Energy Safe Victoria (ESV) investigated three fires over the Christmas break triggered by outdated solar panel systems that had gone without maintenance for two years.

On all occasions, the fires were set off due to malfunctioning or defective DC isolators.

On 4 January 2023, firefighters responded to a home in Mt Evelyn only to find that the seven-year-old solar system was on fire caused by a faulty DC isolator causing significant damage to the property.

On 27 December 2022, a five-year-old solar system DC isolator caught fire on a property in Ferntree Gully. And on 25 December 2022, solar panels in a property in Mentone caught on fire. This was caused by a malfunctioning DC isolator of a ten-year-old solar system.

It was found that these systems were installed prior to the commencement of the Victorian Government’s Solar Homes Program in 2018.

These recent incidents highlight the importance of ongoing maintenance to ensure that PV systems are okay for continued use.