The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) says all households with a solar storage system need to urgently check if the system has a recalled LG-branded battery installed, warning they should switch off all affected batteries immediately.
“When these batteries malfunction there is a serious risk of injury or death due to the affected batteries overheating and causing a fire,” the ACCC said.
LG first issued a recall in February 2021 for an estimated 7,200 of the affected batteries which were installed primarily in LG, SolaX or Opal branded home energy storage systems.
The scope of the recall has since been expanded several times and the manufacturer is now instructing all consumers with affected LG batteries in their solar energy storage system – which include LG-branded RESU systems, SolaX Power Station, SolaX X-Cabinet, Opal Storage, Redback SH5000, Red Earth Sunrise, Red Earth Drop Bear, Eguana Evolve and VARTA Pulse Neo – to immediately switch their energy storage system off and to keep it switched off until they are fixed or replaced.
“It is critically important that anyone with a solar energy storage system checks their battery’s serial number, as this recall has been updated to include new models, affected systems and dates of manufacture,” ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said.
“Even if you don’t have an LG-branded solar storage system, you may still have an LG-branded battery that has been recalled. For peace of mind, check your system again and turn off your battery straight away if it has been recalled.”
The warning for Australian battery owners comes amid reports of a spate of battery fires in Europe that have been linked to LG-branded batteries.
Australian consumers with affected batteries should contact LG or SolaX to arrange remediation of the battery.
LG will replace recalled batteries free of charge. Alternatively, consumers can opt for a refund and have the recalled battery removed from their property at no cost. Households who have higher electricity bills as a result of not being able to use their battery as expected will also be compensated by LG, the ACCC said.
The recalled batteries were available for sale at various times between April 2017 and December 2019. The affected models are RESU3.3, RESU6.5, RESU10, RESU13, RESU7H Type-R, RESU10H Type-C, RESU10H Type-R, RESU10H Type-R (Secondary), S/A Gen2 1P (EM048063P3S2), S/A Gen2 1P (EM048063P3S4), S/A Gen2 1P (EM048063P3S5), S/A Gen2 2P (EM048126P3S7), and S/A Gen2 2P (EM048126P3S8).
Further information is available at the Product Safety Australia website.
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