A home battery system that went up in smoke at a NSW property.
Australians have been issued a warning about some of the habits that have led to terrifying battery explosions at homes, with one industry insider pinning the blame on families cutting corners.
Industry expert Steven Yu, founder and CEO of Aussie Solar Batteries, revealed that batteries had blown in certain instances and it was often common in households with the same profile.
These households had often engaged with cheap contractors who did a poor job of installing the batteries and used cheap products with questionable battery chemistry, Mr Yu explained.
Another common theme was households with electricity habits that had rapidly outgrown the battery infrastructure they installed – often because a new family member had moved in or kids had grown up.
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Interior damage inside a NSW property that was sent on fire by a battery.
“People often ask me whether they can overload their battery or if it could blow it up if they overuse it,” Mr Yu said. “The answer is a little more complicated than people think.”
Mr Yu said a common misconception about home batteries was that homeowners could buy the smallest, cheapest battery available and expect it to cope with years of growing household power demand.
“The real danger isn’t usually using too much electricity. The danger comes from poor-quality batteries, poor installations, damaged systems, incorrect wiring or people trying to cut corners.”
It should be noted that solar battery fires were rare in previous years, with the ACCC reporting 15 home solar battery fires between 2017 and 2023.
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Steven Yu, founder and CEO of Aussie Solar Batteries, said batteries were generally safe, but the picture became more complicated if users cut corners.
Mr Yu said quality solar batteries manufactured to Australian Standards include sophisticated Battery Management Systems (BMS) that monitor temperature, voltage, current and charging behaviour.
“A properly designed battery shouldn’t simply explode because you turned on too many appliances.
“Quality batteries are built with multiple layers of protection that automatically reduce output or shut the system down if operating conditions become unsafe.”
Mr Yu warned that this didn’t mean every installation was safe. The danger was that some Australian had taken measures to reduce the upfront cost of battery installation.
These measures included going DIY, using unskilled operators or buying products that were not suitable for their household.
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STAR Home Maintenance Service can assist with a variety of jobs including window cleaning, smoke alarm checks and new battery installations.
“The temptation is to buy the smallest battery possible because it saves money today. But what often happens is the household quickly outgrows that battery.
“Since then we’ve seen children move back home, people start working from home, electric vehicles arrive, pools get installed and electricity consumption increases dramatically.”
The battery is then forced to cycle more frequently.
“While quality batteries are designed for thousands of charge and discharge cycles, constantly operating near their maximum capacity can increase wear and reduce long-term performance compared with a correctly sized system,” Mr Yu said.
Another safety concern was poor workmanship. “Loose electrical connections, poor ventilation, damaged cables, incompatible equipment or incorrect commissioning can all increase safety risks.”
Mr Yu said homeowners should seek advice if they notice their battery is empty well before bedtime, electricity bills are increasing despite having solar and their batteries rarely reach full charge.
“They often indicate the system no longer matches the way the household lives.
“People shouldn’t be frightened of batteries. They should be cautious about who they buy them from. The cheapest quote can sometimes become the most expensive mistake.”
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