Vodacom Century City fire highlights fire safety for PV systems

The fire at the Vodacom building at Century City in Cape Town last month is suspected of having been caused by an issue with the rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) installation, notes ASP Fire CEO Michael van Niekerk, observing that such systems for homes and businesses are increasingly popular as a means of mitigating the impact of ongoing loadshedding. However, he stresses that, for insurance purposes, these systems need to be installed by an accredited installer or electrician. The onus is on home and business owners to ensure that the installation is correct, especially in terms of accompanying generator sets.