Thread: Solar feed-in tariff

Originally Posted by Corgie Carrier

Be careful with lithium batteries.
A guy I know talked to his insurance mob about going off grid and using lithium batteries.
They told him they would not insure his house because of the fire risk. Apparently lithium batteries cannot be put out if they catch fire.

Is this true??
Has anyone else heard this?

I don't know much about them, but this sounds a bit unusual to me. Why would people be putting them in their cars if they cannot be put out when on fire?

Electric cars are a new section in the fire fighter training we are sort of feeling our way as the cars change. Mag wheels for example have always been an issue in car fires, and Lithium reacts with water so water will make the fire worse. Class D will extinguish Lithium batteries, but it would not be easy if the battery got going. In a car fire I would use water and foam and try to keep the fire away from the battery and I would isolate it and keep the orange wires cool if I was able to isolate the battery to reduce the risk of shorting. The battery catching fire is only one safety issue the very high voltage the batteries carry is a big risk to both the occupants and the emergency services in a crash.
Regards
Chris

Originally Posted by Corgie Carrier

Be careful with lithium batteries.
A guy I know talked to his insurance mob about going off grid and using lithium batteries.
They told him they would not insure his house because of the fire risk. Apparently lithium batteries cannot be put out if they catch fire.

Is this true??
Has anyone else heard this?

I don't know much about them, but this sounds a bit unusual to me. Why would people be putting them in their cars if they cannot be put out when on fire?

The big advantage of lithium batteries is that they are light, and saving weight means you can go further, faster, on the same amount of stored energy.