855-42 INSTALLATION OF STATIONARY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS

certain battery chemistries, and their release could create a Overcharging can lead to overheating and production of
more dangerous situation. hydrogen gas, case swelling, and electrolyte leakage. Large fres
When choosing a suppression system, the following should can be treated as hazardous materials events.
be considered: Water, powders, inert gases, and carbon dioxide are all
(1) Cooling effect considered acceptable suppression agents for small fres involv‐
(2) Availability ing these batteries. However, if the fre is large, water will be
(3) Portability the preferred agent because of its superior accessibility, porta‐
(4) Conductivity bility, and cooling effectiveness.
(5) Available testing data C.5.3 Flow Batteries. Flow batteries do not pose f ammability
(6) Cascading protections risks like more solid batteries, and the fre load is comparably
C.5.1 Lithium-Ion (Li-ion) Batteries. Water is considered the
smaller as most of the mass of the system is nonfammable
preferred agent for suppressing lithium-ion battery fres. Water liquid. Though the plastics comprising the balance of the
has superior cooling capacity, is plentiful (in many areas), and system might pose a fre risk, in general, the system is mostly
is easy to transport to the seat of the fre. While water might be nonfammable and does not contain many ignition risks
the agent of choice, the module/cabinet confguration could beyond the power electronics, which are typically housed sepa‐
make penetration of water diffcult for cooling the area of rately. Under certain extreme conditions, such as exposure to
origin, but might still be effective for containment. Water spray signifcant heat, the system can generate hydrogen, which is
has been deemed safe as an agent for use on high-voltage likely to be captured in the large tanks and vented in a control‐
systems. The possibility of current leakage back to the nozzle, led manner.
and ultimately the fre fghter, is insignifcant based on testing The system does pose toxicity risks, as electrolyte is typically
data published in the Fire Protection Research Foundation composed of hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, or some combi‐
report Best Practices for Emergency Response to Incidents Involving nation of the two. Electrolyte capacity can be from tens of
Electric Vehicles Battery Hazards: A Report on Full-Scale Testing gallons to thousands of gallons in each containerized system.
Results. Fire-fghting foams are not considered to be effective Spill containment is an inherent part of a fow battery design.
for these chemistries because they lack the ability to cool suff‐
ciently and can conduct electricity. There is also some evidence In the case of zinc bromine (ZnBr) fow batteries, the
that foams might actually encourage thermal runaway progres‐ bromine or hydrobromic acid can pose a health risk. Though
sion by insulating the burning materials and exacerbating heat unlikely, the vanadium oxide in vanadium fow batteries might
rise. form trace, salt-like deposits, which can also pose a health risk.
When dealing with failures involving either type of system, it is
Fire-fghting dry chemical powders can eliminate visible recommended to wear PPE, including SCBA, at all times.
fame. However, they also lack the ability to cool burning
battery components. Quite often, even if visible fame is C.5.4 Sodium Sulfur (NaS) Batteries. Sodium sulfur batteries
removed, the thermal runaway inside the battery will continue operate at very high temperatures during normal operation.
resulting in reignition. Carbon dioxide and inert gas suppress‐ Though these batteries have become safer over time, there are
ing agents will also eliminate visible fame but will likely not cases where they have caught fre. NaS fres are very energy
provide suffcient cooling to interrupt the thermal runaway dense and cannot, per manufacturer recommendations, be
process. ESS with clean agent suppression systems installed extinguished with water, which could ultimately make them far
have ventilation systems that are tied in with the fre detection worse. Sulfur dioxide (SO 2), hydrogen sulfde (H 2S), and other
and control panel so that the HVAC shuts down and dampers sulfur-based gases can be generated during a fre and can
close to ensure the agents have suffcient hold times at the damage the human respiratory system. Proper monitoring
proper concentration levels to be effective suppressants. In equipment and tactics should be employed to gauge the level
some fre suppression systems, the HVAC recirculates and does of detectable gases during fre and post-fre events.
not shut down and provides a means of dispersing the clean When NaS batteries are deployed, it is advised that fre serv‐
agents. Responders must ensure adequate hold time has occur‐ ices work with owner/operators or system owners to develop
red prior to accessing battery room/container. Manufacturer- appropriate standard operating procedures for dealing with
recommended times should be made clear. These agents might NaS emergencies.
also reduce fammability by suppressing oxygen levels, but data
has identifed that fammable gases will continue to be C.6 Air Monitoring. Air monitoring should be a priority for
produced due to the continued heating and could create an responders during and after any ESS emergency. Though the
environment ripe for fashover or backdraft when oxygen is ESS might include an air-monitoring system, it is recommen‐
reintroduced into the system. ded that the responding fre companies use 4-meter or other
gas detection equipment to determine toxic gas levels. Many
C.5.2 Lead-Acid, Nickel-Cadmium, and Other Aqueous Battery
fre departments carry single gas carbon monoxide meters that
Technologies. Lead-acid, nickel-cadmium, and other aqueous can be used to offer limited data on the condition of the ESS
batteries are a very familiar chemistry to fre fghters. However, environment.
though the chemistries employed in ESS are similar to those
that would be found in battery backup systems, they can be When testing the involved areas, responders should be aware
expected to be found in much larger arrays. The size of the that hydrogen can give an erroneous reading on the carbon
battery system is certainly a factor when determining suppres‐ monoxide meter because there is a cross-sensitivity with hydro‐
sion agent requirements, strategy, and tactics. gen. Full PPE and SCBA should always be used during a fre
and post-fre event.

2020 Edition