South Korea’s LG has updated a recall of its solar batteries, with Australia’s consumer watchdog warning owners of LG-branded batteries to “immediately” switch off their solar storage systems, amid concerns of overheating batteries.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) says all households with solar storage systems need to urgently check whether they have recalled LG-branded batteries, as 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 7,200 affected batteries that were installed in LG, SolaX and Opal home energy storage systems. The scope of the recall has been expanded over time. The manufacturer now urges all consumers with affected LG batteries in their solar energy storage systems – including 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 promptly power down their energy storage systems and keep them off until they are repaired 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,” said ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe. “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 their batteries.