The Clean Energy Association (CEA) conducted a safety audit of more than 600 rooftop photovoltaic systems and found that 97% of the installations had major safety issues. Of these, 49% had grounding issues, 47% had damaged components, and 41% had connector cross-mating issues.

The CEA conducted a safety audit of more than 600 rooftop photovoltaic systems and found that 97% of the installations had major safety issues. The inspection covers the US, UK, Italy, Spain, India, Japan, United Arab Emirates, Australia, Canada, Mexico, Czech Republic, Germany, Poland and France.

The company released a new report sharing key audit findings, identifying the top 10 most common security issues in audited systems. The report shows that 49% of sites had grounding issues, 47% had damaged components, 41% had connector cross-mating issues, 40% had poorly terminated and improperly assembled connectors, 31% had component hot spots, and 27% had Cables were laid on sharp edges, 26% had broken or damaged connectors and water ingress, and 19% had hot spots on the housing.

Most of these hidden dangers are caused by improper installation. This means that most of these issues are relatively easy to identify and fix before creating fires, safety risks and potentially costly liabilities.

The CEA found that grounding issues mostly occurred at inverter or equipment pads, between PV array blocks and module rows, and along extended conduit, which constituted the most common safety issues. The company also found that module damage was often caused by improper installation or cleaning methods, including walking on modules and exposure to extreme weather events such as hail or high winds.

Connector cross-mating problems are often caused by a misunderstood UL-certified connector mating and the use of field-assembled connectors that do not match component connectors, the CEA said.