Fire Concerns With Roof-Mounted Solar Panels: by Richard J. Davis, P.E., FSFPE

5/21/2020 Fire Concerns with Roof-Mounted Solar Panels - SFPE
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FIRE CONCERNS WITH
ROOF-MOUNTED SOLAR
PANELS
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Is s ue 9 2 : Fir e Conc e r ns w ith Roof-Mounte d Sola r Pa ne ls
By Richard J. Davis, P.E., FSFPE
As com panies look to reduce their dependenc e on foss il

fuels, m any are turning toward rooftop photovoltaic (PV)
power sys tem s , or s olar panels , as a s ource of renewable,
clean energy. However, this tec hnology com es with specific
risks. One of the m any dangers to s olar panels is how the
panel and its m ounting system im pact the c om bus tibility of
the overall roof system . Som e solar panels, for exam ple,
inc lude a backing of highly com bustible plas tic .
In laboratory-based fire tests of roof as sem blies , 1, 2 the

m axim um allowable fire s pread is between approxim ately 20
and 40 ft 2 (1.9 and 3.7 m 2 ), depending on whether an A, B or
C rating is des ired. In actual roof fires with roof-m ounted
solar panels, fire dam age has involved areas of between
1,000 and 183,000 ft 2 (93 and 17,000 m 2 ). In the m ost
extrem e c ase the fire spread to the ins ide and des troyed the
entire building (see Fig. 1).
Fig. 1. PV roof fire at a refrigerated warehouse in NJ in 2013

(photo courtesy of Vince Lattanzio, NBC Philadelphia)
https://www.sfpe.org/page/FPE_ET_Issue_92/Fire-Concerns-with-Roof-Mounted-Solar-Panels.htm 1/6
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W hile the results of a lab test and an actual fire are not
always identical, suc(H
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(https://twitter.com/SFPE_Inc)
Lab tests conducted by at the FM Global Res earc h Cam pus
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suc h testing, an ASTM E108 test apparatus was utilized,
placing PV panels over a com m only us ed, Class A-rated roof
MEMBERSHIP & COMMUNITIES
ass em bly (when EVENTS
the roof alone was& tested),
EDUCATION PROFESSIONAL
s tarting near the QUALIFICATIONS
flam e-exposed end. This roof ass em bly failed the tes t (s ee
Fig. 2). W hile only one failure m ode is required by the test
standard, in this test all three of the following failure m odes
occ urred: Fire spread laterally to both edges of the sam ple,
m aterial c ontinued to burn after falling to the floor, and fire
spread ac ross the 13 ft (4 m ) length of the ass em bly within
90 seconds.
Fig. 2. Fire tes t of rigid PV panels ov er Clas s A-rated roof

consisting of an
EPDM cover over polyisocyanurate ins ulation (photo
courtesy of FM Global)
W hy did this happen? Regardless of the m aterials us ed in

the construction of a PV panel, its m ere pres ence changes
the dynam ics of a fire involving a roof ass em bly. Research
tes ts done at Underwriters Laboratories 3, 4, 5, 6,7,8, 9, 10, 11
dem onstrate that even a c em ent panel sim ulating the
presence of a PV panel will inc rease fire s pread across a
com m on roof assem bly.
There are three key considerations that affec t fire s pread

along a roof where a roof-m ounted PV array is ins talled:
1. In a typical roof fire, the flam e is prim arily vertical, or
perhaps s om ewhat s lanted due to wind. Onc e s uc h
flam es spread under a PV panel, the flam e is
redirected m uc h closer to the roof s urfac e and nearly
parallel to it. This inc reas es the inc ident heat flux on
the roof s urfac e, often above its critical heat flux.
2. W hile the exterior fire classific ation of a roof is an
effec tive way to rate the exterior fire perform anc e of
roof assem blies, even a Clas s A as sem bly will offer
som e fuel contribution to a roof PV fire, with m os t
standing s eam m etal roof system s being the exception.
3. W hile the top s urfac e of a rigid PV panel is usually
m ade of tem pered glass, the bottom of the panel m ay
contain com bustibles (us ed to protect the PV circ uitry)
in the form of polyes ter-based encaps ulants and bac k
sheets (s ee Fig. 3). If this ignites and the heat re-
radiates, fire spread is likely to continue bac k and forth
beneath the roof ass em bly and the PV bac k sheet.
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MEMBERSHIP & COMMUNITIES EVENTS & EDUCATION PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
Fig. 3. The underside of a rigid PV panel

(photo courtesy of FM Global)
PV rooftop fires have been caused by elec trical arc s that

occ urs near the com biner box, where num erous wires from
PV panels are connected. This is a location where there is
considerable voltage, before the current is c onverted from
DC to AC at the inverter, and where the roof as sem bly could
ignite and result in fire spread under the PV panels.
Fortunately, there have been som e im provem ents m ade by

m anufacturers during the past few years with regard to the
electrical com ponents that can reduc e the potential for
ignition. Som e PV panels have m icro-inverters on each PV
panel, which convert voltage from DC to AC. This can be
expensive, but it reduces the probability of ignition.
Manual firefighting efforts also can be ham pered by the

electrical risk assoc iated with PV arrays. W hile m inim um 4 ft
(1.2 m ) wide aisle spaces between panels at a m axim um of
150 ft (46 m ) apart have been rec om m ended 12 , this does not
alleviate all the risk. Disconnec ting electrical power from the
PV array is com plicated, and arrays c ontinue to generate
electricity, som etim es even at night. The PV array and the
roof assem bly should be designed s o their c onstruction
lim its potential fire s pread and the entire burden for fire
protection is not plac ed on m anual firefighting efforts .
There are several design choic es that c an lim it fire spread if

ignition oc curs :
1. Use a com plete system (PV panels, s ecurem ent, and

roof assem bly) that has been tested to s im ulate actual
field conditions . FM Approval is available, 13 which
includes testing for fire exposure as well as wind and
hail.
2. If the exis ting roof has aged, it is rec om m ended that a
new roof be ins talled before ins talling a PV s ys tem .
Choose roof as sem blies that lim it potential fuel
contribution in the event of an exterior fire. Appropriate
options include m etal roof sys tem s , as well as
nonc om bustible m aterials (s uc h as gyps um c over
boards, m ineral wool or expanded glas s roof insulation)
installed directly below single-ply or m ulti-ply roof
covers. In som e cas es, c oatings m ay need to be
applied to the top of the roof c over.
3. W here existing roofs will rem ain, inves tigate the need
R e n e w (/? Pa g e =R e n e w )
for a coating to be applied to the top of the roof cover
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(https://www.instagram.com/sfpe_hq/)
that will im prove perform anc e with regard to exterior 
fire expos ure. Construction m aterials that m elt at low
softening tem peratures and can flow when burning
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(suc h as expanded or extruded polys tyrene insulation
or m ulti-ply roof covers) m ay require protec tion s uch as
a gypsum
MEMBERSHIP cover board EVENTS
& COMMUNITIES ins talled over the insulation
& EDUCATION or a QUALIFICATIONS
PROFESSIONAL
coating over the roof cover.
OUTREACH
4. To &prevent
ADVOCACY ( /PAGE/ISSUESADVOCACY
an exterior ) TECHNICAL
fire from entering ( /?PAGE=TECHNICALCOMMITTEES)
the building,
protect building expansion joints by sec uring m ineral
PUBLICATIONS
wool or (other
/?PAGE=PUBLICATIONS)
fire-res istant c omCAREERS
pres sible ins ulation
between wood nailers, covered by s teel flas hing.
5. Evaluate the potential for fuel c ontribution from the
underside of the PV panel. The underside of the panel
m ay have a glass backing, alum inum or fluoro-polym er-
based bac k-sheet as an alternative to a polyes ter-
based bac k-sheet.
Most im portantly, it is bes t to use a PV panel that has

pas sed a fire test with the propos ed roof as s em bly.
For additional inform ation, see FM Global Property Los s

Prevention Data Sheet 1-15, Roof Mounted Solar
Photovoltaic Panels (http://www.fm globaldatas heets .c om ).
Ric hard Davis is with FM Global
1. ASTM E108, Standard Tes t M ethods for Fire Tes ts of

Roof Cov erings , ASTM International, W es t
Conshohocken, PA, 2011.
2. UL 790, Standard for Standard Tes t M ethods for Fire
Tests of Roof Coverings, Underwriters ' Laboratories,
Northbrook, IL, 2004.
3. Backstrom , B. & Tabaddor, M. "Effect of Rack Mounted
Photovoltaic Modules on the Fire Class ification Rating
of Roofing Ass em blies," Underwriters ' Laboratories,
4. Backstrom , B. & Tabaddor, M. "Effect of Rack Mounted
Photovoltaic Modules on the Flam m ability of Roofing
Assem blies – Dem onstration of Mitigation Conc epts,"
Underwriters' Laboratories, Northbrook, IL, 2010.
5. Backstrom , B. & Sloan, D. "Effect of Rack Mounted
Photovoltaic Modules on the Fire Class ification Rating
of Roofing Ass em blies - Phas e 2," Underwriters'
Laboratories, Northbrook, IL, 2012.
6. Backstrom , B. & Sloan, D. "Charac teriz ation of
Photovoltaic Materials – Critical Flux for
Ignition/Propagation - Phase 3," Underwriters'
7. Backstrom , B. & Sloan, D. "Report of Experim ents of
Minim um Gap and Flashing for Rack Mounted
Photovoltaic Modules - Phas e 4," Underwriters'
8. Backstrom , B. & Sloan, D. "Considerations of Module
Position on Roof Deck During Spread of Flam e Tes ts -
Phas e 5," Underwriters' Laboratories , Northbrook, IL,
2012.
9. Backstrom , B. & Sloan, D. "Validation of 42” PV Module
Setback on Low Slope Roof Experim ents - Projec t 7,"
Underwriters' Laboratories, Northbrook, IL, 2012.
10. Backstrom , B. " Validation of Roof Configuration 2
Experim ents - Project 9," Underwriters ' Laboratories ,
11. Backstrom , B. & Fis cher, C." Report on Spread of
Flam e and Burning Brand Perform ance of Generic
Installations," Underwriters' Laboratories, Northbrook,
IL, 2012.
12. "Solar Photovoltaic System ," Los Angeles City Fire
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Departm ent Requirem ent No. 96,Los Angeles , CA,
Fo u n d a ti o n
(https://www.instagram.com/sfpe_hq/)
February, 2009. 
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13. Clas s Num ber 4478, " Approval Standard  for Rigid C o n ta ct U s (/Ge n e ra l /? Typ e =C ON TAC T)
Photovoltaic Modules," FM Approvals, Norwood, MA,
(/) 
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2012.
Re late d Article s: EVENTS & EDUCATION PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
3rd Quarte r 2014 – Harne ssing the Sun: Solar Powe r and
Fire Prote ction Engine e ring – Casey C. Grant, P.E.,
FSPE
Developm ents in the solar power field are proliferating at an
ever increasing rate, raising new ques tions about s afety and
reliability. Thes e developm ents are nec es sitating the re-
exam ination and m odification of c odes and s tandards and
other instrum ents of the existing safety infras truc ture. The
expertise of fire protection engineers is im portant for the
advancem ent of solar power technology in order to prevent
unwanted events before they occur, or to m itigate any
adverse events once they do occur. READ MORE
(http://m agazine.sfpe.org/content/harness ing-s un-s olar-
power-and-fire-protection-engineering)
3rd Quarte r 2012 – Facing the Future : Alte rnativ e Ene rgy
and Fire Prote ction Engine e ring – Casey C. Grant, P.E.,
FSPE
The increased dem and for alternative energy sources and
tec hnologies is introducing new challenges for fire protec tion
professionals, including the re-evaluation of exis ting c odes
and standards. Casey Grant explores the im pac t that
alternative energy sources – both traditional and newer
form s, such as fuel cells, Sm art Grid, and c onc entrated
solar power – will have on fire protec tion des ign as
engineers work to m itigate any potential haz ards that
inc orporating these new form s of energy m ight pres ent.
READ MORE (http://m agazine.sfpe.org/c ontent/fac ing-
future-alternative-energy-and-fire-protec tion-engineering)
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Is s ue 9 2 : Fir e Conc e r ns w ith Roof-Mounte d Sola r Pa ne ls

By Richard J. Davis, P.E., FSFPE

As com panies look to reduce their dependenc e on foss il

In laboratory-based fire tests of roof as sem blies , 1, 2 the

Fig. 1. PV roof fire at a refrigerated warehouse in NJ in 2013

Fig. 2. Fire tes t of rigid PV panels ov er Clas s A-rated roof

W hy did this happen? Regardless of the m aterials us ed in

There are three key considerations that affec t fire s pread

OUTREACH & ADVOCACY ( /PAGE/ISSUESADVOCACY ) TECHNICAL ( /?PAGE=TECHNICALCOMMITTEES)

PUBLICATIONS ( /?PAGE=PUBLICATIONS) CAREERS

Fig. 3. The underside of a rigid PV panel

PV rooftop fires have been caused by elec trical arc s that

Fortunately, there have been som e im provem ents m ade by

Manual firefighting efforts also can be ham pered by the

There are several design choic es that c an lim it fire spread if

1. Use a com plete system (PV panels, s ecurem ent, and

Most im portantly, it is bes t to use a PV panel that has

For additional inform ation, see FM Global Property Los s

Ric hard Davis is with FM Global

1. ASTM E108, Standard Tes t M ethods for Fire Tes ts of

OUTREACH & ADVOCACY ( /PAGE/ISSUESADVOCACY ) TECHNICAL ( /?PAGE=TECHNICALCOMMITTEES)

For questions c oncerning delivery of this eNews letter, pleas e

Copyright 2014, SFPE and Penton.

Back to eNewsletter Archives (/?page=ETArc hives )

Corporate 100 Visionaries

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