48 THE BUILDING CONSERVATION DIRECTORY 2025 CATHEDRAL COMMUNICATIONS Suffice to say that any building with roof mounted PV panels is more at risk than one without and this is well known within insurance companies. In the context of solar panel systems, what sets heritage properties apart from ‘normal’ buildings is two-fold: first, they may be an irreplaceable national asset, and second, they may already be burdened by a host of other fire risk challenges that may be compounded by the inclusion of a PV system. On the first point it is important to recognise that everything to do with fire protection in the UK, be it legal requirements, material specification, building layout or fire service provision, is to do only with ‘life-safety’. It is to ensure that, in the event of a fire, everyone escapes before the building collapses. There is nothing in law to require the fire to be put out or for the damage to the building to be limited in any way. The preservation of heritage buildings must (should) consider ‘property protection’ and in terms of fire protection these requirements will be additional and voluntary. To this end, in the specification of a suitable PV solar installation for a heritage property, the selection of the technology, the components and installer should be resolutely focussed on minimising the risk of fire. Such considerations will not come naturally to run-of-the-mill providers who might only have one product offering for the mass market, so specialist assistance should be sought. On the second point, the fire protection of heritage buildings is already a quite specialised area with its own myriad of challenges including but not limited to: • historically important contents • combustible construction materials • often poor fire compartmentation • combustible voids in which fires can spread • design detailing that might promote fire spread • aged wiring systems • constraints on modification and adjustment which might include protection features. The location of the building might also be an issue, whether close to other buildings or in the countryside. Many are in remote locations with poor access, with poor water provision for firefighting, where fire service may be retained rather than full-time, and where fire service attendance times might be lengthy. Specific to the installation of PV systems, it is vital that the design and installation should be selected to minimise the additional risk of initiating a fire. They should in no way reduce the property’s ability to withstand fire, nor should they impair the fire service’s effectiveness of fighting fires resulting from the PV system or other source. On this final point, the presence of roof mounted solar panel systems have been problematic for firefighting in that they can form a physical barrier preventing water reaching the fire; permanently energised systems may sustain a fire once damaged, even during a fire of separate origin; and as systems that cannot be shut down, they may pose a risk of electrocution to those attending a fire. To this end all systems should now include a readily accessible firefighter’s PV switch. Where a PV system is to be installed on a building of significant heritage value, a good starting point is to consider the following: Consulting your insurer: in a heritage property it is likely that you may already be with a specialist insurance provider and their expert risk control engineers will be knowledgeable on the most appropriate technologies for the application. In any event it is vital to share information with them where a PV installation is being considered. Consulting the local fire service: Does the design make provision to support their intervention? They too will be able to provide knowledge that would be invaluable to your decision making. Location – roof or garden: Increasingly, to overcome safety and planning issues, garden mounted systems are becoming commonplace and local AC conversion overcomes the historical issue of power loss through long cables. Appropriateness: Has the technology, equipment and installation method specifically been selected with ‘heritage protection’ in mind? Property protection demands a consideration of the consequences in terms of ‘when’ they cause, or are involved in fire, and not ‘if’. Analysis should include fires stemming from physical damage by vandalism and adverse weather, and equipment failure. Certification: Are designers, installers and the equipment proposed appropriately certificated? Does the provider have access to all technologies so that they may apply the most appropriate to your situation and are they experienced in designing and installing to heritage building requirements of property protection? Maintenance: Will the system be regularly inspected and maintained under contract? Improving historic buildings in terms of their energy efficiency and occupational comfort is an essential component of ensuring their long-term use and existence for many centuries to come. Too often buildings that are not updated in this way are left to go derelict leading to unrecoverable loss. The inclusion of PV solar systems has a great role to play but intelligent system design and adaptation is required to recognise the full benefit without incurring additional risk. JAMES GLOCKLING is Principal Fire Protection Engineer within the naval engineering team of BMT and an independent consultant (email jim@ glockling.co.uk) promoting resilience with the commercial built environment and maritime sectors. He is also the current chair of BSI FSH/16 ‘Hazards to life from fire’ and visiting professor at the University of Central Lancashire. Hail damage to solar panels
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