Safety Resource Library 

The CESA Safety Resource Library contains relevant energy storage safety-related resources. Please contact info@storagealliance.org if you would like to contribute to the library. 

Arizona Corporation Commission

8/2/2019 Correspondence from Commissioner Sandra Kennedy (RE docket No. E-01345A-19-0076)
Description: Overview of safety incidents involving lithium ion batteries, and possible future use of alternative chemistries and technologies
Key words: docket, technology diversity, incident
Type: docket letter

Arizona Public Services

McMicken Battery Energy Storage Technical Analysis
Description: Incident report describing the McMicken thermal runaway and explosion incident at APS energy storage facility on April 19, 2019. Technical support provided by DNV-GL. 
Key words: incident, utility, thermal runaway
Type: Technical report

Burns McDonnell

Promising Outlook for Li-Ion Battery Technology -- Once Risks are Addressed
Description: Future growth of the lithium-ion energy storage technology marketplace depends on how manufacturers and the utility industry address battery safety challenges. 
Key words: thermal runaway, off-gas detection, first responders
Type: white paper 

California Energy Storage Alliance (CESA)

CESA Flyer on Energy Storage Safety

CESA Lithium-Ion Safety Workshop Presentation from February 25, 2020

California Public Utilities Commission 

Safety Best Practices for Installation of Energy Storage
Description: Summary of codes and best practices, and best practice templates for signage developed by Santa Clara County, California. 
Key words: UL 1973, UL 9540, NEC 480, NEC 708, NFPA 1, NFPA 70, UL 3001 
Type: webpage

DNV-GL

2019 Battery Performance Scorecard 
Description: Provides independent ranking and evaluation of battery vendors based on testing performed in DNV GL's laboratories. Includes discussions on safety. 
Type: report

Safer, Better, Bigger Battery Energy Storage
Description: How utilities, independent system operators, distribution network operators, regulators, battery manufacturers, large energy users, governments and emergency responders can collaborate to ensure that utility-scale BESSs are safer and performing optimally.  
Type: report

Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)

Energy Storage Opportunities and Technical Priorities
Description: Overview of energy storage applications and value
Key words: engineering, policy
Type: presentation

Energy Storage Safety: 2016, Guidelines Developed by the Energy Storage Integration Council for Distribution-Connected Systems
Description: Results of a gaps analysis for safety in the energy storage integration process; safety codes and standards
Key words: engineering, standards
Type: report

Energy Storage Association

Energy Storage Corporate Responsibility Initiative Emergency Response Plan 
Description: Best practices for emergency response 
Key words: emergency response, 
Type: guidebook 

ESA Corporate Responsibility Initiative: U.S. Energy Storage Operational Safety Guidelines 
Description: Explanations and best practices for emergency response 
Key words: best practices 
Type: guidebook 

Operational Risk Management in the U.S. Energy Storage Industry: Lithium-Ion Fire and Thermal Event Safety 
Description: Battery Fire Risk Management and Codes UL 9540, NFPA 855 and DNV GL’s Recommended Practice 43 
Key words: standards, risk management 
Type: report 

Energy Storage Response Group (ESRG)

Lithium Ion Battery Testing: Trials, Tribulations, and Successes
Description: How they do battery safety tests and lessons learned
Key words: incidents, engineering
Type: presentation

National Fire Protection Association

Energy Storage and Solar Systems Safety Online Training
Description: NFPA's self-paced online training teaches the fire services how to safety deal with emergency situations involving high voltage commercial and residential energy storage and photovoltaic systems. 
Key words: energy storage, solar, failure modes, hazards, pre-incident planning, emergency response
Type: training (online)

NFPA 855 Standard for the Installation of Stationary Energy Storage Systems
Description: This standard provides the minimum requirements for mitigating the hazards associated with Energy Storage Systems
Key words: standards, fire protection
Type: standards manual

Overview of NFPA 855 to CESA Safety Working Group
Description: Summary of NFPA 855, Standard for Installation of Energy Storage Systems presented to the CESA Safety Working Group in July 2019.
Key words: standards, fire protection
Type: presentation 

NYSERDA

New York Battery Energy Storage System Guidebook
Description: Guidebook on energy storage standards and safety checklists
Key words: engineering, standards
Type: report

Peoria Fire-Medical Department

McMicken Event: Fire Department Response
Description: Presentation at PNNL Energy Storage Systems Safety & Reliability Forum (March 4-5, 2020) providing an overview of the McMicken fire incident (Surprise, Arizona)
Key words: incident, fire/first-responders, standards
Type: presentation

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Inventory of Safety-related Codes and Standards for Energy Storage Systems
Description: Overview of of codes, standards, and regulations governing energy storage installations and operations, and lessons learned from developers. Published in 2014.
Key words: codes, standards, regulation
Type: report 

Overview of Development and Deployment of Codes, Standards and Regulations Affecting Energy Storage System Safety in the United States
Description: Basic background on the codes, standards and regulations essential to provide a critical function on the safety and reliable deployment of energy storage systems.  
Key words: codes, standards, regulation
Type: report 

Sandia National Laboratories

Battery Components Testing
Description: Presentation to California Energy Commission on June 14, 2019 on battery performance testing and regulatory standards
Key words: science, chemistry, standards
Type: presentation

Battery Electrical Energy Storage (BESS) Commissioning Overview: A Safety Focus
Description: Presentation to California Energy Commission on June 14, 2019 on commissioning and building battery energy storage projects
Key words: standards, best practices, chemistry
Type: presentation

CODES AND STANDARDS UPDATE SPRING 2020
Description: Update on all the different codes for energy storage system safety
Key words: standards
Type: newsletter

DOE/EPRI Electricity Storage Handbook in Collaboration with NRECA
Description: 2016 edition of the comprehensive guidebook on energy storage technologies
Key words: engineering, chemistries, economics
Type: report

Energy Storage Safety Collaborative
Description: General website with resources on safety testing, events, and research data
Key words: standards, science
Type: website

ESS Fire Hazard Elimination and Suppression
Description: Presentation to California Energy Commission on June 14, 2019 on hazard analysis and prevention of thermal run-away
Key words: engineering
Type: newsletter

UL Fire Safety Research Institute

Four Firefighters Injured In Lithium-Ion Battery Energy Storage System Explosion - Arizona
Description:  Report details a deflagration incident at a 2.16 lithium-ion battery energy storage system facility in Surprise, Arizona, including a detailed technical account of the explosion and fire service response, along with recommendations on how to improve codes, standards, and emergency response training to better protect first responders, maintenance personnel and nearby communities. Report released on July 29, 2020 and funded by the Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency's Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. 
Key words: first reponders, incident
Type: report

UL

Risk Mitigation Strategies for Large-Scale Energy Storage System Projects
Description: Daniel Liang, Head of Energy Storage for Asia Pacific at UL, identifies the potential technical and financial risks in large-scale ESS projects and provide various strategies to avoid and mitigate them.
Key words: utility-scale storage, safety
Type: webinar (pre-recorded)

UL 9540 Second Edition: Understanding the Impacts of Requirement Change
Description: Second edition of UL9540 was released on February 27, 2020. New requirements made to better align with other updated or newly-released standards, including NFPA 855.
Key words: certification, systems 

Webinar (July 7, 2020): What You Need to Know about UL 9540 and UL 9540A
Description: UL experts discuss the implications of UL 9540 and UL9540A, including implications for code authorities such as authorities having jurisdiction. 
Key words: codes, safety
Type: webinar (pre-recorded)

U.S. Department of Energy

Energy Storage Safety Strategic Plan
Description: 2014 DOE report on a high-level roadmap to enable the safe deployment energy storage
Key words: engineering, standards
Type: report