Battery and Energy Storage System Codes and Standards: What
To mitigate risks, a range of codes and standards guide the design, installation, operation, and testing of energy storage systems.
Common standards in the battery room include those from American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM) and Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). Model codes are standards developed by committees with the intent to be adopted by states and local jurisdictions.
For example, these codes require 3 ft. spacing on all sides of a battery cabinet, 50kWh or less cabinet capacity, and 600kWh maximum allowable quantity (MAQ) in a room. On their own, these stringent requirements would be a deal breaker for lithium.
In layman's terms, a standard provides minimum requirements and/or instructions in agreement within the industry for common reference. Common standards in the battery room include those from American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM) and Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE).
Even if a company installs a NEBS-certified battery rack in a site, the building inspector can still require the rack to be certified to IBC or any other building code that city or state has adopted. Which seismic code or standard is the best fit?
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