IEEE Power & Energy Magazine - November/December 2020 - 87

For Operational Safety of Battery
Energy Storage Systems
led to total BESS destruction and posed risks to first responders. Despite the efforts of the energy storage industry to improve system safety, recent incidents show the need for a greater recognition of the
limitations of current practices. For example, much of the effort has focused on improving safety at
the cell and battery pack level. Additionally, risks that manifest during operation and the catastrophic
failures arising from operator error or component failures have not received as much attention as the
initial factory testing and commissioning of BESSs.
This article advocates the use of predictive maintenance of operational BESSs as the next step in
safely managing ESSs. Predictive maintenance involves monitoring the components of a system for
changes in operating parameters, which may be indicative of a pending fault. These changes signal
the need for maintenance while the fault is still recoverable. Many industries, including
utilities, use this maintenance approach for assets such as power plants, wind
turbines, oil pipelines, and photovoltaic (PV) systems. However, this
approach has yet to be fully explored and utilized for BESSs.
Predictive monitoring is complementary to and should not
replace safer system designs, which are essential for the
real-time mitigation of catastrophic failures. However, when applied to BESSs, predictive monitoring can initiate actions that potentially prevent catastrophic failures from occurring.
This article reviews current safety practices in BESS development, provides
examples of predictive maintenance
approaches in other industries, notes
the key components of an effective
approach, and describes the methodologies used to identify leading
fault indicators.

Current
Recommendations
and Standards
for Energy Storage Safety

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november/december 2020

Between 2011 and 2013, several major
grid energy storage installations experienced fires (see Figure 1). As a result, leading energy storage industry experts recognized
that technologies and installations were beginning
to outpace existing standards. In addition, although
several energy storage technologies were available in the
marketplace, Li-ion-based storage systems made up an increasing number of the installations. Of even greater importance was that
the deployments were beginning to grow faster, especially in behind-the-meter
residential and commercial applications. As such, a stronger focus on the safety of
Li-ion-based storage systems took hold due to the fire potential of the batteries.
In 2014, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), in collaboration with utilities and first responders,
created the Energy Storage Safety Initiative. The focus of the initiative included "coordinating DOE
Energy Storage Systems Safety Working Groups with over 150 stakeholders from industries such
as electric utilities, standards organizations, and manufacturing companies." These working groups
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IEEE Power & Energy Magazine - November/December 2020

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