‘The industry must do a better job of putting BESS safety in perspective’: Prevalon and Honeywell on addressing BESS fire safety

The CEO of Arevon Energy recently spoke to ESN Premium about misinformation, saying, “If you’re not in the community from the beginning, a lot of misinformation starts circulating. People end up creating Facebook pages with all kinds of inaccurate information. That’s why it’s really important that we get in early and make sure residents have the right information.”

In July, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Pacific Southwest Region Administrator Josh F.W. Cook spoke about BESS fire incidents following the news that the agency had entered into a settlement agreement with IPP LS Power to direct cleanup after a lithium-ion battery fire at the company’s Gateway energy storage facility.

Cook said, “I am alarmed by the incidents and impacts of utility-grade battery fires on first responders, specifically the professional firefighters who are exposed to horrible, toxic conditions when batteries catch fire. This settlement action is a step in the right direction, but the broader battery storage fire issue requires additional attention and EPA enforcement.”

Although fire incidents involving BESS are serious, they are relatively rare, and the rate of failure incidents is declining.

Companies are also continuing to make advancements in BESS safety. In a recent guest blog for ESN, Drew Bandhauer of Leeward Renewable Energy noted significant advancements in BESS safety practices from 2018 to 2023.

These advancements include the UL 9540, UL 940A, NFPA 855, NFPA 68, NFPA 69, and NFPA 72 certifications and standards made to confine thermal runaway events, prevent the spread of fire, and mitigate the risk of uncontrolled fires.

In September, the US National Fire Protection Association launched the newest edition of the NFPA 855 safety standard, making multiple updates to the 2023 version.

The fire safety challenge

Prevalon’s Schnakofsky and Honeywell’s Cummings agree that fire safety plays a large role in public opinion of BESS projects.

Schnakofsky says,“Fire safety is the number one concern for communities, regulators, and project stakeholders. Incidents like Moss Landing have a long-lasting impact—reshared online and revisited every time a new project is proposed. As an industry, we have a responsibility to advance testing standards and protocols that build public trust in these systems.”

Cummings adds to this, noting that the challenge remains, at varying levels, regardless of location.

“Fire safety is one of the most common concerns raised during public consultations for BESS installations. These concerns vary depending on the location and scale of the project, but safety is always top of mind for nearby residents. Honeywell partners with developers to help address these concerns. We take a transparent approach, participating in community meetings to explain how our solutions detect battery failures before they become fires,” says Cummings.

Neglecting fire safety concerns can lead to distrust and cause project disruptions.

ESN Premium reported that Oregon’s Marion County is the latest US jurisdiction to impose a moratorium on utility-scale battery storage, after its Board of Directors amended the zoning laws in June.

During the Board of Directors meeting, the County’s planning director expressed concerns about “fires, release of gases, chemicals and metals, potential pollution of air, water and soil, loss of farmland and increased demand on emergency response.”

Fire safety solutions

Schnakofsky maintains the importance of addressing fires before they even begin, highlighting prevention as key to the company.

“At Prevalon, fire safety begins with prevention, as electrical faults are the leading cause of thermal events according to the EPRI BESS Failure Database. Our systems are engineered to reduce this risk through robust electrical protection (touch-safe designs, surge suppression, short-circuit protection), humidity control and watertight enclosures, and rigorous battery testing per UL standards,” he says.

Schnakofsky continues, “Our fire safety strategy also includes: thermal propagation mitigation with heat-absorbing materials verified via UL9540A fire testing, explosion risk reduction using NFPA69-compliant ventilation with redundancy, real-time site monitoring with our insightOS EMS that offers alerts, diagnostics, automated controls, and robust cybersecurity, and retrofit options for legacy systems to improve safety and control.”

The UL9540A standard assesses the probability of thermal runaway happening through various causes, including physical abuse or short circuits, and considers the risk of fire spreading if it occurs.

The previously mentioned 2026 version of the NFPA 855 includes large-scale fire testing (LSFT) as part of the UL9540A test.

In April, Prevalon and its contract manufacturer, CLOU Electronics, announced that their products had undergone the LSFT procedure, with Prevalon reporting that the fire was contained to a single unit.

Honeywell also emphasises prevention for fire safety, saying:

“Honeywell roots our approach to fire safety in early detection and prevention. We recognise that BESS plays a vital role in energy security, but it also carries inherent risks. Thermal runaway, for example, can escalate fast once it begins. Our strategy prioritises identifying risks early to enable effective barriers to help protect the system from hazardous conditions.”

Cummings continued, “By integrating advanced sensing technologies, such as aspirating smoke detectors and off-gas detection systems, we can detect battery venting events before they reach the point of no return. These early indicators enable effective barriers to isolate affected systems and avoid catastrophic outcomes.”

In July, Honeywell acquired Li-ion Tamer from Nexceris, via a tuck-in acquisition. The companies had previously formed a “strategic partnership,” announced in 2020.

Cummings explains of the product, “Li-ion Tamer is an off-gas detection system that monitors chemical vapours released by lithium-ion batteries during the earliest stages of failure. These vapours are emitted before any smoke or heat is visible.”

“Off-gas detection is one of the most effective early-warning tools available for BESS applications. Since its integration into Honeywell’s portfolio, Li-ion Tamer has become a foundational piece of our battery safety architecture. It’s scalable, low maintenance and integrates seamlessly into existing battery management systems. By enabling earlier interventions, it significantly reduces the likelihood of cascading failures or fire,” Cummings claims.

Communicating the safety of BESS projects

Communication with local communities and the public at large about the safety of BESS projects is critical to their continued development.

The Prevalon CTO says, “The industry must do a better job of putting BESS safety in perspective. Statistically speaking, how many MWh have been safely deployed versus how many have experienced incidents over the past five years? Clear data helps distinguish rare events from widespread risk and builds trust with regulators and communities.”

He says, “In the event of a fire, the potential of road closures can have one of the largest disruptions of daily life and emergency response. Developing site-level containment measures to minimise potential impact on the surrounding community is crucial.”

Honeywell also emphasises communication, echoing others in the industry who advocate for being involved with local communities and providing clear data on BESS projects and their potential impacts on the communities they are built in.

“It’s crucial the industry takes a proactive stance in both communication and standard setting. That means engaging early with local stakeholders, explaining the safety measures in place and pushing for modern codes and standards that reflect today’s technologies. We have to go beyond the minimum compliance thresholds.”

“Publishing data, collaborating with fire authorities and integrating advanced early-warning systems go a long way toward building public confidence. Ultimately, fire safety should be viewed as a key enabler of energy security, not a barrier,” says Cummings.

Since publication, this article has been updated to attribute Honeywell’s comments to Cummings.