3 FAQs about Safety distance of solar container energy storage system
How much energy can a ESS unit store?
Individual ESS units shall have a maximum stored energy of 20 kWh per NFPA Section 15.7. NFPA 855 clearly tells us each unit can be up to 20 kWh, but how much overall storage can you put in your installation? That depends on where you put it and is defined in Section 15.7.1 of NFPA 855.
How far apart should storage units be positioned?
Therefore, if you install multiple storage units, you have to space them three feet apart unless the manufacturer has already done large-scale fire testing and can prove closer spacing will not cause fire to propagate between adjacent units.
How far should ESS units be separated from each other?
In Section 15.5 of NFPA 855, we learn that individual ESS units shall be separated from each other by a minimum of three feet, unless smaller separation distances are documented to be adequate and approved by the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) based on large-scale fire testing.