In 2022, a record was broken when 55,000 solar cell installations were installed in Sweden according to the Swedish Energy Agency, and Swedish Solar Energy predicts that over 100,000 are expected to be added this year.
But four out of five installations have flaws, according to the industry organization Installatörsföretagen.
This means that 40,000 defective PV systems were installed last year and that number could double this year. Of these, thousands can be flammable.
– That is a worrying number, but even then it includes many other types of defects that are not flammable, says Cecilia Axelsson, expert in installation technology and electrical safety at Installatörsföretagen.
Improper installation can be a fire hazard
It can be anything from short circuits, electrical damage and water leakage.
In recent years, several fires have occurred in connection with solar cell installations.
Cecilia Axelsson says that fire risk can be caused by incorrect installation, incorrect components or damage to the solar cell installation.
Rogue actors
She believes that there is money to be made in the new lucrative market and that it is not uncommon for, for example, roofers without the right electrical skills to want the jobs:
— We have a lot of unscrupulous actors in this market. There are many who want to do the installations because it generates money.
— You don’t see it as electrical installation work, the actual installation on the roof, but it is.