Major fires involving roof surfaces with solar panels in recent years have created growing concern at a time when the green transition and European energy independence are more important than ever. Unfortunately, the current fire testing method for roofing materials does not support this positive development, as it fails to provide a representative picture of fire safety when solar panels are installed. In this project, DBI is conducting experimental work to lay the foundation for a fire testing method that may eventually become a new European standard. This is being done in dialogue with experts from RISE in Norway and Sweden.
Vision
The project's vision is to support the green transition of our society and Europe’s energy independence from Russian oil and gas. This includes transforming our building stock from energy-consuming to energy-producing. However, this requires the creation and dissemination of foundational research and development work to ensure genuine fire safety in the use of building-integrated solar panels in construction.
New Legislation
From 2026, solar panels will be mandatory on certain types of newly constructed roofs in the EU, and gradually, requirements will be introduced for solar panels on a wider range of roof types. Companies in the market are already taking action, and there is a growing trend of installing building-mounted solar panels on existing rooftops.
Toward a new fire test for roofs with solar panels
The current roof test (Test 2 in both EN 13501-5 and CEN/TS 1187) does not provide an accurate depiction of fire spread in the cavity between the existing roof and the solar panels. Using an insufficient test method risks causing major damage to buildings with both human and financial consequences. There is therefore a need to carry out exploratory research and development work to enable either the further development of the existing roof test or the creation of a completely new one. Building owners and insurance companies in particular face challenges with the current roof test, as it cannot assess the risks associated with solar panels. This slows the spread of building-integrated solar panels. Through this project, we aim to help establish real safety for manufacturers, construction consultants, building owners, and insurance companies across Europe, with a special focus on Scandinavia.
Project Success Criteria:
- To identify one or more scaled-down fire testing methods that provide results deemed sufficiently correlated with a full-scale fire involving roof-mounted solar panels.
- To publish a report with analysis and preliminary conclusions from the project.
- To involve and share knowledge with the project’s target audience, and to publish test data, images, and video material.
