The German Insurance Association (GDV), in cooperation with the German Association of Property Insurers (VdS), has published various guidelines to ensure that Insurance-compliant PV systems can be approved. Operators are thus in a position to insure their photovoltaic systems relatively easily if they comply with them during planning, implementation and operation.
The VdS 3145:2017-11 (02) "Photovoltaic systems"
The detailed guide VdS 3145 from 2017 summarized the experiences of insurers for grid-connected solar systems. Since then, it has been regarded as the basis in the insurance industry for avoiding or minimizing business interruptions and property damage. Strictly speaking, the guideline 3145: 2017-11 (02) of the Association of Property Insurers has published a supplement to VdS 3145, which deals specifically with the risk assessment of photovoltaic systems. It covers all DIN standards and defined the requirements and procedures for assessing the risks of commercial photovoltaic systems.
VdS 3145:2017-11 is aimed at planners, installers, operators and insurers of photovoltaic systems. The guideline serves as a guide to ensure that these systems always meet the required safety standards. It comprises various Aspects of risk assessment of photovoltaic systems, including the assessment of fire risks, electrical risks, weather influences (hail, wind loads, lightning, etc.) and other potential hazards. It also defines the requirements for planning, installation, maintenance and monitoring. This should ensure that the systems can be operated safely, reliably and in compliance with insurance requirements for years to come.
More detailed information on the specifications and standards according to which CUBE CONCEPTS installs PV systems can be found in our Factsheet.
VdS 6023 as a further guideline for insurance-compliant PV systems
Due to the increased demand and the accelerated expansion of photovoltaic systems on commercial and industrial roofs, in March 2023 the Association of Property Insurers VdS guideline 6023 "Photovoltaic systems on roofs with combustible building materials" has also been published. It is intended to support the insurance industry in better assessing the risks of insurability in this area as well. One of the decisive factors was a ruling by the Oldenburg Higher Regional Court in a dispute between an insurance company and a solar installer. The judges found that a PV roof installation must always provide "a safe separation between electrical components as a source of ignition and the roof surface as a fire load". In this case, the installation of the Disconnectors for PV systems inadmissible and the solar installer was liable for the damage incurred.
The new VdS 6023 guideline attempts to do justice to this and now also defines the specific safety measures that must be taken into account when photovoltaic systems are to be installed on roofs with flammable building materials. As such roofs pose an increased risk of fire due to arcing, the directive contains, among other things, regulations to minimize this risk for insurance-compliant PV systems. It includes aspects such as the selection of suitable fire-resistant materials. This means that a roof does not necessarily have to be completely replaced if flammable building materials have been used. In many of these cases, for example, the installation of new lightweight DIN-certified fire protection films between the roof cladding and PV modules is sufficient. However, an independent roof report is required beforehand.
In addition, VdS 6023 specifies further components for the system installation. It defines the requirements for cabling and electrical systems or switch-off options for arc detection. To reduce the fire load, it contains various instructions for integrating photovoltaic systems into existing fire detection and extinguishing systems. The Surge protection for PV systems is taken into account.
Insurance-compliant PV systems must fulfill all guidelines
Although a Evaluation of the Fraunhofer ISE showed that photovoltaic systems could be clearly identified as the cause of only 120 fires over the last 20 years, which corresponds to a Percentage of 0.006 of all PV systems in Germany insurers insist on compliance with these stricter guidelines if operators want to insure their solar power plants.
The German Solar Industry Association also criticizes these hurdles for rooftop PV systems. It accuses the insurance industry of slowing down the entire expansion of PV on industrial and commercial roofs as a result. In addition, the insurers lack their own statistics because each large system is assessed individually by them in advance anyway and no two are the same. This is precisely what CUBE CONCEPTS can confirm: All large-scale PV projects are planned and realized separately. Even if they meet all normative requirements, they are insured individually.
The individual insurance-compliant large-scale PV systems can certainly not be used as a statistical basis for a generally valid risk assessment due to their different requirements and construction methods. It is therefore all the more important to observe the respective guidelines from the outset and then to find an insurance partner who is able to assess the risk of the individual system sensibly and offer fair contracts.
In the event of a PurchaseCUBE CONCEPTS draws on its extensive network, prepares all the documents for the best possible insurer and submits the contracts to the client for signature. In the event of a Contractingsystem, this task lies with CUBE CONCEPTS anyway.