Solar Energy Systems
The rapidly growing solar energy sector faces a distinct set of risks, ranging from equipment failures and installation defects to environmental damage and grid integration challenges. These incidents are often complex, involving a combination of physical damage, operational practices, maintenance regimes, and procedural oversight. When failures occur, insurance claims become essential for recovery and continuity.
Hawkins’ forensic engineers play a vital role in investigating these claims. We analyse physical damage, operational history, witness accounts, and relevant policies and procedures to determine the root cause of failure. Our findings help insurers and stakeholders assess liability and make informed decisions.
Our experts bring diverse experience across electrical, mechanical, and structural engineering as well as deep knowledge of energy infrastructure. This enables us to go beyond root cause analysis, offering insight into repair scopes, and strategies to minimise business interruption.
WHY APPOINT A FORENSIC INVESTIGATOR?
If you are experiencing technical issues in your solar power operations and need to identify the root cause, understand how it occurred, and prevent future incidents, Hawkins is here to help.
Our forensic experts bring extensive knowledge of engineering and environmental systems to deliver clear, evidence-based insights and practical, actionable solutions.
- We have an in-depth knowledge of the standards, regulations and best practice that should be followed.
- We review working practices, designs and installations to identify areas of high risk.
- We offer guidance and/or help you define and develop good working procedures and practices to reduce the risk of incidents occurring.
- We provide you with the answers you need to determine why an incident occurred and to assist in making informed repudiation and recovery decisions.
- Our experts are knowledgeable in a wide range of areas with proven expertise and can investigate all aspects of a solar energy system failure.
- We have the laboratories and equipment specifically to fully support a solar energy failure investigation.
- We will help you to determine if an incident could have been avoided.
- We support subrogation recovery claims.
- We help you to make decisions regarding where legal responsibilities and/or liabilities lie.
- We help you to defend wrongful claims.
- We produce reports suitable for Court and litigation.
- We provide consultancy advice to prevent similar events happening again in the future.
- If removing a risk entirely is unavoidable, we advise on steps to take to mitigate the risk and reduce the potential damage resulting from an incident.
- We advise on servicing, maintenance and repair regimes.
- We have detailed knowledge of policy cover, liability and warranties to assist decision making.
Examples of Typical cases
The list below provides a few examples of cases that we investigate regularly or have investigated in the past.
- Fire and Electrical Failures and Fires:
- Electrical faults and failures including wiring, inverters and connectors
- Fires (including those caused by electrical faults)
- Operational and System Failures:
- Detection or monitoring system failures
- Operational failure in solar infrastructure
- Catastrophic solar panel failure or breakdown
- Complete system breakdown (renewable energy system failure)
- Installation and Manufacturing Defects:
- Installation failure or poor workmanship (e.g. incorrect mounting or alignment)
- Manufacturing defects in panels
- Panel Degradation and Physical Damage:
- Panel degradation over time (e.g. efficiency loss)
- Cracking, corrosion, or delamination of panels
- Weather or water damage to panels
If you would like to discuss how we can assist you please fill out our enquiry form or call us for a free consultation.Â
HOW DOES HAWKINS INVESTIGATE SOLAR PANEL FAILURES?
1
Consultation
We begin with a conversation to understand your needs and assess available information such as service records, witness accounts, and photographs. We can also provide a cost estimate for the investigation.
2
Inspection
With your agreement, we visit the site to examine the failure and its context. This includes collecting evidence, reviewing documentation, and retaining faulty parts for lab analysis. We provide informed, professional opinions where facts are unclear.
3
Conclusion
We share our findings and prepare a detailed report outlining our investigation, conclusions, and recommendations. Our reports are CPR-compliant and suitable for both claimant and defendant instructions.
Case Study
DC to Disaster: Tracing the Fault in a Solar Energy System...
A fire occurred at a UK solar farm in a prefabricated building housing power electronic equipment. A Hawkins electrical engineer was appointed to determine the root cause. Alarm logs were reviewed to determine when the fire started, in addition to maintenance records to assess what impact previous works might have had on the fire occurring.
Hawkins then attended site and interviewed maintenance personnel, inspected the affected equipment, and recorded the observed damage in written notes and photographs. Hawkins’ report determined that the fire was caused by an incendive failure in an electrical inverter, used to convert direct current (DC) electrical energy from the solar panels to alternating current (AC) for distribution on the local electricity network.
SPEAK TO ONE OF OUR EXPERTS
Principal Associate, Managing Director (Acoustics)
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