Trina Storage recently released a white paper on the safety and reliability of energy storage systems, co-authored with TÜV NORD.
The white paper begins by analyzing the current landscape of energy storage systems, highlighting emerging market trends and application scenarios across generation, transmission and demand sides. It emphasizes significant safety challenges, such as thermal runaway and electrical hazards, while outlining a framework for risk assessment and mitigation.
The safety of energy storage systems fundamentally relies on the safety of their constituent products. The white paper emphasizes that ensuring intrinsic battery safety is key to stable system operation. Beginning with electrochemical development, in-depth analysis of failure mechanisms enables the design of cells capable of withstanding extreme mechanical, electrical and thermal stresses, thereby reducing risks of fire or explosion. Comprehensive safety testing, such as GB/T 36276, UL 1973, IEC 62619, and UL 9540A, further ensures cell stability and reliability under a wide range of conditions.
Additionally, the white paper highlights that electrical, structural, thermal management and fire protection designs within energy storage products are critical to system safety. The design in these aspects should fully consider potential safety risks and take corresponding preventive measures to ensure the system remains stable under various extreme conditions.
Beyond product safety, quality control is a crucial factor in ensuring the reliability of energy storage systems. The white paper underscores that a comprehensive quality management system should encompass end-to-end oversight from R&D through production to after-sale support. In the R&D phase, rigorous simulations and testing protocols are recommended to preemptively address potential safety risks. During production and after-sales, strict process controls and robust monitoring ensure that quality standards are maintained, and operational issues are promptly addressed.
The ultimate assurance of safety and reliability in energy storage systems is achieved through stringent testing and validation. The white paper highlights essential safety tests, emphasizing the importance of comprehensive testing to identify risks and implement effective mitigation strategies. It also advocates for active third-party validation to further enhance safety, providing critical data for performance verification and continuous improvement.
“As the global demand for energy storage systems continues to surge, ensuring their safety and reliability has become a shared responsibility across the industry,” said Dr. Kai Yang, Director of Advanced Institute for Energy Storage at Trina Storage. “At Trina Storage, we are committed to driving the energy transition forward in a safe and reliable manner, and we encourage all industry players to join us in raising the standards for energy storage safety.”
News item from Trina Storage
