Are battery facilities a fire hazard?

Like all electrical systems operating at high voltage, a battery facility poses traditional hazards such as arc flashing, electrocution and electrical fires. These hazards are well-known, and the controls understood. However, the US-based National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has highlighted four hazards specific to BESS (Ref. 5). 1.

Are lithium ion batteries dangerous?

As the number of installed systems is increasing, the industry has also been observing more field failures that resulted in fires and explosions. Lithium-ion batteries contain flammable electrolytes, which can create unique hazards when the battery cell becomes compromised and enters thermal runaway.

How to reduce the safety risk associated with large battery systems?

To reduce the safety risk associated with large battery systems, it is imperative to consider and test the safety at all levels, from the cell level through module and battery level and all the way to the system level, to ensure that all the safety controls of the system work as expected.

What happens if a battery fails?

FAILURE MODES There are several ways in which batteries can fail, often resulting in fires, explosions and/or the release of toxic gases. Thermal Abuse – Energy storage systems have a set range of temperatures in which they are designed to operate, which is usually provided by the manufacturer.

Are energy storage systems safe?

Around the globe energy storage systems are being installed at an unprecedented rate, and for good reasons. There are a lot of benefits that energy storage systems (ESS) can provide, but along with those benefits come some hazards that need to be considered.

What happens if an ESS battery is stranded?

This commonly occurs after an ESS fire has been extinguished and the battery terminals have been damaged. This is a shock hazard to those working with the damaged ESS since it still contains an unknown amount of electrical energy. Stranded energy can also lead to reignition of a fire within minute, hours, or even days after the initial event.