Axa UK has raised concerns that too many property owners installing solar panels on to their premises remain unaware of the need to then carry out regular maintenance. The insurer said three fires last year highlighted the need to instruct a reputable installer to carry out the work and to then complete an ongoing maintenance schedule.

Dougie Barnett, director of commercial customer risk management at Axa UK, said: “Solar panels are a relatively new technology, and people aren’t aware of the need for regular maintenance in the same way as they are with their gas boiler.

“They tend to put them on the roof and forget about them but that creates a considerable risk, as we’ve seen with these recent fires.”

Axa said three fires in 2024 demonstrated the scale of the threat. One was at a Lidl warehouse in Peterborough, another was at a seven-storey block of flats in Lewisham and the third was at a school in Cramlington.

Following the fire at the school, Northumberland County Council disconnected solar panels at 80 other schools and numerous public buildings while it assessed safety concerns.

Axa has published guidance for commercial customers on the risks associated with photovoltaic systems highlighting the risk of fire from poor installation as well as from damage following weather-related incidents.