Less than a week after the Clean Energy Council released its battery storage installation guidelines for industry and consumers, another framework for battery performance and safe installation has been published – this time by the Australian Energy Storage Council.
The Australian Battery Guide, which can be found here, is described as “just in time” expert advice and guidance to the energy storage industry and consumers in the interim while formal Australian 
Standards and being developed for the sector.
Although there have not been many reports of accidents or damage caused by faulty or improperly installed battery systems in Australia, there is some concern in the industry that the rush to meet surging demand could lead to such incidents.
Last month, images of an “exploded” lithium-ion battery device in a residential garage in Victoria did the rounds on social media, reinforcing these concerns.
In a statement on Tuesday, the AESC noted that battery technology had undergone rapid change over just a few years, with a range of new chemistries being developed.
“It is no longer practical to dedicate a standard to a single battery chemistry,” the statement said. “A new approach is required to accommodate the wide variety of battery chemistry under a single design and installation guide.
“This approach to provide ‘just in time’ expert advice is focused in the first instance at identifying areas where the current understanding is lacking and additional work is required to maintain system safety,” the AESC said – pointing in particular to the proliferation of lithium-ion battery systems.
“This guide is designed to grow and be enhanced, augmented and updated to be applicable to all emerging ESS technologies,” the AESC says.
As well as a comprehensive section detailing safety measures and the key hazards associated with batteries, the AESC guide also offers advice on the various functions of battery storage, including load shifting, tariff optimisation, peak lopping and network support.
Sophie is editor of One Step Off The Grid and editor of its sister site, Renew Economy. Sophie has been writing about clean energy for more than a decade.
