Clean Doesn’t Mean Risk Free

Recently, a fire broke out at a solar installation in Wembley, catching attention across the industry. The blaze reminds us that even “clean” technologies are not immune to failure modes—especially where lithium-ion systems, inverters, and high voltages are concerned.

Here’s what we must consider:

Complex failure pathways: A damaged cell, manufacturing defect, or poor thermal management can escalate into a full thermal runaway, spreading to neighboring modules or battery banks.

Response challenges: Fire crews may lack familiarity with solar / battery fires, which can reignite or hide deep within panels or racks.

Regulatory gaps: Standards for solar installation, certification, maintenance, and incident reporting are patchy, varying by province or municipality.

Ecosystem risk: As solar + storage adoption accelerates, small risks become system risks.