Do solar lights have the potential of catching fire? Absolutely! Please note that cheaply made lights with poor manufacturing processes can result in your light catching fire due to reasons such as a faulty low-end lithium-ion battery, an improperly functioning charging circuit, or water seeping into sensitive electrical components. A quality manufactured solar light which contains the correct chemistry to safely operate its battery and has been properly water sealed to withstand external weather conditions is truly one of the safest external lighting sources available today for your home and property. Being located in Kerala, and as a manufacturer of solar lighting systems, we prefer to give you an honest engineering response instead of the marketing answer, so we will explain again how the fire risk occurs and how to minimize it.
To make this answer as short as possible, the fire hazard associated with a solar light typically does not originate from either the solar panel or the LED light. Typically, the fire source in a solar light arises from the batteries and the small charging circuit connecting the batteries to the solar panel. Therefore, if the battery and the charging circuit are designed properly, there is minimal risk of fire caused by the light; and therefore, your risk has been significantly reduced.
What actually causes a solar light to catch fire?
A solar-powered light is an easy power system to use; a solar panel charges a storage battery during day time, and the storage battery turns on an LED light at night. The "Fire Hazard" in a solar-powered light arises as a result of the charging circuit and storage battery stage of the system, and 4 things could cause a "Fire Hazard" during either stage of the solar light.ย
Over-charging: The charging circuit for the battery should terminate once the battery has been completely charged. However, the least expensive solar lights rarely include an adequate overcharge solution; therefore, the battery is continually charged, the battery will become large and/or will be venting battery acid, and/or will become fiery incendiary.
Inferior quality lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries: The majority of inexpensive solar-powered lights contain unbranded and insufficiently manufactured lithium-ion battery cells and/or lithium-polymer battery cells manufactured with minimal separation between the positive and negative terminals; therefore, if the solar-powered light was not manufactured correctly, it is vulnerable to overheating. Both lithium-ion and lithium-polymer batteries can store a large amount of energy in a small area; therefore, if one battery cell experiences excessive heat, the second battery cell will also experience heating (thermal runaway chain reaction).
Inadequate weatherproofing: As the solar light is exposed to the elements, i.e. rain, dew, or dirt/dust, if the enclosure of a solar light is not properly sealed, the circuit board in the solar light will become wet and create a short circuit. A charged battery that is short circuited is a significant fire hazard.
Plastic housings that are not insulated from direct exposure to sunlight.** Heat from the battery plus heat generated by an inadequate housing, plus additional heat from sitting on a very hot rooftop or south-facing wall will cause higher internal temperatures in most cases and heat is the major cause of almost all solar light failures.
It is easy to see that three of the four contributors to a solar light's failure stem from the battery. This makes the type of battery in a solar light one of the most important aspects to check before purchasing a solar light.
Why LiFePO4 batteries are safer
At Hardoll, we only use LiFePO4 batteries as opposed to standard Li-ion batteries, and the reason for this is battery safety.
LiFePO4 battery chemistry is distinctly different from standard lithium battery chemistries, with the primary benefit being thermal stability; LiFePO4 will retain its chemical structure at higher temperatures due to the stability of the cathode material used. Practically speaking, because of the thermal performance of LiFePO4's internal components, it is very difficult for it to go into a state of thermal runaway, which is what is typically seen when a lithium battery catches fire. Under conditions that would typically result in a low-quality Li-ion battery going into thermal runaway, LiFePO4 will not catch fire or explode.
Also, the lifespan is much longer. A premium LiFePO4 cell has a minimum cycle rating of 2000+ charge cycles - that's 3 to 5 times the standard Li-ion cycle life. If you charge once a night for 2000 cycles, it means over 5 years of nightly usage. If a battery has not been pushed to its limits constantly, then it will run much cooler (less stress inside its cells) and be much safer due to cooler temperatures throughout.
Here's the apples-to-apples comparison:
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This is not about saying one technology is superior. LiFePO4 gives up some energy density for greater safety and lifespan; for an outdoor fixture that must endure many years of hot conditions and rain, this extreme level of safety is simply the best. It is the primary differentiating factor between a Hardoll light and the Chinese copies.
Safety certifications and ratings to look for
There's nothing unique about any particular technology - all it means is that LiFePO4 has less energy stored than other batteries, but it has significantly more in terms of safety and longevity. That is why our Hardoll products do not function like generic imports. That is also why there is an independent company that checks all electrical products to ensure they meet the minimum safety requirements.
When you cannot physically see the battery or inspect the inside of the light, you must rely on either BIS or IP ratings as indicators of the quality of the product. The first one is:
1. BIS - The Bureau of Indian Standards provides a certification that indicates that the product has been tested according to the Indian standards for safety. All electrical products must adhere to this minimum requirement before they can be installed into your home, therefore if the product has been awarded the BIS certification, it represents that an independent company has verified that safe basic standards were followed.
2. IP Rating - This rating is composed of two numbers - the first refers to the level of dust protection that the housing provides, and the second is the level of water protection provided by the housing. A product with an IP of 65 or 67 is appropriate for outside usage; IP65 means that the housing is completely dust tight and will withstand high-pressure water spray, whereas IP67 means that the housing will also survive being immersed in water for a limited time.
How Hardoll designs for fire safety
Safety is not merely one aspect of engineering, but rather a combination of multiple engineering decisions that are strategically arranged to create an overall effect. Here are the specific elements that have been combined through engineering design to produce a hardoll solar lamp.
Automatic power shut off during overcharging. A solar panelโs charge controller will stop sending energy to a battery once that battery has reached its maximum potential. This process accounts for approximately 70% of electrical fires as a result of over-charging due to complete saturation from absorbing too much energy.
LiFePO4 cells. This is a chemical choice made well before considering safety features. The chemical structure of a LiFePO4 battery makes it less susceptible to thermal runaway.
IP65/IP67 immersion-proof and shockproof housing. Our housings are constructed from tough ABS plastic that is sealed to an IP65/IP67 rating for water, dust, and moisture protection inside the fitting components of the solar light fixture throughout rain season and dry season.
Heat-resistant PCB and in-house production. We design all of our own LED PCB and module components in-house in Kerala, utilising parts that are designed for heat generated from outdoor fixture applications when mounted on rooftops and /or compound walls. When we produce our own boards, we can ensure that each of the circuit boards produced is of the highest quality standard for safety; whereas, with contracting with a supplier, we would rely on their specific ordering schedule, and may be forced to order a generic module that has the lowest wholesale price for each of the suppliers that we use.
FAQ: Solar light fire safety
Can solar lights cause a fire?
They can, but it's uncommon and almost always tied to a faulty battery or charging circuit in a low-quality light. A solar light with a stable battery chemistry, working overcharge protection, and proper weatherproofing carries very low fire risk.
Are solar lights a fire hazard?
A cheap, poorly sealed solar light with an unbranded Li-ion battery can be a fire hazard. A well-made one is not. The hazard lives in build quality, specifically, the battery and the charge controller,ย not in solar lighting as a technology.
Can outdoor solar lights catch fire in direct sunlight?
The sunlight hitting the panel doesn't cause fires. The risk is internal heat: a warm battery in a cheap, heat-trapping housing on a hot day. Quality cells and a properly vented, heat-resistant design keep operating temperatures in a safe range.
Is it true that a solar light can cause a fire while charging?
Charging is when fire risk is highest, because that's when the battery is taking on energy. This is exactly why auto-cutoff charging matters,ย it stops the charge at full, so the battery is never overfed.
Do LiFePO4 solar lights catch fire?
LiFePO4 is one of the safest lithium chemistries available, specifically because it resists thermal runaway. It's far less likely to ignite than standard Li-ion, which is why we use it across our range.
What should I do if a solar light gets hot, swells, or smells?
Stop using it, move it away from anything flammable if it's safe to do so, and don't try to recharge it. Swelling or a chemical smell from any lithium battery is a sign to retire the product.
