Audit of 600 rooftop solar systems finds 97% had ‘major’ safety issues
Solar

Audit of 600 rooftop solar systems finds 97% had ‘major’ safety issues

An audit of more than 600 commercial rooftop solar systems around the world found that nearly all, 97%, had "major" safety concerns.

The audit conducted and shared by the consultancy Clean Energy Associates noted the leading safety concerns, which included grounding issues (49%), damaged modules (47%), cross-mated connectors (41%), and poor terminations (40%).

Courtesy: Clean Energy Associates

The vast majority of safety issues identified by the audit trace back to poor installation practices, according to CEA, meaning most can be identified and resolved relatively easily before they lead to fires, safety risks, and potentially costly liabilities.

The audit was conducted on commercial rooftop systems in the US, UK, Italy, Spain, India, Japan, United Arab Emirates, Australia, Canada, Mexico, Czech Republic, Germany, and Poland.

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CEA said the most common causes of safety risks on solar installations are tied to inconsistent and widely varying installation practices, inaccurate or incomplete connector information, and conflicting motives between O&M providers and system owners.