With an increase in energy storage systems being brought to market Underwriters Laboratory (UL) has published a standard to increase safety in all areas of the industry.
UL 9540, aims to set new safety standards for energy storage systems, primarily using lithium-ion technology.
UL 9540 covers battery system safety, functional safety, grid connectivity, and fire detection and suppression, among other things.
It will become the foundation of a certification process that includes both listing certifications and field evaluations, UL hopes.
UL worked with key stakeholders from all sectors of the ESS market from component manufacturers to regulators and insurers.
The new standard is intended to safeguard the uses of emerging ESS technologies across different types of systems, a variety of usages and functions, and a range of potential system users.
The US’s current energy storage is equivalent to 2.3% of the nation’s current energy capacity — a level still behind behind Europe and Japan.
While energy storage technologies are used across different applications, including stored/pumped hydroelectric, and technologies such as flywheels and gaseous systems, batteries remain the technology of choice.
