First and foremost, we are thankful no one was hurt in yesterday’s solar array fire at Walmart’s Beavercreek, Ohio, location. We are not involved with this system and the details of the cause of this fire are unknown, but other solar module fires in the past could have been prevented with the following:
Proper maintenance and inspection is a must. Being exposed to the elements, the cables and connections in the system can degrade over time and that can result in an electrical fire. System wiring can come loose due to improper installation or to animals looking for a snack.
Improper system grounding and routing to ground can lead to ground faults.
Solar Array, Rooftop SolarNEC new arc fault code embedded into today’s technology helps alleviate some of the past issues.
When properly maintained, array fires are extremely rare. In our 11+ years, none of our customers has ever experienced a fire caused by a solar array. If you feel you might need maintenance on your solar system, give us a call.
Solar works, but not all arrays are created equal. Quality product, superior engineering and expert installation makes a difference in output, maintenance issues and system longevity.
During our 11 years in business, we have never installed a module from a company that went bankrupt nor, have we installed any Chinese-made modules and we have only installed modules from companies that have been around longer than the 25-year warranty they give. We use only the best products from proven manufacturers and we are always personally involved and emotional invested in every step in the process of each installation.