Energy storage batteries and system testing methods have been continuously improved. July 15, 2022 will be a safety milestone in the development of the energy storage industry, watch the video to learn why.

New requirements are changing the approach you need to follow to test your energy storage battery system. The revised UL 9540 standard includes updates for large-scale fire testing. It will come into force on July 15, 2022. In the future, the ESS test method may need to be changed.

Help your thermal runaway fire spread test be accepted by regulatory bodies.

The massive growth in energy storage deployments over the past few years has led to occasional field failures and increased awareness of the dangers of thermal runaway. As energy storage enters our homes and workplaces, battery manufacturers need to consider and assess the potential for fire spread.

We developed the UL 9540A Test method, the test method standard for evaluating the spread of thermal uncontrolled fires in battery energy storage systems, to help manufacturers establish a test method to demonstrate compliance with the new regulations. Thanks to our extensive experience in the battery, energy storage and fire protection industries, as well as a long history of standards development practices, we worked with regulators to come up with feasible testing methods after understanding industry pain points to accelerate the adoption of this innovative technology.

As experts in global safety science companies and energy storage battery certification testing, we serve the entire industry chain through our extensive regulatory experience and regional laboratories.

We design services that help reduce the complexity associated with manufacturing energy storage products. We support you in delivering safer and better technology to the global market.

Explore the UL 9540A test method

The UL 9540A test method is cited in numerous standards and codes, including UL 9540, the National Standard for Energy Storage systems in the United States and Canada, the International Code of Practice (ICC) International Fire Code (IFC), the National Fire Protection Association, the NFPA855 Standard for Installation of Stationary energy Storage Systems, and local, state and international building and fire codes.

UL 9540A was developed to address safety risks identified by U.S. building codes and fire services. One of the main issues NFPA 855 (and the Fire Code) seeks to address is the potential fire and explosion hazards associated with battery systems, such as uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) or battery energy storage systems (BESS). In order to control this danger, regulations set very strict limits on battery system capacity and separation distance. For example, the current ICC International Fire Code (2021 IFC) allows a single BESS unit to be no more than 50 KWH, and a total maximum system capacity of 600 KWH per indoor fire area (the space where the battery is located) or outdoor near exposure. It also limits a single residential home system to no more than 20 KWH, with a maximum combined total capacity of 80 KWH. These BESS units must be installed with a distance of 3 feet (1 meter) between the units and between the units and any walls. The latest IFC and NFPA 855 versions allow for approval of larger individual BESS units and separation distance limits of less than three feet, based on the results of large-scale fire tests conducted with the UL 9540A test method.

The UL 9540A test method addresses the following critical issues identified by building codes and Fire services:

BESS installation instructions

Installation ventilation requirements

Effectiveness of fire protection (overall or external)

Fire strategy and tactics

We will work with you to understand your product and develop a personalized test plan that is applicable to your company to meet your needs.

We are experts in battery safety technology

We are experts in battery safety technology. We helped develop the energy storage battery standard ANSI/CAN UL 1973, the battery standard for stationary and power auxiliary power applications; Energy storage system standard ANSI/CAN UL 9540 for energy storage systems and equipment; And the latest UL 9540A test method. We offer:

Complete large-scale fire test experiments covering all levels - no subcontracting required.

With an experienced engineering and research team, we can use our knowledge of electrochemistry and fire suppression to help customers better understand their products.

Provide traceable test records for organizations and entities such as fire departments and electrical and building inspectors.