Battery Safety

[Jared_H]

CALSSA just produced battery safety talking points to share with those concerned about battery safety issues post LA and Moss Landing (Vistra) energy storage fires.

Understanding the Safety of Residential Lithium-Based Energy Storage Systems

Main take-away: Battery safety concerns should not be a major issue today due to several advancements in technology. Residential lithium batteries are rigorously tested for safety under strict standards like UL 9540 and UL 9540A, minimizing risks like thermal runaway. These systems are smaller, use safer lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry, and are less likely to cause large-scale fires compared to older utility-scale installations. Additionally, improvements in design and engineering, along with stringent safety certifications, ensure residential batteries provide a secure and resilient energy solution. This applies to all batteries installed starting around 2020/2023.

 

[Chris McMillan]

This is an excellent resource. I shared it in a private FB group though and got attacked for it not being created by an independent source. Might be good to share the facts in the fact sheet instead of the fact sheet itself to avoid that result…

 

[J_Davis]

The balance between fire safety and emotions post the horrible toxic materials post the CA fires is definitely a sensitive and delicate subject to navigate. I agree with Chris that it’s better to share facts v the fact sheet, depending on who the audience is, of course.

 

[Sol516]

This is an excellent resource. I shared it in a private FB group though and got attacked for it not being created by an independent source. Might be good to share the facts in the fact sheet instead of the fact sheet itself to avoid that result…

Thanks for sharing your experience and that suggestion, Chris. So many of these online groups and platforms are full of troll and haters. So far, this forum seems refreshingly free of it. Thank you admins!

 

[EnergyGuy805]

CALSSA just produced battery safety talking points to share with those concerned about battery safety issues post LA and Moss Landing (Vistra) energy storage fires.

Understanding the Safety of Residential Lithium-Based Energy Storage Systems

Main take-away: Battery safety concerns should not be a major issue today due to several advancements in technology. Residential lithium batteries are rigorously tested for safety under strict standards like UL 9540 and UL 9540A, minimizing risks like thermal runaway. These systems are smaller, use safer lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry, and are less likely to cause large-scale fires compared to older utility-scale installations. Additionally, improvements in design and engineering, along with stringent safety certifications, ensure residential batteries provide a secure and resilient energy solution. This applies to all batteries installed starting around 2020/2023.

great resource. Senator Laird did a good opinion piece in the Look Out with similar information as in the CALSSA fact sheet.
The Moss Landing fire – where do we go from here?

 

[Paul Osburn]

important topic, that I predict will become more important in the years ahead. Unfortunately, I predict battery safety, fires and environmental contaminiation issues will be an evolving set of risks to navigate, especially as the amount of battery installs continues to grow exponentially.