Urgent Recall of Thousands of “LEAD” Solar Batteries

Homeowners have been warned to check their solar panel systems immediately as part of an urgent recall of batteries that have caught fire and caused injuries and property damage.

The dangerous LG batteries are mainly installed in homes as part of a solar energy system to capture and store renewable energy.

Australia’s Competition and Consumer Commission issued a warning on Monday, saying while thousands of the potentially deadly LG solar batteries have already been recalled, LG is trying to track down thousands more with an additional 10,000 batteries that are at risk of overheating.

Batteries, which can be LG, SolaX, Opal, Redback, Red Earth, Eguana, and VARTA brands, can overheat and catch fire, which can result in property damage and personal injury.

The Consumer Protection Agency said it will contact nearly 5,000 homes directly in the coming weeks that are likely to have solar energy systems with dangerous solar batteries.

To date, approximately 2,900 batteries have been replaced or removed from consumer properties.

Another 1,400 batteries have been switched off or their maximum charge capacity reduced to 75 percent to reduce the risk of overheating while awaiting replacement or refund.

However, LG and SolaX are trying to track down about 3000 more recalled batteries.

“This recall has been updated twice to include new models, affected systems and dates of manufacture. Even if your battery has not been previously recalled, you will need to recheck your battery’s serial number. We remain very concerned about the fire risks posed by these faulty batteries, so please act quickly,” said ACCC Vice Chair Delia Rickard.

“Unfortunately, nine incidents involving these types of batteries resulting in property damage and one injury have been reported in Australia since October 2019. We don’t want to see any more incidents or injuries.”