Rooftop solar fire after unauthorised inverter replacement

On 7 September 2026 a fire broke out on the rooftop photovoltaic array at Zhongding Road 16, Xihongmen Town, Daxing District, Beijing. The fire was reported at 12:01 and extinguished by 12:30. The affected area measured 100 square metres. No one was injured or trapped. Investigation found that maintenance staff had replaced the inverter without the required special-operation qualifications and in breach of the equipment manual. The unauthorised work caused an inverter fault that started the fire.

Maintenance personnel performed inverter replacement and testing without special-operation qualifications and contrary to the equipment user manual.

1. Only personnel holding valid special-operation qualifications may work on inverters or other live electrical equipment.
2. All maintenance must follow the written procedures in the equipment manual.
3. Site operators should verify qualifications before authorising any electrical work.

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