How to plan safer battery storage projects?
It has been shown that it is not possible to decarbonize the grid without the support of energy storage systems. Grid-scale energy storage systems can be dispatched to provide supplemental renewable energy generation when it is not sufficient, ultimately creating a more resilient energy system.
Although very rare, fires in battery energy storage systems in recent years have prompted energy storage system manufacturers and project developers to question how to design safer battery energy storage systems.
So how can battery energy storage system manufacturers and project developers ensure their energy storage projects are safe?
Many engineers are working in their labs to develop next-generation hardware. Fire safety experts are designing and implementing extreme test programs to test battery performance. Energy storage project managers are also developing plans - these core design documents outline every safety issue, answer stakeholder questions, and reduce the safety risk of battery storage projects.
While these documents are not universally required by the U.S. government or state governments, industry-leading manufacturers and program developers should go beyond the minimum requirements by developing four core documents for every battery energy storage project they deploy. While fires in battery storage systems are rare events, battery storage industry manufacturers must have four different plans in place to deal with them.
The most important core document: the Hazard Mitigation Analysis
The Hazard Mitigation Analysis (HMA) is the "most important document" - a key document that evaluates how a battery energy storage system operates, what safety and mitigation features it has, how those features might fail, and what the consequences will be. Its scope is the boundary of the energy storage project site.
Energy storage project teams should develop their Hazard Mitigation Analysis (HMA) document as early as possible in the project development process so that the local fire department, community and jurisdictional authorities (AHJ), the local regulatory agencies responsible for enforcing safety regulations, are aware of and comfortable with the battery technology and the proposed deployment of the battery energy storage project.
The Hazard Mitigation Analysis (HMA) comprehensively answers basic questions about the testing that has been completed, where and how the batteries will be installed (indoors or outdoors), the risks posed by the battery energy storage project, the preventative methods to be utilized, and how the project team will work with stakeholders.
Hazard Mitigation Analyses (HMAs) are code-driven documents. This means they must be prepared in accordance with local codes and requirements, which can be in the form of versions of the International Fire Code (IFC), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) requirements, relevant state fire codes or a combination of all of these.
A best practice for energy storage project teams is to have a Hazard Mitigation Analysis (HMA) framework that contains key information about their energy storage products. The Hazard Mitigation Analysis (HMA) framework will be customized based on the location, siting, proximity to the community, and other important factors of the specific energy storage project.
While only about two-thirds of U.S. states require HMAs, industry-leading battery energy storage system manufacturers and project developers are paid to proactively provide HMA reports to key stakeholders to start safety conversations early, build trust and ensure projects are as safe as possible.
Providing the Necessary Information: Community Risk Analysis
While Hazard Mitigation Analyses (HMAs) assess safety risks within the scope of a battery project, Community Risk Analyses (CRAs) focus on the potential impacts of a fire on the community, including the battery storage project site. They provide important safety education to stakeholders and local communities about what a battery energy storage project is, the level of safety risk associated with energy storage projects, and how they may be impacted in the rare event of a fire.
Community awareness of battery energy storage systems is increasing as more and more fires in battery energy storage systems are reported in the industry media, which means that the public is seeking more information about battery energy storage systems during the project planning phase. Community risk analysis is a key component of good community engagement, helping to ensure that no one is surprised by the deployment and operation of a battery energy storage project and avoiding an information vacuum so that misinformation is not spread.
A robust Community Risk Analysis (CRA) will analyze the site and surrounding community for potential overheating, high pressure, and toxic risks. In most cases, a summary of the Community Risk Analysis (CRA) should be presented to the community to close the loop on conversations that have occurred through community workshops or other engagement activities. This document should be easy to understand to highlight results and transparently discuss potential impacts.
Sharing Key Information: Emergency Response Plans
The Emergency Response Plan (ERP) is another important document that provides an overview of the battery storage program and an explanation of the equipment it contains. The plan outlines failure scenarios, detection capabilities, system safety features, hazards associated with a battery energy storage system emergency or failure of supporting electrical components, and response strategies.
This information is critical for safety incident responders and Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs), who are often the first personnel to arrive at an incident site. In addition to the Emergency Response Plan (ERP), training and drills should be conducted with manufacturers and first responders to ensure interoperability.
Planning for Success: A Guide to Site Design
Even if the likelihood of a fire occurring in a battery storage system is low, it is important to have a proper response plan in place. As with the installation of sprinklers in commercial buildings, Hazard Mitigation Analyses (HMA) and Emergency Response Plans (ERP) are focused on dealing with safety issues that are highly unlikely to occur.
On the other hand, the Site Design Guide (SDG) outlines what steps can be taken to ensure that a safety event does not occur in the first place. This document outlines fire protection requirements and best practices for the use of active and passive systems, as well as procedural safeguards, and references requirements set by key codes and standards. For example, its documentation should provide high-level information on detection and alarm systems, including the location of the primary fire alarm control panel (FACP).
All battery storage system manufacturers should provide sustainability goals to developers, owner-operators, and responders from the beginning of project deployment. This is a key framework for conversations with responders about site access, equipment available on site, fire command centers and other information that is critical for them to access if a fire occurs.
Failure to have a plan in place can face failure
While these plans are not always required by statute, the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ), emergency responders, and the community still have the right to access the information contained in these plans. Battery storage industry leaders prepare these documents as early in the project as possible and use them as a framework for conversations with stakeholders about safety.
The information contained in battery energy storage project plans is critical to creating a holistic approach to fire safety in battery energy storage systems by identifying issues that may arise and how to address them.
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