Solar panels won't cause fires: expert

Experts have moved to reassure people with solar panels on their roofs that their house won't catch fire.

Media reports have claimed there is a risk of poorly-installed solar photovoltaic panels sparking fires.

The government is already under attack because ceiling insulation has caused four deaths and 87 house fires.

But Matthew Warren, chief executive of the Clean Energy Council (CEC), said 100,000 Australia homes had solar panels and he didn't know of a single fire caused by them.

The media reports sourced the concerns about the safety of solar panels to the CEC, but when Mr Warren was asked if he was worried about panels causing fires, he said "no".

"If you've used an accredited installer, as you should have ... then you should be fine," Mr Warren told AAP.

He said according to the standards in place, households must use accredited installers and accredited panels, which were independently tested.

Some houses were audited by the CEC each year to check the panels were safe.

Mr Warren said any comments warning of the dangers of solar panels would be taken seriously, and there was always room for more safety audits.

Opposition environment spokesman Greg Hunt called on the government to act on the safety warnings for solar panels.

"Don't ignore the warnings this time," Mr Hunt said.

"If there is a risk and there's a warning of it, the government should take immediate action now and we will support them."

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said bureaucrats were speaking with the people who had raised the concerns, and the government would act if needed.

"What we will do is listen carefully to what industry has to say, take the advice of the experts and respond accordingly," he told reporters west of Melbourne.

Mr Rudd noted the safety standards for solar panels were put in place by the previous Liberal government, a comment Mr Warren backed up.

Environment Minister Peter Garrett said solar panels had not been linked with any house fires in Australia.

He said the government would look into any potential safety risks and take measures to improve safety if they were needed.

While some media reports have pointed to solar hot water heaters posing a fire risk, Mr Warren said this was incorrect.