KNOW YOUR SOLAR PANEL RISKS: SolarWorld Solar Panels Recalled Due to Fire Hazard

KNOW YOUR SOLAR PANEL RISKS: SOLARWORLD SOLAR PANELS RECALLED DUE TO FIRE HAZARD

SolarWorld Solar Systems, in conjunction with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, is recalling approximately 1.5 million solar panels that were installed in the U. S. and Canada after June 1, 2010. These units may contain bare copper grounding lugs. These lugs can corrode and cause a faulty ground circuit, which poses an electric shock or fire hazard.

These solar panel systems were sold with installation instructions that specified the use of bare copper grounding lugs with a GBL-4DB part number. These instructions were revised June 1, 2014 and now specify the use of tin-coated lugs, specifically Ilsco part number GBL- 4DBT. The “T” in the part number, and the silver color of the lug, indicates that it is tin-coated.

Customers who own solar panel units with the recalled lugs should contact SolarWorld for a replacement. Customers may be able to identify from the ground whether a tin-coated (silver) or bare copper lug (brown) has been used on their solar panels. If identification cannot be made, contact SolarWorld to have an authorized SolarWorld agent inspect the solar panel installation and either replace the lugs or install an equally safe alternative remedy at no charge.

Units

About 1.3 million in the U.S. and 210,000 in Canada

Description

This recall includes SolarWorld solar systems installed with bare-copper grounding lugs installed after June 1, 2010. These solar systems use energy from the sun to generate electricity within a system circuit. The installation instructions for SolarWorld solar systems sold after June 1, 2010 called for the use of GBL-4DB lugs for grounding. SolarWorld has revised these installation instructions to explicitly call for tin-coated lugs, specifically Ilsco part number GBL-4DBT. “T” is for tin-coated and indicated by the silver color of the lug.

Incidents/Injuries

The firm has received one report of corrosion related to the bare copper lugs. No injuries have been reported.

Remedy

Customers may be able to identify from the ground whether a tin-coated lug (silver) or a bare-copper lug (brown) has been used on their solar panels. Consumers who can identify the improper lugs should contact SolarWorld for replacement. If customers cannot determine which grounding lugs were used, they should contact SolarWorld to have an authorized SolarWorld agent inspect the installation and replace the lugs with tin-coated grounding lugs or equally safe alternative remedy at no cost to consumers. SolarWorld is requesting that distributors and others remove SolarWorld’s installation instructions dated before June 2014 from their websites or other commercial information sources.

Sold through

SolarWorld installers and distributors, or other distribution companies from June 2011 to June 2014 for about $1,000 to $10,000 depending on system size.

Distributor

SolarWorld Americas, of Camarillo, California, a subsidiary of SolarWorld AG, of Bonn, Germany.

Manufactured in

United States

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