New standard bans solar batteries in lofts

[Stan]

[HML]

Very sensible.

It's always seemed dodgy to me to install a large, heavy energy source in an area with poor accessibility and large temperature swings.

After much thought I decided to install mine outside; it minimises the (not particularly high) fire risk and was vastly easier to install.

[Stan]

Gary expands on this subject, showing that it may eventually affect all of us.

[openspaceman]

Very sensible.

It's always seemed dodgy to me to install a large, heavy energy source in an area with poor accessibility and large temperature swings.

After much thought I decided to install mine outside; it minimises the (not particularly high) fire risk and was vastly easier to install.

Originally when we were deciding on solar panels for my daughter I was adamant the battery should be outside, because of a perceived fire risk. Various thoughts from here and the you tube videos pointing out lipo batteries were inherently safer than limnco ones and faced with the installers insisting that the loft was the only practical place for them I relented. The major stumbling block is needing the hybrid inverter to be close to the battery. In my home the battery is ac coupled so is remote from the inverter, which is in the loft, but there are spurious problems which cause a small, <0.5 kWh draw from the grid daily.

Now of course I am worried. Prior to the installation I was looking at telecoms cabinets for outside, against a wall but they are not cheap and would need insulation and a frost stat with heater.

I guess I must revert to a search, just in case the insurers insist. It will only be a day's work for the electrician.

Any suggestions appreciated.

[spread-tee]

I guess the real issue is what are the chances of a battery fire? As I understand it most home batteries have a pretty sophisticated BMS that should look after the battery health and so minimise the risk, maybe??

As the video made clear new regs will not be retrospective, but insurance companies may get squeaky. He seemed to dismiss fire proofing as impractical which surprised me to be honest, a layer of 15mm pink plasterboard backed with a layer of 12mm Magply will give IIRC 2hours protection and cost less than 50 quid for the lot.

I may do something similar myself as our batteries are in the loft and we sleep up there as well Hmmm.

Desp

[John_S]

Do batteries, in the house, need ventilation for cooling?
This might make fire proofing hard.

[HML]

I don't think that the fire risk from LiFePO4 batteries is very high. They seem to produce a lot of fumes when they go wrong (which is rarely) rather than flame.

If they've been installed in the loft there's no point in moving them now.

LiFePO4 batteries don't get warm at the sort of charge/discharge rates used in domestic storage use.

However if you're putting a large energy store up there with cables carrying large currents there are other potential ignition sources than the batteries alone. If you do have batteries in the loft there must be a smoke alarm installed, linked to the other house alarms. (As there should be if inverters are installed in the loft.)

[AlBargey]

Various thoughts from here and the you tube videos pointing out lipo batteries were inherently safer than limnco ones and faced with the installers insisting that the loft was the only practical place for them I relented.

So did you have Li-Po or NMC batteries installed in the loft? Or did you mean LFP (LiFePO4) I guess I wouldn't worry too much if it was actually the latter, as long as you have a BS88, class T or NH fuse to protect the inverter / batteries, and a smoke / heat alarm.

You could still make a fire resistant box maybe with ventilation around the batteries if you wanted, cement board is easy enough to do.

[openspaceman]

They are 3 pylontech 3000, so LiFePO4. Installed last March and though I visit once a month, more often in summer, I have not been up into the loft to look.

[Tay]

I had mine installed in the garage just because it seemed safer and I could make space. More luck than judgement I guess. I have a camera setup for security and to keep and eye on the system…I’ll set up a smoke detector too I think now.