As energy storage systems face increasingly frequent dispatch scenarios due to the rapid expansion of electricity spot markets, safety has become not just a technical requirement, but a foundational value pillar. Continuous charge/discharge cycles and high-load operations are pushing storage systems to their limits, making safety the core prerequisite for sustained value delivery.
In mature overseas markets, energy storage systems have already entered the era of high-frequency dispatch, revealing critical safety challenges earlier. In response, the industry has widely adopted Large-Scale Fire Testing (LSFT) to assess a system’s ability to contain thermal runaway and prevent fire propagation. Several Chinese system integrators have completed full-scale burn tests, validating not only their system’s robustness but also raising the safety bar for the industry as a whole.
01. Burn Testing Redefines Safety Standards in the Storage Industry
The frequent occurrence of fire incidents in energy storage sites worldwide has accelerated the transition from basic compliance certification to full-spectrum disaster-level risk prevention. In markets like North America, standards such as UL 9540A, NFPA 855, and CSA C800 have been upgraded to include large-scale fire tests as mandatory certification components.
While fire testing is not yet compulsory in Europe, Australia, or China, it has quickly become a critical factor in project bidding and procurement. Many leading players have proactively integrated burn testing into product development cycles to evaluate the structural and thermal resilience of their systems under extreme conditions.
Beyond passing the test, the data generated during large-scale fire testing holds immense long-term value. High-resolution insights on thermal spread, structural integrity, and system response provide not only actionable design feedback but also form a strategic digital asset—supporting AI model training, insurance evaluations, intellectual property applications, and market credibility.
02. Redefining Safety Boundaries Through System-Level Stress Testing
Large-scale fire testing focuses on two key engineering challenges:
1. Cabinet Spacing Reduction: From 15 cm to as Little as 5 cm
Traditional guidelines mandate at least 3 meters between battery cabinets (or ~1 meter in the U.S.). However, recent burn tests have compressed spacing down to 10 cm or even 5 cm, placing cabinets under intense thermal coupling risk. These tests often involve 100% SOC, full-power cabinet configurations without firefighting systems—maximizing the test’s severity.
Such tests demand highly advanced insulation, thermal shielding, and passive protection strategies to ensure fire isolation under worst-case conditions.
2. Closed-Door vs. Open-Door Scenarios
To simulate real-world failure modes, two test environments are typically used:
- Closed-door burn tests assess the system’s ability to withstand slow, contained thermal events over extended durations;
- Open-door burn tests simulate explosive events after pressure relief panels activate, triggering oxygen-rich combustion and rapid heat release.
These complementary tests drive system innovations like modularized compartments, autonomous cabinet disconnection, and hierarchical heat control—all aimed at localizing failures and preventing systemic collapse.
This type of extreme condition validation is now being applied to even more demanding environments. In June 2025, Lithtech Energy partnered with Gotion High-Tech and Tesvolt Ocean to jointly develop a next-generation marine battery system targeting the global electric vessel market. As the system integrator, Lithtech is responsible for system architecture, EMS optimization, and global delivery management.
These shipboard energy systems must operate reliably under extreme conditions such as salt spray, vibration, humidity, and shock—raising the bar for safety and system reliability far beyond land-based deployments. In this context, full-scale fire testing provides not just validation but forms the engineering foundation for real-world deployment in harsh conditions.
03. In the Era of Spot Market Trading, Safety Becomes the Core Value Multiplier
As energy storage shifts from grid-supporting roles to becoming an active participant in real-time electricity markets, value is increasingly derived from market responsiveness and operational continuity. This places new demands on system stability, availability, and safety.
Under high-frequency dispatch, storage systems face three primary risk factors:
- Accelerated battery degradation, shortening lifespan;
- Increased risk of thermal runaway due to heat accumulation from frequent cycling;
- Higher failure rates in power electronics such as PCS under repeated high-current switching.
In this context, the industry’s evaluation focus has shifted from upfront cost to performance-to-yield ratios, emphasizing long-term durability, real-time response, and intelligent system management.
Some leading players have begun establishing safety credit models, using burn test records, BMS data, and system uptime metrics to build scoring systems. These ratings may influence project financing rates, insurance premiums, and market dispatch priority—transforming safety from a cost center into a competitive advantage.
This model is already being tested in the marine energy sector. In the electric ship project mentioned earlier, Lithtech’s modular storage system not only meets maritime safety standards but also includes real-time thermal monitoring and flexible deployment. The project has already attracted interest from international port authorities and green shipping funds, accelerating its global rollout.
In parallel, the industry is shifting toward AI-powered predictive safety systems, leveraging voltage, temperature, current, and impedance data to build early warning models. These predictive systems identify risk-prone modules in real time, enabling proactive intervention—marking a shift from passive protection to active safety intelligence.
Conclusion: Safety is the Starting Point for Value Creation in Energy Storage
Full-scale fire testing is no longer just a certification requirement—it’s a cornerstone for building credible, bankable, and globally scalable storage solutions. In a trading-driven future, safety is the license to operate, and the foundation for operational efficiency, system longevity, and brand premium.
Whoever can demonstrate robust safety engineering and proven reliability will lead the next wave of global energy storage deployment.
Lithtech will continue to push boundaries in system-level safety design, intelligent dispatch responsiveness, and global delivery capabilities—enabling high-reliability storage systems to scale across diverse scenarios and redefine the global standard for energy infrastructure.
