As Nigeria steps into the 2025 dry season, solar-energy users are expected to enjoy peak power generation — but experts warn that the same sunshine that powers homes could also ignite disaster if safety standards are ignored
According to solar analyst under the umbrella of Advocacy for Light up solar led by Yakubu Yinusa, with higher temperatures, clearer skies, and longer daylight hours, solar panels will deliver more energy but poor installations, unverified components, and a widespread lack of maintenance culture among Nigerians have always been responsible for overheating and potential fire hazards.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), in its 2025 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP), projected “hotter-than-average conditions across most regions, with daytime temperatures expected to range from 36 °C to 41 °C in the North and 32 °C to 37 °C in the South.”
(Source: NiMet 2025 SCP – www.nimet.gov.ng)
“While this means abundant solar generation, it also exposes weaknesses in poorly designed or neglected systems. Without proper ventilation, protective devices, and quality components, excessive heat can cause electrical stress and damage to sensitive equipment. “
> “The dry season is both a blessing and a threat,” said Yunusa. “Without good maintenance, temperature control, and verified equipment, what powers your home today could become a safety risk tomorrow.”
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“In recent years, videos have surfaced across social media showing solar installations and rooftops catching fire in different parts of Nigeria. Many of these incidents were traced to poor wiring, undersized cables, faulty charge controllers, substandard batteries, and the total absence of routine maintenance. Such preventable incidents highlight the dangers of weak maintenance culture and the growing circulation of unverified solar products”
> “Majority of us Nigerians lack maintenance culture,” Yunusa observed. “We often wait until something fails before we act. But in solar systems, prevention saves both money and lives. These fire incidents didn’t just happen; they’re the result of neglect, poor supervision, and unsafe components.”
He added that many solar owners are unaware that once a project is commissioned, responsibility for ongoing maintenance shifts to the owner.
> “Some customers still expect installers to come back for free maintenance,” Yunusa explained. “That’s not how it works. Warranty is different from maintenance. A warranty covers defects — it doesn’t include cleaning panels, tightening terminals, or replacing worn cables.”
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Speaking from professional experience, Yunusa noted:
> “As someone who has lighted up over 300 homes and businesses across Nigeria, I can confirm many clients do not understand this difference. At LightUpSolar Advocacy, we continue to educate users. For safety reasons, we visit clients periodically to perform maintenance — often without compensation — because we see it as community service and advocacy, not a mandatory duty.”
He also highlighted another major cause of solar failures:
> “We rely on quality products available in the market, but sometimes homeowners reject the quoted cost for certified components and instead buy cheaper items online or from local vendors. When failures occur later, installers get blamed unfairly. Both the quality of products and the user’s maintenance habits determine system safety.”
Yunusa emphasized that solar installers and technicians assemble components using practical and theoretical knowledge — they do not manufacture the products themselves.
> “There are quacks in every industry, but most professionals follow standards. We should focus on enforcement, not accusation.”
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The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has warned against the “influx of substandard electrical and renewable-energy components in Nigerian markets,” stressing that such products “pose serious fire, safety, and economic risks to consumers.”
(Source: SON Press Statement, The Nation Newspaper, July 2024)
Common issues include low-grade solar panels that degrade quickly under heat and dust, inaccurate charge controllers, hybrid inverters lacking surge protection, and unreliable battery-management systems (BMS). These problems are worsened by unqualified installations, undersized cabling, and missing protective devices such as breakers, MCCBs, SPDs, and AVRs.
Another concern is homeowners using batteries already due for replacement.
> “Many customers continue to use weak, swollen, or expired batteries — especially tubular and lithium-ion types,” Yunusa said. “This can lead to voltage fluctuations, overheating, or even battery rupture. The dry-season heat will only make it worse.”
He urged users to test and replace aging batteries when necessary:
> “Prevention is better than cure. The cost of a new battery is nothing compared to the cost of a fire outbreak.
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Yunusa emphasized that solar systems are living installations, not one-time purchases:
> “The difference between a safe system and a risky one is not sunlight — it’s maintenance. Solar requires constant checks, clean panels, tightened connections, and proper ventilation for natural cooling.”
He called for closer coordination among SON, NEMSA, COREN, REA, and international standards bodies such as ISO and IEEE, to strengthen certification, installer training, and public awareness.
> “The REA has done remarkable work in advancing solar adoption,” he said. “If we combine regulation with awareness, we can make solar energy both safe and sustainable.”
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As Leader of LightUpSolar Advocacy, Yunusa said the group uses television, radio, and social-media platforms to promote responsible solar ownership and fire-safety awareness:
> “We’ve seen too many preventable incidents — fires, battery explosions, inverter failures — all because people ignored simple maintenance steps. Some customers’ batteries are already due for replacement yet they delay. This season might be the real test. Prevention is better than cure. Togetherness is strength, and with collective awareness we can make Nigeria great. Start preparing for tomorrow’s safety today.”
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By Yakubu Yunusa Y.
Solar Analyst, Media Expert and Leader of LightUpSolar Advocacy (under Herolinks Globaltech )