Shifting responsibility for product safety onto manufacturers, rather than installers, of residential energy storage systems would be a positive step forward for Australia’s industry, the country’s Clean Energy Council has said.

With grid-connected energy storage a relatively new technology, stakeholders are yet to fully understand many of the risks and business opportunities it presents, DNV GL’s Dr Martijn Huibers has said.

Regulations for the safe use of energy storage systems still need adaptation to “accommodate a broader use of energy storage with higher energy content like lithium-ion batteries in private homes”, experts at Fraunhofer ISE (Institute for Solar Energy Systems) have said.

A set of guidelines for safely installing energy storage at customers’ houses will probably undergo significant revision from its current draft, which has been slammed as “not fit for purpose” by the head of the Australian Energy Storage Council.

Stakeholders have two months to comment on guidelines for safely installing lithium-ion energy storage in Australian homes being drafted by Standards Australia, which have already proved controversial.

Each battery storage system is a potential source of danger. An ingenious battery management system as well as high-quality cells are the key to a safe operation. For this you need a lot of know-how. Dr Olaf Wollersheim of Solarwatt talks through some of the main topics and solutions.

Queensland’s workplace regulator, the Electrical Safety Office (ESO), has revoked its recommendation that all home energy storage battery units should be installed separately from households in an external enclosure.

Netwatch’s Justin Savage discusses the intelligent monitoring provider’s system and how it can be of benefit to owners of secure sites.

A new report from Australia identifying gaps in safety practices for energy storage technologies has recommended that improving knowledge of safety hazards and renovating standards is essential to the storage industry’s integrity and future growth.

A new solar-plus-storage division is to be launched by DNV GL, the expert advisory group and certification body announced at Intersolar Europe on Wednesday.