Everything we know about the upcoming NSW Home Battery Rebate.
Everything we know about the upcoming NSW Home Battery Rebate.
Whilst solar is rapidly adopted in New South Wales, solar energy storage is starting to ramp up as well. However, many are cautious about the safety of solar batteries with the news constantly covering lithium-ion related fires across Australia.
Let’s tackle the question head on and see what these statistics say about residential fires, and how solar batteries play a part in fires across NSW.
After a read-through of the Fire & Rescue’s Lithium-Ion battery incident report for 2022 – 2023 (released 21 March 2024), it gives us insight into Lithium-ion battery related fires throughout New South Wales, with investigations and data logged for each fire.
According to the Fire & Rescue's report, it shows us that 37 fires were caused by energy storage of some type in 2022
& 2023.
However, only 3 fires were caused by residential battery energy storage systems (R-BESS) in NSW in 2023 and only 1 in 2022.
This shows us that the total home battery system fires only accounted for 9.2% of lithium fires in 2022-23. Not as bad as it seems right?
On the news, we see constant headlines like ‘Lithium battery fires surging’, or ‘Lithium-ion batteries causing over 10,000 fires per year in Australia’, and other similar articles outlining the dangers of lithium-ion batteries.
To the average person, home batteries look like the main culprit for causing home fires, but this isn't the case.
In the ‘Lithium-Ion Battery (LIB) incidents by device involved’ table (below), it shows us that micromobility accounted for 67 ignitions whilst energy storage was at 21 in 2023.
But 21 fires is still pretty high for battery storage fires isn't it?..
With only 4 ignitions over the course of 2 years, this would actually drop the R-BESS rank to the same ignition rate as personal care devices like electric toothbrushes etc. and a lower ignition rate than vacuum cleaners.
According to the numbers in the report, the ignitions from micromobility in comparison with home battery storage, is 22 times more ignitions than the 3 residential battery energy storage systems (R-BESS) in 2023.
Micromobility ignitions include devices like E-bikes, E-scooters, hoverboards etc., with most of them catching fire whilst actively charging. Most of these incidents are from unknown E-bike and E-scooter brands, and 6 having evidence of tampering and modification.
Whilst the list indicates that home batteries are low in risk, there is still a risk no matter how low it is. Like your car, there is always a risk driving it, but there are safety measures that have been put into place to protect you, the customer, as best as possible from any potential risk.
Here is some information and tips on how you can reduce the already low risk even more for the maximum risk prevention.
One of the most known battery failures is the LG RESU series which has been on compulsory recall since 2020.
These batteries were in LG, SolaX, Opal, Redback, Red Earth, Eguana, and VARTA storage systems.
Whilst there is a major recall, there have only been few that have actually caught fire.
The 3 identified battery storage systems in the report were the SolaX T63 (6.3kWh), PowerPlus ECO4840P (4kWh), and Zenaji Aeopn A48-40 (1.93kWh). The 4th is unknown.
The SolaX and PowerPlus model batteries were both not on the CEC or Government battery approval list.
As of December 2017, there has been a new strict standard implemented by Standards Australia that outline the safety of lithium batteries in residential and commercial applications (AS IEC 62619).
The AS IEC 62619 standard involves a variety of extreme conditional testing. This includes dropping the battery from heights, damaging it, firing a nail into it, intentional overheating and overcharging, as well as purposely short circuiting the terminals.
The purpose of this testing is to show that the battery can withstand these conditions without issues and hazardous results including fires, explosions, leaks, and other ruptures. More here.
Whilst there is a risk with any battery, including home batteries, the chance of a home battery catching fire is very small and is continually improving with advancements in technology.
Home battery storage continues to be a highly popular addition to homes across NSW as more of the community wanting to store their excess solar energy. We saw a higher number of home battery fires in 2023 compared to 2022, so does that mean there will be more fires in 2024?
In 2023, Australia’s battery storage adoption increased from 43,000 units (in 2022), to 57,000 units installed and the number continuing to rise.
With only 3 home battery fires out of the 57,000 units installed, it indicates that statistically, the ignition rate is about 0.0053%. This obviously has many variables at play, but the point is the percentage is very low.
As more batteries are installed, there will be issues that arise, but with Australia's strong standards, continual improvements in battery technology and safety measures, we can be comforted that the risk will remain very low in lithium batteries.
Sungrow & BYD use a battery technology called LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate) which is cobalt-free and has improved structural and thermal stability, which means that it is not prone to thermal runaway which is a common fear with other battery types.
The other advantages of LiFePO4 cells are that:
Home batteries with Lithium-Ion cells are still very safe, but for those wanting an even lower level of risk, LiFePO4 options may be for you. Note that lithium batteries mostly become a fire hazard when the cells have been pierced or damaged.
Whilst batteries endure a lot of safety testing and certification, there are a few additional things you can do to absolutely maximise your
risk protection. Here are a few tips:
Batteries generally don’t need maintenance in addition to health check-ups every couple of years, but there are a few things you can do to double check. Keeping the surroundings clean can ensure the battery gets adequate cooling, and simply checking the battery every now and again to ensure there are no signs of wear or damage.
Both the Government and CEC/SAA have a list of certified batteries that they approve of for installation. Using this list can help you in ordering the right battery that has industry certification.
Most solar and battery installers will offer solar health checks, or solar and battery health checks, where they professionally check your system and identify any issues.
Lastly, you can develop an evacuation plan and ensure smoke alarms are working to triple check safety.
Whilst there is a large number of certified batteries from various companies, we only like to recommend a few batteries with strong reputations.
With 39.4% of Australia’s energy being produced with renewable energy, battery technology is going to be here for the long-run.
In 2023, over 56,000 new battery storage systems (15,000 more than 2022), were installed across Australia with very few safety problems with Australia’s strong battery standards in place.
So overall, we can see that battery storage for your home is actually much safer than is commonly portrayed, and as the years progress, Australia will only become more reliant on this evolving technology which results in great improvements in capacity, safety, recycling, and more.
Resources:
LifePo4
Batteries
Safety
Battery Options
The
Rise to 40% Renewables
Key
Aspects of IEC 62619
Lithium
Battery Incidents
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