The Best Practice Guide: Battery Storage Equipment – Electrical Safety Requirements has been released to provide electrical safety guidelines for lithium-based battery storage equipment. It is the result of extensive collaboration between manufacturers, importers, safety regulators and other industry bodies.
The guide includes suggested safety requirements for:
battery modules (BM) - one or more cells linked together for use in other equipment
pre-assembled battery systems (BS) - a complete package for connection to a DC bus or DC input of power conversion equipment (PCE)
pre-assembled integrated battery energy storage systems (BESS) - a complete package that has AC output for connection to the electrical installation.
The guide includes details of what should be supplied with the equipment including:
declaration of compliance or certification
technical datasheets and safety data sheets
installation, operating and maintenance instructions.
If you are installing lithium-based battery storage systems you should ask your supplier for evidence the battery equipment complies to the guide. Installing battery storage equipment that complies with the guide will assist you in your duties to ensure the installation is electrically safe.
The guide does not cover electrical installation requirements for batteries. Installation of battery storage equipment referred to in the guide should still follow appropriate safety standards. Installation safety practices should include undertaking a suitable risk assessment and adherence to the manufacturer’s instructions, industry accepted guides, the Wiring Rules AS/NZS 3000 and the proposed battery system installation standard, when published.
