Kerrie-Ann Mason said:

Further guidance on fire safety and the location of batteries within an installation

On recent trends, it will be that anything bigger than an AA NiMH cell needs to be stored in a concrete bunker at least 500 metres from any dwelling.

Simon Barker said:

On recent trends, it will be that anything bigger than an AA NiMH cell needs to be stored in a concrete bunker at least 500 metres from any dwelling.

Quite a cynical statement?

PAS 63100, and the IET Code of Practice for Electrical Energy Storage Systems, 3rd Edition, were both available for public comment prior to completion and publication.

What about my lead acid battery of about 150 AH at 24 volts ? reinforced concrete bunker at least 1000M away. !

In a plastic rentacrate under my bed at present.

really it needs to align with the rules for things of comparable energy and peak power. A mars bar and a 9" stick of dynamite have about the same stored chemical energy (one megajoule) but the mars bar is safer in your pocket because the rate the energy is released is that much slower,

Batteries with a higher internal resistance are less able to create high current arcs your car battery probably compares to a fraction of a small camping gas cylinder. Butane is 50Mj per kilo so a small C206 tank is about 10 sticks of dynamite, but of course it burns more slowly. I'd not panic at one of those in the house. Maybe placed by the fire would be bad.

M

broadgage said:

What about my lead acid battery of about 150 AH at 24 volts ? reinforced concrete bunker at least 1000M away. !

In a plastic rentacrate under my bed at present.

We are talking a range of 5-20 times that energy in the storage systems that are going into dwellings in general. However, these batteries are also permanently wired and charging/discharging constantly (which is even different to UPS operation where for long periods they are topped up with charge and monitored for voltage etc.).

With a single monobloc like that, as you'll be aware there is significant short-circuit current, and a risk of explosion on charging if there is no ventilation provision. Luckily hydrogen is heaver lighter than air - not always the case with toxic and explosive vapours from all battery chemistries.

Yes, lead-acid batteries have been around for well over 100 years - they are well understood, as are safe working practices around them. However, concentrations of them (in fact, batteries in general) are usually NOT found where ordinary persons have access - they are usually found where a duty holder is responsible. Similarly, DC protection, switching etc. is well understood by those who use them in various (usually workplace or transportation applications) but not domestic electricians in general.

You might have a different opinion if you'd seen a number of domestic installs out there.

And then there's the whole issue of battery chemistries being used.

LiFePO4 batteries, which, whilst safer than other lithium chemistries, do have their own problems, according to some UK battery fire safety experts ... but that is outside my area of expertise.

And then there's the whole issue of battery chemistries being used.

LiFePO4 batteries, which, whilst safer than other lithium chemistries, do have their own problems, according to some UK battery fire safety experts ... but that is outside my area of expertise.