Fires linked to solar panels force Suffolk council to switch them off in 80 schools indefinitely

• Suffolk County Council to disconnect solar panels at 80 schools following three recent fires
• PV systems installed between 2011 and 2016 believed to be impacted
• Regular maintenance of aging solar components is crucial

Suffolk County Council has ordered the precautionary shutdown of solar panels at around 80 schools after three separate fires were tied to such installations.

While the solar panels have not been deemed at fault, they were identified as a potential factor in the three instances, the Council said.

The decision to shut down solar panels across the 80 schools affects PV systems installed between 2011 and 2016 under a then county-wide scheme, with engineers being deployed across all sites to isolate the systems.

Precautionary measures

Suffolk council stressed the solar installations aren’t entirely to blame until inspections are carried out, but that precautionary disconnections would be carried out in the meantime.

The most recent incident, which occurred...

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