Earlier this month, computerweekly.com posted an article about the emergence of lithium-ion batteries in data centers. As lithium-ion begins to replace valve-regulated lead acid (VRLA) batteries in uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems at an accelerated rate, it's important to be aware of how this can affect the fire protection in energy storage systems.
Like the article highlights, the benefits of moving to lithium-ion from VRLA are clear and makes the complete shift to lithium-ion batteries for UPS systems inevitable:
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- Can reduce the space batteries require by up to 40%
- Greener footprint/more sustainable
- Has three times the lifespan
- Lower long-term cost of ownership
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Like the article states, existing VRLA UPS systems can often easily be adapted and upgraded to lithium-ion batteries, but the fire risk must come into consideration. There are industry guidelines that govern this process, outlined in NFPA 855. These regulations cover the space itself, passive fire protection approaches, fire detection, and suppression methods appropriate for lithium-ion battery storage installations.
You can learn more about the NFPA guidelines in our ESS in Data Centers video blog posts here:
https://www.orrprotection.com/mcfp/lithium-ion-batteries-in-data-centers-part-1
https://www.orrprotection.com/mcfp/lithium-ion-batteries-in-data-centers-part-2
https://www.orrprotection.com/mcfp/lithium-ion-batteries-in-data-centers-part-3
If you have additional questions, please reach out to one of our Power Generation ESS experts using the form below.
Article Source:
ComputerWeekly.com, Aaron Tan, December 1, 2021, https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252510258/Lithium-ion-batteries-find-their-way-into-datacentres
