News from CPSC: SolarWorld Recalls Solar Systems with Copper Grounding Lugs Due to Electrocution, Electric Shock or Fire Hazard

 

-----------NEWS from CPSC-----------
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Communications
4330 East West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814
www.cpsc.gov

1. SolarWorld Recalls Solar Systems with Copper Grounding Lugs Due to Electrocution, Electric Shock or Fire Hazard http://www.cpsc.gov/en/Recalls/2014/SolarWorld-Recalls-Solar-Systems-with-Copper-Grounding-Lugs/

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1.

Recall Date: August 21, 2014

Recall Number: 14-260

 

SolarWorld Recalls Solar Systems with Copper Grounding Lugs Due to Electrocution, Electric Shock or Fire Hazard

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Consumers should stop using this product unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

 

Recall Summary

 

Name of Product: SolarWorld Solar Systems 

 

Hazard: SolarWorld solar panels installed with bare-copper grounding lugs can corrode which could result in a faulty ground circuit, posing an electric shock, electrocution or fire hazard.

 

Remedy: Repair

 

Consumer Contact: Contact SolarWorld toll-free at (877) 360-1787 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT Monday through Friday or online at www.solarworld-usa.com and click on the “Product Safety” tab for more information.

 

Recall Details

 

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 by: 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: U.S.

 

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The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to a product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about your experience with the product on SaferProducts.gov.

 

Media Contact

Please use the phone numbers below for all media requests.

Phone: (301) 504-7908

Spanish: (301) 504-7800

 

CPSC Consumer Information Hotline

Contact us at this toll-free number if you have questions about a recall:

800-638-2772 (TTY 301-595-7054)

Times: 8 a.m. � 5:30 p.m. ET; Messages can be left anytime

Call to get product safety and other agency information and to report unsafe products.

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