Safety concerns have been raised over Energy Secretary Ed Miliband’s plans to install solar panels across millions more British homes after a surge in house fires caused by the energy solution or their batteries.
According to data gathered by insurance company QBE, fire services were called out roughly every two days last year to incidents involving a solar panel.
The company found this marked a 60 per cent increase in the past two years.
However, QBE also found that fires were rising faster than the rate of solar panel installations, suggesting Ed Miliband’s green agenda drive is not wholly responsible for the increase in incidents.
Adrian Simmonds, a senior QBE risk manager, said: “Solar is essential to the UK’s clean energy transition but the rapid pace of deployment is raising risk concerns.
“Our analysis shows fires involving solar panels have risen at twice the rate of new installations over the past two years. Safe solar panel installation and maintenance are essential to reducing fires.”
In one incident earlier this year, a rooftop fire sparked the evacuation of St Michael’s maternity hospital in Bristol.
While another incident in Church Crookham, Hampshire, caused damage to three flats in 2022.
It is understood that both fires were linked to solar installations that were faulty or badly maintained.
Under plans put forward by Mr Miliband, the UK solar capacity is looking to be raised from 18 gigawatts to as much as 85 gigawatts by 2035.
Although some of these new panels will be ground-mounted and replace farmland across counties like Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Devon and Cornwall, a large proportion is also planned to be roof-mounted.
The Energy Secretary’s Solar Roadmap plans to install rooftop panels on millions more homes in addition to the 1.5 million already equipped.
The roadmap also proposes minimising planning requirements, which can incorporate safety regulations.
GB News has approached the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero for comment.
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