Lithium-ion battery fire hazard 433,000 solar umbrellas recalled – pv magazine USA

June 27, 2022Anne Fisher

Joint recall with Health Canada, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (US CPSC) and SunVilla Corporation have been issued for all 10-foot solar umbrellas market. The umbrellas have LED lights on the arms of the umbrella, which are powered by a lithium-ion battery charged by a small solar panel.

The recall was issued after reports of battery overheating and causing fires in the US and Canada. In three reported incidents, solar panels caught fire while charging through an indoor AC adapter.

Consumers are advised to immediately stop using the umbrellas, remove the washer of the solar panel containing the lithium-ion battery, from the top of the umbrella, store the washer away from the sun and away from combustible materials and do not charge the washer with an AC adapter. .

In the past, it was known that lithium-ion batteries caused a fire. Last year LG Energy Solution Michigan has issued a recall for its RESU 10H batteries in the U.S. market, which affected about 10,000 storage systems. “Home batteries can overheat, creating a risk of fire and harmful emissions,” the manufacturer said at the time.

Battery manufacturers are increasingly turning to less dangerous solutions. Following LG’s recall, its future products have shifted from the chemistry of nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) batteries to lithium-iron-phosphate. The SimpliPHI Briggs & Stratton energy storage system is used lithium ferrate phosphate chemistry that does not use cobalt, a metal dangerous to health, and a key culprit in battery fires. A new Canadian company Salient Energy has developed a zinc ion batterywhich is a water-based chemistry that the company claims eliminates the risk of fire, making batteries more suitable for storing energy in residential areas.

The umbrellas affected by the recall are manufactured in China by SunVilla and sold at Costco in the US and Canada. Consumers can return them to any Costco warehouse for a full refund. SunVilla and Costco are also trying to connect with well-known buyers.