The risk of fire in renewable energy is growing

The risk of solar and wind turbine fires, combined with the development of co-location of energy storage, contributes to the increase in fire risk in the clean energy sector.

These are the conclusions of a report published this week by Firetrace International, which describes a serious and growing threat.

Because co-locating renewable energy resources is quickly becoming one of the preferred approaches in the transition to clean energy production. American Clean Power reported that the deployment of co-located renewables in the US increased by 90% in 2023. Battery and solar installations in particular led the way with 10.45 GW, and the US Energy Information Administration forecasts that such projects will account for 81% of new capacity electricity generation this year. To facilitate this, developers have rightly identified and sought to manage fire risks in battery systems.

However, the same level of vigilance has not been applied to wind or solar assets, among which batteries are often scattered in co-located sites. This is despite the fact that solar and wind infrastructure carry their own fire risks, which could have site-wide consequences in the absence of appropriate mitigation strategies. The report explains that while battery fires are less common, 1 in 2,000 turbines will experience a catastrophic fire, and solar farm fires are considered under-reported.

Brian Cashion, Director of Engineering at Firetrace International, said: “Industry awareness of the fire risk of energy storage has increased significantly in the past year, partly due to project delays and cancellations due to fire concerns. The International Association of Fire Chiefs has also conducted a fire risk campaign on energy storage, demonstrating its commitment to managing the risks associated with batteries. However, what this new report illustrates is the prevailing, albeit erroneous, belief that batteries pose the only significant fire risk in co-located renewable projects.”

Photo courtesy of Firetrace