Solar panels are overwhelmingly safe 

As with any electrical appliance, solar panels can be at risk for certain electrical damages and dangers, such as solar panel fires and power surges. Luckily, there are plenty of measures in place to ensure your solar panel installation is safe. This article will discuss some of the common safety concerns around solar panels, and what mechanisms are in place to prevent dangerous solar panel scenarios. 

For the vast majority of homeowners, solar panels should not be cause for any safety concerns. Solar panels are essentially an additional electrical appliance in your home and should be considered in a similar vein as refrigerators and air conditioners when it comes to the danger that they bring to your home.

Electrical surges are not uncommon for grid-tied homes, and most homes are already equipped to prevent damage from surges. When installed properly, solar panels will not cause fires, a claim backed by a 2013 German study that concluded only 0.006 percent of the 1.3 million photovoltaic systems in the country at the time caused a fire. Of that 0.006 percent, about one in five of those fires actually resulted in large amounts of damage. In the very rare case that your solar panels cause a fire or are damaged by a home fire, there is a good chance that your solar panel warranty or home insurance will cover any damages that your home incurs.
 

What solar panel safety issues you should be aware of

Just like your microwave, toaster oven, house lights, or any other common electrical appliance, solar panels involve flowing electricity. As electricity is generated and moves through wires around your panels and into your home, problems may occasionally. The two most common safety concerns around solar panels, electrical surges, and fires are typical of other electrical systems.
 

Electrical surges

An electrical surge happens when higher-than-normal voltages flow through electrical wires. Depending on the voltage and duration of the surge, it can result in damage to devices that are not designed to deal with high voltage levels.
Electrical surges can be caused by external factors like regional power usage drops and nearby lightning strikes. It can also result from sources inside the home, such as turning on large appliances like refrigerators and air conditioners. Importantly, internally-caused surges often stem from faulty wiring and can be all but prevented by making sure your home’s electrical systems are up to date.
 

Solar panel fires are extremely rare

Solar panel fires usually arise as a result of electrical problems. Like any electrical device, if wires are damaged, improperly insulated, or otherwise incorrectly installed, an electrical fire can be started.
The most common area for solar panels to cause electrical fires is at your system’s combiner box, which is where wires from all of your panels connect before flowing through an inverter. This is only an issue for systems with string inverters: in systems, with microinverters, there is no combiner box, because the inverters are installed next to the panels.
 

Safety mechanisms for solar panel systems

To protect from electrical surges, some states will mandate that your home electrical panel is updated to include a whole-house surge protector. Whole-house surge protective devices (SPDs) are installed in your electrical box and can cost a few hundred dollars. SPDs work by detecting voltage spikes and diverting excess current through a grounding path. For solar customers in southeastern states like Florida and Alabama where lightning strikes are common, it may be worth outfitting your home with an SPD (or at least consulting your solar installer or electrician). In most cases, the standard 200 amp panel required for solar installations is the only equipment you will need.

According to the National Electrical Code, all rooftop solar power systems must also have a “rapid shutdown mechanism” installed. Popular solar inverters like those by SolarEdge now include automatic rapid shutdown functionality and require no additional equipment. Automatic shutdown procedures like SolarEdge’s are triggered when AC current is no longer flowing to inverters, indicating that the attached electrical systems are not working as expected. Therefore, in the event that your home electricity system has been damaged, your panels will automatically shut down to prevent health hazards or further damage.
Rapid shutdown mechanisms for solar panels also serve to prevent harm or injury to first responders should there be a fire in your home. By shutting down the electrical systems connected to your panels, firefighters can safely contain the fire and prevent further damage to your panels or home.

If you want to move into the future and join the solar revolution, or if you want to find out what solar panels are right for you, go to HahaSmart.com and try our price checker tool. You can see how much a system will cost, and how much you can save over the next 20 years.

For more information relating to going solar, don't forget to visit our solar blog section for more handy guides and articles.