Did you know the AllShield BarrierSheet is often referred to as a cover board, fire barrier board, or non-combustible roof board? Different names, same purpose: protecting commercial roofs with photovoltaic panels from fire and making them insurable.
Flat roofs with PV systems carry far higher fire loads than bare roofs. Even Class A roof buildups can fail insurers’ criteria. BarrierSheet inserts a mineral, non-combustible barrier that stops fire penetration. ZAG testing confirms: flames extinguish and spread is eliminated.
Some insurers exclude PV on combustible roofs—not to block renewables, but because the risks are real. A policy without prevention is an illusion of safety. Facts show: ~1% of building fires involve PV; models predict 29 fires/GW/year. The solution: PV only on non-combustible roofs.
Many companies want solar panels but face refusal from their insurer. AllShield provides non-combustible solutions that make flat roofs fire-safe and insurable. Independently tested by FM, ZAG and KIWA.
Insurance pays for buildings, not lost clients or reputation. With rooftop solar, fire risk is higher than ever. Independent ZAG tests prove AllShield BarrierSheets & Blue coatings stop flames from spreading — creating nearly unburnable roofs that protect continuity.
Inspections such as the UK’s IET Code of Practice or the US NEC improve PV safety. But none of them can prevent every incident over 25 years. Only a non-combustible roof ensures that a small PV fault never becomes a catastrophic fire.
FM 4484 is the new FM Approvals fire-safety standard for roofs with solar panels. It defines how retrofit coatings are tested under realistic PV-fire conditions — setting a global benchmark for insurable solar roofs. AllShield Blue is FM 4484 Approved.
Solar panels on flat commercial roofs deliver sustainable energy, but they also introduce new fire risks. International investigations (IEA PVPS, BRE, NFPA, Australian regulators) show that technical failures combined with combustible roofing materials are the main drivers of rooftop PV fires. In this artikle we discuss the 10 leading causes of fire in commercial PV systems.
Solar panels on flat roofs come in many types: glass–glass, glass–foil, plastic and more. Each reacts differently to fire - but all depend on the roof beneath them. AllShield makes roofs inherently non-combustible, ensuring solar energy is both safe and insurable.
Solar energy is growing fast, but rooftop fires remain a real risk. Many ask: “How much heat can your roof coating resist?” The real question should be: “How can we stop the roof from catching fire at all?” AllShield provides two non-combustible solutions: BarrierSheet and AllShield Blue. They ensure that even when something fails in a solar installation, the fire cannot spread across the roof.
Q2 2025 saw a surge in rooftop solar (PV) fires across warehouses, factories and farms worldwide. This AllShield tracker lists each incident with date, location, likely cause and impact, plus verified sources and expert insight—so insurers and owners can benchmark risk and improve safety.
Flat roofs with solar panels offer major benefits in renewable energy, but they also increase the risk of roof fires. For building owners and insurers, it is crucial that flat roofs are not only watertight but also fire-safe and insurable.
