- Suffolk County Council to disconnect solar panels from 80 schools following three recent fires
- Photovoltaic systems installed between 2011 and 2016 would be affected
- Regular maintenance of aging solar components is crucial
Suffolk County Council has ordered the precautionary closure of solar panels at around 80 schools after three separate fires were linked to the installations.
Although the solar panels were not found to be at fault, they were identified as a potential factor in all three cases, the council said.
The decision to close solar panels at all 80 schools affects photovoltaic systems installed between 2011 and 2016 as part of a then county-wide program, with engineers deployed to all sites to isolate the systems.
Precautionary measures
Suffolk City Council stressed that solar installations are not fully liable until inspections are carried out, but that precautionary disconnections would be carried out in the meantime.
The most recent incident, at Sidegate Primary School on June 24, suggests the fire may have started near rooftop solar panels installed in 2012.
“Although investigations are in their early stages, initial discussions with Suffolk Fire and Rescue indicate that the fire may be linked to solar panels installed on the roof of one of the school buildings,” the council wrote on June 25, 2026.
“We cannot risk these incidents being unrelated or coincidental – we must act carefully to eliminate any potential fire risk,” wrote Sarah-Jane Smedmor, executive director of children and young people at Suffolk County Council, emphasizing the safety of children, young people and school staff.
Engineers deployed to isolate the solar systems expect the temporary disconnections to have been completed within two weeks while the council continues “further investigative work”, although a wider timetable and details of potential reconnections are unclear.
Safety concerns of aging solar infrastructure
The board’s decision reflects a growing concern that first-generation solar installations now use aging electrical components that could have defects in connectors, isolators and inverters, with the technology having been developed and drastically modernized in recent years as solar installations become more democratized and accessible to homeowners and commercial applications.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband plans to increase the UK’s solar capacity from 18GW to 85GW by 2035.
This also highlights the importance of regular inspection and maintenance throughout the life of a photovoltaic system, which must be maintained like a gas boiler to ensure safety and optimal operating conditions.
However, the alarming news comes as the UK continues to expand the deployment of solar energy as part of government plans to reduce carbon emissions, with public sector buildings fitted with the panels and homeowners eligible for cost-cutting grants.
The incidents also occurred as the UK entered its second wave of the season, with forecasts of a third on the horizon, raising concerns that these rollouts may not be suitable for higher temperatures.
Tony Slade, an energy expert cited by the BBCstressed that “this is not a renewable energy issue, but potentially a power system specification, installation and maintenance issue.”
Previous reports from The times even noted that although firefighters responded to a solar panel-related fire every other day in 2024, outages are more likely to be caused by inverters and problematic wiring rather than excessive heat on the panels themselves.
“The safe installation and maintenance of solar panels is essential to reducing fires,” Adrian Simmonds, risk engineer at QBE Insurance, subsequently wrote.
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