The second draft of the US National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) energy storage system guidance on fire hazards and safe installation best practice for stakeholders has been published.

The standard, NFPA 855, “provides requirements based on the technology used in ESS, the setting where the technology is being installed, the size and separation of ESS installations, and the fire suppression and control systems that are in place,” according to a NFPA release yesterday.

The association said it seeks to inform "designers, builders, facility managers, manufacturers, responders and others" about fire hazards. The NFPA noted that some ESS technologies are becoming increasingly energy dense, increasing their potential usefulness but also presenting challenges that require the first responders and the industry to “become educated and proactive about ESS safety.”

The standard has been in development since 2016 and has taken into account more than 600 public inputs and 800 public comments, while the NFPA also offers online training for fire service members, conducts research, offers factsheets to policymakers and makes resources available online.