Rashidat Oladele
Claim: Solar panel causes fire hazard
A Facebook and TikTok post has gone popular across all social media platforms.
The latest solar panel fire outbreak in an Abuja plaza, where the fire spread from the panel into the nearby shop, was documented in a video by TikTok maker @thecarnalman.
The maker of the now-deleted video claimed that the solar panel was the source of the fire and advised anyone interested in using clean energy to always install the panels on a designated station far away from structures and persons who might be impacted in the event of a fire.
After the video went viral, he released an apology, saying, “I apologized for disseminating false information as eyewitnesses to the fire incident claimed that the solar panel was not the cause of the fire and that the fire actually began inside the shop before being excavated and exhumed along with the building’s roofing.”Another video was
created by the same creator with the intention of misleading educators, who accused him of spreading false information. He went and conducted research and discovered that, while planted solar panels have the potential to cause a damaging fire, other factors that may contribute to a fire outbreak include batteries, power circuits, improper installation, and ambient temperature.
https://www.tiktok.com/@thecarnalman/video/7361467822125452550?_r=1&u_
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMMgsjamD/
NatureNews, Africa’s foremost news publications which is dedicated to providing accurate insights to stop the spread of fake news particularly among users of social media, subjected the claim to fact checking.
Findings: Using the Google search tool in conducting this research, NatureFact, the fact checking unit of NatureNews, accessed a few papers and studies.
https://solareyesinternational.com/causes-of-fire-on-solar-installations-how-to-avoid-it-
“It is crucial to have a solar installation done by qualified professionals and perform regular maintenance to prevent fires by being aware of the potential hazard.
https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/consumers-guide-fire-safety-solar-systems#:~:text=
Design flaws, component defects, and faulty installation generally cause solar rooftop fires. As with all electrical systems, these problems can cause arcs between conductors or to the ground, as well as hot spots, which can ignite nearby flammable material.
https://www.theecoexperts.co.uk/solar-panels/too-hot-for-solar-panels#:~:
Solar panels can suffer slight losses in power output when they’re too hot, so mild or cold conditions suit them best.
You’ll see a small drop in generation above 25°C, though solar panel manufacturers are rapidly shrinking this negative effect with new products with better heat resistance.
Verdict: False. However, fire hazards could happen in rare cases as a result of bad solar panel materials, unqualified installers, natural disasters, and wrong maintenance, among others.