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
Metropolitan Engineering, Consulting & Forensics
(MECF)
Providing Competent, Expert and Objective
Investigative Engineering and Consulting Services
P.O. Box 520
Tenafly, NJ 07670-0520
Tel.: (973) 897-8162
Fax: (973) 810-0440
E-mail: metroforensics@gmail.com
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https://sites.google.com/site/metropolitanforensics/
https://sites.google.com/site/metropolitanenvironmental/
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