Rooftop solar panels on a new-build home in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire exploded and burst into flames while a family was inside. Ring doorbell footage captured the roof igniting around 10.30am on a Bank Holiday Monday, when temperatures reached 22°C. An off-duty firefighter rescued three adults and one child, and five fire crews controlled the blaze. The incident raises safety questions about photovoltaic systems, especially as heatwaves become more common. Researchers warned that increased installations, added batteries, aging panels and components, and more extreme weather events are likely to increase solar panel incidents. UK government figures show rapid growth, with 269,000 solar installations completed last year and rooftop solar making up about 95% of new deployments.
"Terrifying footage has revealed the moment a set of solar panels on a £600,000 new-build home exploded while a family was still inside. Ring doorbell footage from earlier this week showed the roof of the property in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, bursting into flames. Neighbours described the terror of watching the family scramble to safety at about 10.30am on Bank Holiday Monday, as the temperature had already hit 22°C."
"Thankfully, nobody was injured in the explosion after an off-duty firefighter rescued three adults and one child from the four-bedroom detached house. Five fire crews then arrived and worked quickly to control the blaze. However, the incident raises important questions about the safety of solar panels - particularly as heatwaves become more common."
"'The surge in installations, the introduction of batteries, the ageing of panels and components together with more extreme weather events mean solar panel incidents are likely to continue increasing,' warned David Whaley and Timothy O'Leary, lecturers in construction at the University of Melbourne in an article for The Conversation."
"Last year was the strongest year on record for solar deployment, with 269,000 installations completed across the UK. 'Around 255,000 of these were rooftop solar - meaning at least 95% of all new solar was installed on homes, businesses and other buildings,' it explained. 'This equates to a new rooftop solar installation every 2 minutes throughout 2025.'"
Read at Mail Online
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