While it appears none of the affected panels were sold in Australia, the situation serves as a caution for Australian solar shoppers to carry out due diligence before purchasing a solar power system.
The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority recently published a warning that certain Scheuten Solar Multisol solar panels have a faulty electrical connection suspected to be the cause of 15 house fires in Europe. Various other sources report up to 650,000 of these panels are installed throughout the EU.
The risk comes from a poor connection between a cable and a printed circuit board in the module junction box. It is believed the risk of fire increases with panel age.
For those unfortunate enough to have these panels, redress could be difficult as Scheuten Solar Systems BV is now bankrupt.
The popularity of solar panels as a way to slash power bills has also seen an explosion of growth in the number of manufacturers producing panels. In fact, there are now too many manufacturers and the industry is already beginning to consolidate.
Some companies will be acquired by others, but others will just simply disappear; leaving their customers in a nasty position should issues arise.
It’s for reasons like these that people wishing to make the switch to solar should purchase systems from reputable companies that will stand behind the products they sell, have a special focus on quality and are strong enough to survive the rapidly evolving solar shakeout.
Safety issues are just one of the many important points for consideration when buying a solar panel system. Australian solar provider Energy Matters offers a free 23-page Consumer Guide To Solar Power to help solar shoppers select the right system for their needs and avoid various potential pitfalls.
