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.

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.

How many MWh of battery energy were involved in the fires?

In total, more than 180 MWh were involved in the fires. For context, Wood Mackenzie, which conducts power and renewable energy research, estimates 17.9 GWh of cumulative battery energy storage capacity was operating globally in that same period, implying that nearly 1 out of every 100 MWh had failed in this way.1

Why do we need energy storage systems?

Growing concerns about the use of fossil fuels and greater demand for a cleaner, more eficient, and more resilient energy grid has led to the use of energy storage systems (ESS), and that use has increased substantially over the past decade.

How do ESS fire protection systems work?

These layers of protection help prevent damage to the system but can also block water from accessing the seat of the fire. This means that it takes large amounts of water to efectively dissipate the heat generated from ESS fires since cooling the hottest part of the fire is often dificult.