Fires linked to solar panels have more than doubled in the past three years to reach 212 in 2025, new research shows, with most taking place in houses and cables the leading cause

By MARTIN BECKFORD, POLICY EDITOR Published: 22:00, 10 August 2026 | Updated: 22:10, 10 August 2026 Fires linked to solar panels have more than doubled over the past three years, it has been revealed. New research has found that fire brigades across the UK attended 212 fires involving solar panels last year. The figure is more than twice the 91 blazes recorded in 2022, and up from 131 in 2023 and 155 the year after. Business insurer QBE, which obtained the data from fire and rescue services under the Freedom of Information Act, said most of the fires took place at houses fitted with solar panels, with 102 last year. It raises questions for the Government's goal for all new build properties to include 'on-site renewable electricity generation'. Last month the Daily Mail revealed that there has been a spate of fires in solar panels on school roofs. Analysis also showed that the leading cause of the fires was the cabling and connectors (49 last year), followed by the panels themselves (36) and the battery bank (23). QBE said the number of fires is also increasing at more than double the rate of solar panel installations.  An image from a doorbell camera shows fire ripping through solar panels on a newbuild house in Northamptonshire, in May 2026 According to Government records, 1.9m of the renewable energy units were built last year, up just 52 per cent on the 1.2m installed in 2022. Adrian Simmonds, Risk Manager at QBE Insurance said: 'It is clear installation quality and fire safety are not keeping pace with the speed of deployment. Safe solar panel installation and maintenance are essential to reducing the number of fires.' He added: 'Solar energy is a key component to the UK's clean energy future and QBE fully supports its rapid expansion, but safety and risk mitigation must be the priority. Our research shows that fires are rising at more than double the rate of installations, with DC cabling and connectors as the leading cause, and fires are often spreading to the wider building.' But a spokesman for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero insisted: 'The risk of fire from solar panels is very low – much lower than other household appliances such as cookers. 'Solar panels should always be fitted by a certified installer and can help families save around £500 a year on their energy bills.'