What is battery energy storage fire prevention & mitigation?

In 2019, EPRI began the Battery Energy Storage Fire Prevention and Mitigation – Phase I research project, convened a group of experts, and conducted a series of energy storage site surveys and industry workshops to identify critical research and development (R&D) needs regarding battery safety.

Can a lithium-ion battery energy storage system detect a fire?

Since December 2019, Siemens has been offering a VdS-certified fire detection concept for stationary lithium-ion battery energy storage systems.* Through Siemens research with multiple lithium-ion battery manufacturers, the FDA unit has proven to detect a pending battery fire event up to 5 times faster than competitive detection technologies.

Are battery energy storage systems safe?

Owners of energy storage need to be sure that they can deploy systems safely. Over a recent 18-month period ending in early 2020, over two dozen large-scale battery energy storage sites around the world had experienced failures that resulted in destructive fires. In total, more than 180 MWh were involved in the fires.

Are Lib-ESS batteries a fire protection system?

LIB-ESSs contain a large quantity of batteries and have high energy density. Understanding the burning behavior of these systems is critical to proper fire protection system design. To facilitate this effort, a series of small- to large-scale fire tests were conducted using ESS comprised of either LFP or LNO/LMO batteries.

Why is a battery storage system important?

The combination of high energy densities and flammable electrolytes puts high demands on associated fire protection systems. ◼ Statistics1 show that electrical fires account for over 25% of major fire losses in industrial companies. ◼ The importance of Li-ion battery storage systems has increased dramatically in recent years.

What is lithium-ion battery energy storage?

Energy storage is a key component in balancing out supply and demand fluctuations. Today, lithium-ion battery energy storage systems (BESS) have proven to be the most effective type and, as a result, installations are growing fast. Stationary lithium-ion battery energy storage "thermal runaway," occurs.