Vodacom has rejected claims that the fire that damaged its Century City offices was linked to solar panels on the roof, saying this has “unfairly cast a bad light” on solar energy technology.
“It is regrettable that the early speculation concerning the fire that broke out at our offices in Century City on 9 July pointed to the solar panels on the roof being the primary cause of the blaze. This speculation has unfairly cast a bad light on solar energy technology.
“Whilst we are busy finalising the investigation, we felt it prudent to place on record that the preliminary report by the forensic team has ruled out solar technology being the cause of the fire and that it was an electrical fault instead. Once the report is finalised, we will issue an updated statement in due course,” said a Vodacom spokesperson.
At the time, safety and security mayco member JP Smith had said the fire at the Vodacom building which apparently started from solar panels was the latest incident caused by alternative energy installations as those in the corporate and residential sectors battled to mitigate the effects of large-scale rolling blackouts.
“Firefighters are currently battling a blaze that broke out at the Vodacom Building in Century City earlier. The City’s Fire and Rescue Service was alerted of solar panels alight on the roof of the building. Upon arrival of the first crew, additional resources were requested. Two hydraulic platforms were also dispatched. Firefighters had to be aware of the falling debris whilst working inside the building. This is a fluid situation and no injuries have been reported as yet,” Smith had said of the incident.
Smith said the City had noted the increased use of items like inverters and other items, powered by rechargeable batteries, solar installations and the use of generators, and as of October this year, only City-approved inverters would be accepted for solar PV and/or battery systems.
Cape Times