Why rooftop installation of solar panel is risky — Bugaje

By Funmilayo Adeyemi

The Executive Secretary, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Prof. Idris Bugaje says installation of solar panels on roof top is unsafe and endangers life and property.

Bugaje raised alarm over the widespread unsafe practice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

According to him, many rooftop solar panel installations across the country are being carried out without adherence to safety and engineering standards.

“The installations that are going on across the country on rooftops are very unprofessional and they are risks to fire.

“During the peak of solar radiation, the current flowing in the wires is maximum. It’s at its highest peak.

“If the current is too high, the wires will become heated. They will heat up due to the resistance.

“As the electrons flow, they face resistance within that wires and they will heat up to the extent that some of them can melt.

“If the two spark, it can ignite fire. Many fires have happened because of that,” he said.

He also faulted the common practice of mounting solar panels at steep angles matching rooftop designs, saying most roofs are sloped at 60 to 70 degrees, which significantly reduces solar collection efficiency.

For optimum energy generation, he said panels should be mounted at about 10 degrees facing south to match Nigeria’s geographic position, especially in places like Abuja.