the roof are Stainless/Aluminium or Galvanised where necessary and designed for the specific task and torque tested during installation.
- Double Insulation & Routing Protection: All exposed DC cable is double insulated and run in conduit, trunking, or flexible copex. Earth bonding is always fitted for safety use later if required – Lightning protection.
- Fireback Protection: Where DC isolators, batteries, and inverters are mounted on wood or plasterboard, fire-rated boards are installed to reduce fire risk.
Equipment Compliance Standards
All systems installed by Moontree Solar comply with:
- EN50549-1: European grid compliance for inverters
- IS 10101: National Wiring Rules (Ireland)
- IEC 62109: Inverter and battery safety
- CE Marking: European unions mandatory declaration of conformity.
- Inverters & batteries with EU documentation for compliance in the irish market.
- Solar Panels with tempered, impact-rated glass designed for irish weather.
- DC & AC Isolating specific to Solar generation market in Europe. (Fire-Shunt & Safety Isolation switches)
Homeowner Responsibilities
- Don’t cover or obstruct inverter or batteries. They require space for cooling and need adequate space for possible fire risk – alike a fuseboard.
- Report any fuseboard tripping or visual damage immediately. These systems generate a lot of power and need that respect in mind.
- Avoid high-moisture areas unless ventilation is excellent. Some systems are designed for internal use only, others are designed to be fitted indoors or outdoors.
- Consider regular visual inspections for peace of mind. Maintenance is key, however simple a visual lookover is, it will provide early detection of an issue.
Insurance & Certification
Moontree Solar provides:
- NC6/NC7 Certification for ESB approval
- Declaration of Safe Electric Compliance under IS10101
- CE Certification for Electrical & Solar products installed.
- Warranty documentation for Installation.
- Warranty for Solar system installed.
Insurance Liability is in place to carry out Domestic & Non Domestic installations specifically suited for Solar PV.
Many insurance companies now request proof of certified install, especially for systems with battery storage. We ensure all documentation is professionally issued.
Conclusion
When installed correctly using quality products and compliant practices, solar PV systems are extremely safe. At Moontree Solar, we take safety seriously—from system design and component choice to installation and customer handover.
For any questions about Solar PV installations, fire & Safety, feel free to contact our team. Your safety is our priority.
