Sustainable electricity – reliable and safe
As renewable energy sources become increasingly important, battery energy storage systems provide a stable power supply, mostly using lithium-ion battery technology. The solutions offered by HOERBIGER’s Safety Business Unit protect people and the environment while complying with the associated regulations.
Renewable energy comes in many forms, including solar, wind and hydro. Though each renewable source has its own unique characteristics, one thing they have in common is the need to store the energy produced and release it back to the grid when demand requires. That’s where battery energy storage systems, or BESS for short, come into play, capturing power from renewable energy plants and feeding it back into the grid when needed.
Since most BESS utilize lithium-ion battery technology there is an inherent risk from thermal runaway, which in the worst case can lead to an explosion. “To better protect people and the environment, regulatory agencies throughout the world now require explosion protection solutions to safely relieve the sudden increase in pressure and flames should an event occur,” explains John Shea, Co-President of IEP Technologies, a HOERBIGER Safety Business Unit company.
IEP’s solutions are ATEX-certified and comply with NFPA 855 requirements. “Our BESS-eX® Venting Solutions are IP66 rated and thermally insulated to meet the challenging environmental requirements of a BESS application,” confirms Shea. BESS-eX® also protects the battery energy storage unit from weather ingress during normal operations. “By doing so, we’re not only protecting people’s lives and the environment,” says Shea, “we’re also protecting the investment made.”
"By doing so, we’re not only protecting people’s lives and the environment, we’re also protecting the investment made."