Shining light on solar safety: LG sparks urgent recall for overheating batteries

In the age of environmental consciousness and the push for renewable energy, many Australian homeowners have turned to solar power as a sustainable solution.

However, a recent development has cast a shadow over the sunny prospects of solar energy storage systems.

As the renewable energy sector expands, ensuring the reliability and integrity of solar technology remains paramount to safeguarding both consumers and the environment.


LG, a leading technology giant, issued an urgent call to action for homeowners with potentially hazardous solar batteries to come forward.

The concern stemmed from the discovery that over 4,000 Australian homes are still equipped with solar batteries that could overheat and catch fire without warning.

This alarming situation prompted LG to launch a year-long advertising campaign to raise awareness and encourage consumers to respond to the recall.


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LG Energy Solution initiated an urgent advertising campaign to warn Australian homeowners about the dangers of over 4,000 defective solar batteries that have not been addressed. Credits: ACCC


The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) released details of LG's recall commitments, which are now backed by a court-enforceable undertaking to amplify the urgency and reach of their warnings.

LG Energy Solution has recalled a total of 18,000 solar storage batteries sold in Australia, with the recall process beginning in August 2020.

These faulty batteries, distributed by LG and SolaX, were manufactured between January 2016 and June 2019.

They pose a significant risk: They can overheat, enter a state known as thermal runaway, and potentially ignite.

To date, fifteen reported incidents of property damage linked to these batteries, including a devastating house fire in Victoria, have been reported.


In response to the potential risks, LG has committed to alerting consumers through its advertising campaign and compensating them for the cost of the batteries and installation.

Additionally, they will cover the increased energy bills incurred while the solar batteries are deactivated.

The consumer watchdog is not indifferent to the gravity of the situation. ACCC deputy chair Catriona Lowe emphasised the necessity of recalling all dangerous batteries within a 12-month timeframe.

‘We are warning consumers who have a solar energy storage system to check if their battery is affected by these recalls,’ she stated.

‘If you have an affected battery, including one that has already received a software update, switch it off and contact LG urgently.’

Lowe mentioned that the commission was also examining whether the software implemented to resolve the issue in certain batteries was sufficient.


In a concerning turn of events, a battery in Townsville that had received this software update caught fire in March, prompting further investigation by the ACCC.

‘The ACCC is extremely concerned by this development and we are keeping a close watch,’ Lowe said.

‘We urge all consumers who previously had a software update installed to immediately switch off their battery, pending the outcome of these investigations.’


LG's recent actions follow three months after federal Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones issued a proposed recall notice to the company regarding its defective batteries.

However, the ACCC has now advised against a mandatory recall.

Solar battery owners can determine if their products are impacted by the recall by visiting the LG website or calling 1300 677 273.
Key Takeaways
  • LG Energy Solution launched an urgent advertising campaign to alert Australian homeowners of the risks posed by over 4,000 faulty solar batteries that remain unaccounted for.
  • The recalled batteries, produced between January 2016 and June 2019, could overheat and catch fire, with instances of property damage, including a destroyed house, already reported.
  • Consumers with an affected solar battery, including those previously updated with remedial software, were urged to switch it off and contact LG urgently due to the ongoing fire risk.
  • The ACCC oversees LG's recall efforts and has emphasised the need for all dangerous batteries to be recalled quickly, offering compensation for the batteries and additional energy costs.
For our readers who have invested in solar power, we encourage you to take this warning seriously and verify the safety of your solar batteries.

Have you or someone you know had a similar experience with this product? Share your stories with us in the comments below.
 
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Not enough knowledge with these batteries, people rushed in and bought them thinking they were helping the environment, but they have just caused devastating damage, don’t think the renewables are living up to the hype, so many fires from batteries, they are very hard to extinguish once on fire, buyer beware at the moment.
 
As there is a very good chance that my wife/partner and friend, has an extremely likely prospect of succeeding me. I setup a battery system because the pay in for solar by electrical companies is in the crapper and she'll be without my pension, the battery installation was under gov subsidies however extra batteries cost more than the original system.
 
We moved into a house with 37 solar panels and a battery. Just after we moved in there was a press advert asking people with LG batteries to contact them with the serial number of the battery. I was told that our particular battery was not the affected type. A few months later the adverts came out again and I rang them again and was told that a software update would have to be done but in the meantime I was to turn the battery off. We were left for about 4 weeks without a battery but we were assured that we would be paid for the amount of power that we hadn’t stored. The update was completed but a couple of weeks later the battery switched itself off. I was then told that they would replace the battery. This particular battery was a very small size (3.3kw). And I tried to get them to install a bigger battery or add another one while it was being swapped over. They would not come to the party
on that. So I tried all the battery retailers that you see advertise everywhere. They all suggested battery packs that were in the region of $10K and upwards. Firstly being pensioners we don’t have that money lying around, secondly as our current electricity bills are around the $10 - 25 per month range it would take a loooong time to recover that investment. So we stuck to the replacement small battery that was offered. We tried to get an additional battery of the same size thus doubling our storage for about $2500 but no one is interested in helping us. We are still waiting for the financial reimbursement from LG.
 
If solar is so good, especially in this country with so much sun, why hasn't every house got it when they're built? 🤔

The main complaint I've read in local social media groups is about the lack of money people get paid from their energy companies for the electric.
I'll stick to paying my ordinary. energy bills. I know where I am with that.
 
If solar is so good, especially in this country with so much sun, why hasn't every house got it when they're built? 🤔

The main complaint I've read in local social media groups is about the lack of money people get paid from their energy companies for the electric.
I'll stick to paying my ordinary. energy bills. I know where I am with that.
Many people have no idea as to how their system works. If a property doesn’t have full monitoring, owners will never know how the system performs.
On top of that, you don’t want to export, you want to use it, to offset the 40-50 cents usage charges. If site is exporting a lot, a battery may be worthwhile, but you have to generate enough to charge it. Attached image is my system. Double the generation, and export figures, for summer.
 

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I don't know hat brand the battery was but there was recently a new bike with a battery which caught fire.
 

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