As temperatures soar, experts warn that the risk of fires caused by solar panels is rising – but there are steps homeowners can take to reduce the danger.The number of fires caused by solar panels has soared by 60 per cent in just two years, typically caused by problems with faulty installations and breakdowns.Solar panels are now behind more than 170 house fires a year – with fire brigades now being called out on average once every two days to tackle solar panel blazes.While hot weather alone will not cause problems with solar panels, if there is faulty wiring that is already overheating and there are problems with connected batteries, temperatures approaching 40C could increase the threat.And any potential tinderbox could rapidly turn into a fire in this dry hot weather.There are fears the number of fires could soar as growing numbers of households install new solar panels, existing panels age and record-breaking temperatures become increasingly common.Under the Labour Government's plan, an area more than three times the size of Birmingham will be filled with solar panels in the next five years.But the number of fires has increased at a faster rate than the number of installations made in recent years, according to insurance company QBE Insurance, which obtained the data from a Freedom of Information request. The number of blazes caused by solar panels has soared by 60 per cent in just two years and they are now thought to cause more than 170 house fires a year The number of fires has increased at a faster rate than the number of installations made in recent years, according to data obtained by QBE InsuranceIt revealed there were 171 fires involving solar panels in 2024, up from 128 in 2023 and 107 in 2022 – a 60 per cent increase in just two years.There were an estimated 1.7million solar panels across Britain in 2024, just 31 per cent up from 1.3million in 2022, QBE data shows.Lee Masson, a forensic investigator for Halliwell Forensics, a company called on by insurance companies to help discover the source of house fires, says: 'There are a wide range of reasons why a fire might have been started by a solar system fitted to a property.'Among the problems we have come across is mismatched connectors. If these connectors come from different manufacturers [to the panels] with variable tolerances, there is a chance they might eventually overheat and cause a fire.'Weather or birds on the roof can loosen or dislodge connections and cause wires to degrade – with verdigris on copper forming a green oxidation.'This instability is a potential source for a fire. There have also been instances where electricity inverter or isolation switches have overheated because of loose wiring or because of incompatible or poorly made products that have simply failed over time.'Last month, a set of solar panels on a £600,000 new-build home in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, exploded while a family was inside.Ring doorbell footage from a home across the street captured the terrifying blaze, showing the roof of the property bursting into flames on the Bank Holiday Monday. Lee Masson, a forensic investigator for Halliwell Forensics, says there are a number of reasons why a fire might have been started by a solar system fitted to a propertyAdrian Simmonds, of QBE, says: 'Solar technology is an essential part of the clean energy transition, but the rapid pace of deployment is cause for concern.'Our analysis shows fires involving solar panels has risen at twice the rate of new installations over two years to 2024.'Mr Simmonds says: 'Safe installation and maintenance are essential to reducing fires. We strongly encourage owners to engage certified installers and ensure regular inspections.'While solar connections have been behind house fires, there is also a concern about the lithium-ion batteries that are often now used in solar installations.These batteries allow households to store electricity to be used at night rather than using it as soon as it is generated.Damage to lithium-ion batteries can cause chemical reactions to the units where there is overheating, for example in high temperatures during summer months. If flammable gases are released by these batteries, it could trigger fires, he warns.He says: 'Battery storage introduces additional fire risks when units are installed in lofts, airing cupboards or upper floor spaces that are difficult to access in an emergency.'They not only increase the likelihood of a house fire but also the potential severity of one.' Jon Stretton, technical director of OffGrid Pro, says many fires are caused by poor connections between the panels and the electricity systems, known as MC4s Jon Stretton has seen more than his fair share of fires caused by solar panels.But when he was called out to fix faulty panels on a farm in west Berkshire in March this year, the energy management specialist was horrified by what he saw.Jon, who is technical director of energy management company OffGrid Pro, says he was asked by the farmer to assess the 500 solar panels on the farm, which are placed on the roof of a cattle shed, because they stopped working for a few days each time it rained.But while inspecting the panels, Jon discovered that a cheap connector used to link the panels together meant that one of the so-called 'box junctions', which is a protective box installed at the rear of a solar panel, had recently caught on fire.Thankfully, the fire went out before spreading, Jon says, leaving the box junction blackened and charred.He says he doesn't know why the fire went out but warned that hundreds of animals were at huge risk of burning alive in the cattle shed had the fire spread.He adds: 'Thank God there was not a huge fire – but this was just good fortune as it could easily have spread.'It was only because the solar panel system was playing up that we had the call.'Mr Stretton says many of the fires are caused by poor connections between the panels and the electricity systems (known as MC4s), sub-standard parts attached to the panels and dodgy installations.He says: 'Sadly, we are seeing an increasing number of residential and commercial solar installation problems.'Lives are already being put in danger, but it is only a matter of time before something worse happens.'Southampton-based Stretton says that the risk can be eliminated for as little as £12 and can be as simple as buying an ArcBox, which fits around dangerous connection points.In the case of the farm, he says: 'Once we got up into the beams to take a closer look, we discovered that a couple of connections seemed like they might have been crimped rather than having the approved MC4 connections. Such a poor connection is extremely dangerous.'Experts are now encouraging households to get their own installations checked urgently.Mr Masson says cheap Chinese copies of original Swiss MC4 connectors may not be made to the same high standard.UK fire and rescue services were called out to 38,144 building fires in the year ending December 2024. During this time only 171 callouts involved solar panels.But Mr Masson says these fires are among the hardest types for firefighters to put out.He adds: 'The problem you can have with solar panels is they are on the roof, and even if the mains electricity is turned off, the panels may still be generating electricity – which is still held much like a battery.'Emergency services can be wary of how they might tackle this as water might not be the ideal solution. Being close to a roof space means a solar fire can easily take hold and spread to other homes, too.'He says regular maintenance could dramatically cut down the risk of a blaze. He points to rental properties that must have an Electrical Installation Condition Report every five years. A professional solar panel check costs roughly £200.