Does active fire protection work for energy storage systems?

To date there is no publicly available test data that confirms the effectiveness of any active fire protection for energy storage systems, and there are no fire protection systems FM Approved for this application. The ability of active fire protection to stop or prevent Li-ion battery thermal runaway reactions has not been shown.

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.

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 battery energy storage system control electrical fires?

However, these systems may be used in the computer or control rooms of an ESS to control any electrical fires. Thermal runaway in lithium batteries results in an uncontrollable rise in temperature and propagation of extreme fire hazards within a battery energy storage system (BESS).

What is energy storage & how does it work?

As the use of these variable sources of energy grows – so does the use of energy storage systems. 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.

Is thermal runaway a fire hazard for energy storage systems?

Thermal runaway leads to high temperatures and gas buildup, with the potential for an explosive rupture of the battery cell that can lead to fire and/or explosion. To date there is no publicly available test data that confirms the effectiveness of any active fire protection for energy storage systems.