By Brian Cashion, Director of Engineering, Firetrace International
August 27, 2024 | The International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that global battery energy storage system (BESS) site capacity will increase from 86GW to over 760GW by 2030. While the increase in BESS capacity will help speed up the renewable energy transition, it will be critical that we address safety concerns around BESS sites. However, many of the well-known safety concerns—namely that all fires are caused by faulty Li-Ion batteries—are unfounded and distract from the real issues that leave BESS sites vulnerable to fires.
If these fire risks are not mitigated and go unchecked, there is a real risk that new sites could be delayed or even cancelled. In addition, BESS operations and owners could face losses of up to $1.5 million including asset value and lost revenues if a catastrophic fire occurred. So, what are the big misconceptions, and how can BESS site developers and owners protect themselves against fire risks?
Myth: All Fires Are Caused by Faulty Li-Ion Batteries
One of the biggest misconceptions is that all BESS fires are started by poor-quality or faulty batteries. But when you look at the stats, only 11% of fires and explosions are linked to battery module failures, while 65% of incidents are linked to operational and integration issues around the batteries. For example:
- Incorrect installation and poor maintenance of batteries can significantly increase the risk of fires.
- Physical impacts can damage the internal battery cell structures, leading to short circuits and thermal runaway that trigger fires.
- Overcharging and/or over-discharging can stress battery cells and lead to cell failure.
- Poorly designed cooling systems can lead to high ambient operating temperatures that can stress battery cells and lead to thermal runaway.
- Failures of Power Conversion Systems (PCS), BMS Systems, or HVAC/Cooling systems can lead to fires that spread to the batteries.
Manufacturing defects, poor-quality battery materials, and management systems are also major causes of BESS fires.
Mitigating BESS Fire Risks
Protecting BESS sites from fires might seem daunting, complex, and expensive, but there are several steps BESS developers and owners can take to mitigate fire risks:
- Adopt advanced battery analytics – Implementing advanced battery analytics that monitor the battery’s voltage, current, temperature, and charge in real time is critical. This helps to prevent overcharging and overheating, which can lead to fires.
- Install clean-agent fire suppression systems – Installing clean-agent-based fire suppression systems to protect PCS, BMS, and HVAC systems within BESS sites is essential to mitigating fire risks. They play an essential role in detecting and suppressing a fire in these systems before it spreads to the nearby Li-Ion batteries.
- Battery site design – When designing a BESS site, developers and owners should clearly separate battery containers and other important equipment, such as transformers, inverters, and substations.
At a broader industry level, there needs to be greater collaboration between developers, operators, and local firefighting organizations when it comes to protecting BESS sites.
Regulatory alignment—especially in the US—around fire safety standards will also be critical, as BESS owners and developers are currently dealing with an array of different fire regulations, causing confusion across the industry.
There is no denying the fact that BESS sites are complex and face numerous fire risks. Yet, many of the assumed fire risks are inaccurate and deflect attention away from addressing the real root causes of most BESS fires. If we take the above steps, we can safeguard BESS sites and fast-track the renewable energy transition.
Brian Cashion is the Director of Engineering at Firetrace International, overseeing all aspects of engineering and product design. He has a BS in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Purdue University. He can be reached at bcashion@firetrace.com.
