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Solar PVItalyEIR-2675

Two thousand solar panels burn at Tuili storage site, Sardinia

Sept 2024Published 31 Oct 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

SignificantThermal / fireProvisionalNext update 31 Oct
Estimated damageEstimated by the register's adjusterHow? Know the real figure?
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out of service for about •• daysShown in the record →Full estimate
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Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): Greenvolt Powerc

What happened

About 2,000 solar panels stored at a site in Tuili, Sardinia, where a solar project was planned, burned overnight on 9 to 10 September 2024. The fire broke out at about 4am and spread quickly, driven by strong north-westerly winds, to the area where the panels were stacked. The panels were reported to belong to the Polish company Greenvolt, named in the report as Greenvolt Powerc, which had bought the plot to build a solar farm; works were reported to have begun about a month earlier.

The storage area had no video surveillance and contained electrical cables and other material that may have caused a short circuit. Firefighters from the Cagliari provincial command worked with a bulldozer and an articulated lorry to extinguish the blaze, and carabinieri from Sanluri and Barumini began inquiries. Investigators were almost certain the fire was deliberate, but the cause had not been confirmed when the report was published.

Contributing factors

Strong north-westerly wind (maestrale) spread the flames rapidly. The stacking area had no video surveillance and held cables and other combustible material. The report suggests a short circuit from these materials may have started the fire, but this is not confirmed. Investigators believe the fire was deliberate, though this was not confirmed when reported.

Lessons learned

  1. Store modules and balance-of-system equipment at development sites in fenced, lit and monitored areas, with CCTV covering the stacks.
  2. Keep cable drums and other combustible materials separated from module stacks, with clear firebreaks between them.
  3. Allow for wind-driven spread when planning outdoor storage of modules, and check that fire services can reach the stacks quickly.
  4. Keep an accurate inventory of stored equipment to support insurance claims and investigation.

More lessons on theft, arson and site security, electrical protection and isolation, fire suppression and firefighting, investigation and fleet-wide checks, from every incident on the register.

Source

ilfattoquotidiano.it

Other entries that name Sardinia

Published 2026-10-31. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.

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Chart to reuse with this story: Solar PV incidents in Italy, by year, free with a credit (PNG).

Solar PV incidents in Italy: 13 entries, with a free alert for the next one.

Solar farm fires: the counts, the latest entries and a free alert for the next one.

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