Aberdeen City Council has been fined £275,000 after having to switch off their solar panels for health and safety reasons.
The fine follows a series of "thermal events" that were reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). According to the Audit, Risk and Scrutiny Committee, the local authority entered into an agreement with Mark Group Ltd and Our Generation Ltd in 2012 for the supply and installation of PV panels on Council buildings.
Following the installation, there were three "thermal events" that were classed as a dangerous occurrence under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) SI 2013/1471, meaning the Council had to switch off the solar systems.
As a result, a number of sites did not generate income for the contractor, which included loss of income from electricity sales and Feed-in Tariff. meaning the Council had a bill of £275,000 in total.
A series of fire risk assessments have since been carried out and a list of required actions prepared to enable the system to be re-commissioned and switched back on.
