NFPA Journal - May/June 2019 - 86

855
13, Standard on the Installation of
Sprinkler Systems, with a 0.3 gallonsper-minute-per-square-foot density
over a 2,500-square-foot design area.
This information has been extrapolated
from existing research, testing, and
understanding of suppression system
performance for this hazard. Additionally,
a Fire Protection Research Foundation
project is currently testing this exact
discharge density on an ESS and will be

available soon at nfpa.org/foundation
[see "Understanding ESS," below].
While alternate fire suppression methods are permitted if testing shows they
are effective, there isn't much publicly
available test data on extinguishing
ESS fires. One of the major concerns in
extinguishing an ESS fire is cooling the
energy storage system down below the
auto ignition temperature of the flammable gasses the ESS may discharge in

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endamus aerit, sinture stiumquati occus,
que ad mil ipsuntint, tem ium

UNDERSTANDING ESS
Three Fire Protection Research
Foundation projects on energy
storage systems
SPRINKLER PROTECTION OF LI-ION
BATTERY BASED ENERGY STORAGE
SYSTEMS
This 2018 project set out to determine
sprinkler protection guidance for gridconnected ESS for commercial occupancies with 100 to 1,000 kWh capacities. The results of the large-scale free
burn and sprinklered fire tests conducted
during this project can be used to inform
adequate separation distances to prevent
fire spread to nearby combustibles, as
well as sprinkler protection design criteria and water supply duration.
FIREFIGHTER SAFETY IN BATTERY
ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM FIRES
The goal of this 2017 project, led by the
University of Texas at Austin in conjunction with the Fire Protection Research
Foundation, was to establish a scientific

86 | NFPA JOURNAL * M A Y / J U N E 2 0 1 9

basis for the fire service to develop standard operating guidelines for emergencies involving lithium-ion battery energy
storage systems, and to disseminate research findings to the fire service. Deliverables from this project will provide practical resources, including a lithium-ion
battery energy storage system simulation
and training tool for the fire service to
address these emerging issues. Deliverables are expected in early 2020.
STRANDED ENERGY WITH LITHIUM-ION
BATTERIES
This project, begun in 2018, will develop a
summary report of the present and anticipated hazards of stranded energy, related
incidents, and established mitigation procedures for safely handling stranded energy within damaged lithium-ion batteries
across the full spectrum of industry applications to provide guidance to first and
second emergency responders. Deliverables are expected this summer.
For more information on these projects,
visit nfpa.org/foundation.

a thermal runaway event. Water is an
effective extinguishing agent for most
ESS fires including lithium-ion battery
ESS, and that is what the committee settled on for a requirement.

Utility and telecom
application
There has been much debate about
the application of NFPA 855 to electric
power utilities (power plants) and telecommunication installations. Much of
the concern about ESS installations in
nonremote substations that could be
close to commercial or residential areas.
Since the committee didn't feel comfortable having a complete exemption for
these applications in the scope, several
statements throughout the standard
permit utility or telecommunications
facilities to not comply with certain
requirements. The reasoning is that
both serve as critical infrastructure and
are already regulated by several bodies,
including other NFPA standards and
recommended practices. Also, these are
often in areas where first responders
won't enter without an escort from the
utility company.
These are just a few of the critical
requirements in NFPA 855-others
address ventilation, detection, signage,
listings, emergency plans, and many
more. It is also not the first standard
to address ESS fire safety-current
editions of NFPA 70 and NFPA 1 both
contain extensive requirements for ESS
and can be adopted today. The information in NFPA 855 closely reflects the
information in NFPA 1, Chapter 52, on
energy storage systems.
Despite the requirements contained
in those codes, NFPA 855 is necessary to address additional ESS safety
details as part of today's complex
energy infrastructure. Energy storage
systems are a hugely beneficial technology with growing popularity and
many applications. While ESS is here
to stay, NFPA 855 will make sure they
are installed safely so this technology
can be embraced in a range of applications around the world.
BRIAN O'CONNOR is a licensed fire protection engineer at NFPA and vice president to the New England
chapter of SFPE.

http://www.nfpa.org/foundation http://www.nfpa.org/foundation

NFPA Journal - May/June 2019

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