Georgia home solar fire alleged to follow failed inspections
Nov 2022Published 12 Nov 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
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Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): Georgia Power
What happened
A residential rooftop solar system at a home in Hawkinsville, Georgia, United States, is alleged in a product liability lawsuit to have caused an electrical fire on 23 November 2022. The system was contracted to Sunpro Solar and reportedly comprised 34 LG solar panels, Enphase Energy microinverters and an Enphase Encharge battery storage system. The complaint states that the system reportedly failed multiple inspections by the City of Hawkinsville and Georgia Power and needed repeated corrections before approval.
The fire is alleged to have started in the solar system, spread through the home and left it uninhabitable. About three weeks later, water pipes reportedly froze and burst while the house had no electricity or heat, causing further damage. The lawsuit was filed in the Superior Court of Pulaski County and later removed to federal court. It names ADT Solar, Sunpro Solar, ADT Inc., Enphase Energy and a bank as defendants. These are allegations that have not been established in court.
Contributing factors
Alleged improper installation contrary to manufacturer instructions and the National Electrical Code, including loose wiring, inadequate overcurrent protection, improper grounding and faulty electrical connections. Alleged design or manufacturing defects in the microinverters and battery equipment, although further forensic testing is needed to identify the precise failure. A third-party assessment for the homeowners insurance claim reportedly attributed the fire to improper installation. The installer is alleged to have failed to honour a 25-year workmanship warranty.
Lessons learned
- Inspection failures found during commissioning should be fully corrected and documented before a system is energised and handed over.
- Installers should check wiring, overcurrent protection, grounding and connections against both the manufacturer's instructions and the applicable electrical code, and verify the completed work independently.
- Where PV and battery storage share a site, the combined protection, grounding and connections should be verified together, and forensic evidence should be preserved after any fire.
More lessons on maintenance, inspection and ageing assets, electrical protection and isolation, from every incident on the register.
Source
Published 2026-11-12. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
