Information session NEN 4288 Safe operation of (neighbourhood) battery energy storage systems
Standard NEN 4288:2020 en 17 December 2020
The NEN 4288 Safe operation of energy storage systems was drawn up to enable safe working on (near) battery energy storage systems.
This is hardly regulated in the NEN 3140 nor anywhere else how non-electrical engineers should deal with it.
But who is really aware of the new standard? Who reads the NEN standards? And more importantly, who applies them?
Accidents never happen!
The webinar was recorded and you can watch it again on KIVI's private YouTube channel (as a member).
The NEN 4288 presentation can be found under the "Documents" tab.
With the introduction of battery energy storage systems, new technologies are making their appearance and are being applied in many areas, to match the imbalance in supply and demand of electrical energy at the local level.
There are also new risks associated with these applications, such as neighbourhood batteries, which need to be aware of and can lead to serious damage and injury if handled inexpertly.
When working on battery energy storage systems, there is a certain risk of injury: injuries caused by electric shock, electric burns, electric arcs, or by fire or explosion arising from stored electrical energy.
The procedures for this are not always foolproof, and sometimes the situation simply does not allow proper adherence to the procedures or they were not there.
On top of this, legislators do their best, but legal texts are not often properly read or understood. With this information session, things may become more clear.
The aim is to provide general requirements for safe operation, with or near electrical battery energy storage systems in NEN 4288, as a supplement to the updated NEN 3140.
The relationship with NEN 3140
Both standards focus on safe operations, working safely on battery energy storage systems.
Like NEN 3140, NEN 4288 is based on the principle of ensuring safe operational management. NEN 4288 specifically addresses battery energy storage systems > 25kWh.
This standard came about in response to the increasing decentralised generation of electrical energy.
Like NEN 3140, NEN 4288 can be used to comply with sections 3.4 and 3.5 of the Dutch working conditions legislation (Arbeidsomstandighedenbesluit).
This states, among other things, that the employer must ensure that employees can work safely with installations (including battery energy storage systems).
It must also be possible to carry out work on these systems safely.
It mainly deals with risks, awareness and risk management.
Battery technology
The focus of NEN 4288 is on the operation of the electrical installation containing any battery technology. Think lead-acid batteries, lithium-ion batteries, 'flow' batteries or saltwater batteries, without specifically addressing the products themselves. Vehicle batteries and ancillary installations are not included in the standard, for which reference is made to NEN 9140.
Scope of NEN 4288
When drawing up NEN 4288, the committee members noted that there is a lot of overlap with NEN 3140, which focuses on safe operational management of low-voltage installations in general. NEN 4288 therefore specifically addresses provisions and recommendations for battery energy storage systems. Where necessary, paragraphs from NEN 3140 have been adopted for clarification purposes.
NEN 4288 was published in December 2020 and has 38 pages. Its official title is 'Operation of battery energy storage systems - Supplementary requirements to NEN 3140.' It is therefore a supplement to NEN 3140 'Management of electrical installations - Low voltage'.
Local energy storage
Not only skilled installers have to deal with battery energy storage systems
In recent years, the need to store energy locally in battery energy storage systems has grown. But not only skilled installers have to deal with such systems. Building owners, municipalities, fire services, administrators,... will potentially operate, use or be asked to licence these systems for installation and use.
Safe handling of systems
To ensure that all parties potentially involved handle these systems safely, NEN 4288 has been drawn up. In clear language, this standard describes requirements and recommendations to ensure safe operations. It is therefore a guide for everyone who has to work with it, or is confronted with it and his or her building or environment.
Advancing energy transition safely
The aim is to help the energy transition progress safely, without needing too much technical knowledge. By doing so, the committee hopes to increase the popularity and economic application of the 'neighbourhood battery' beyond home batteries. It is difficult to monitor how batteries are maintained at home. According to the standards committee, this could become a problem in the future.
NEN 4288, like NEN 3140, has as its starting point: ensuring safe operations. NEN 4288 specifically addresses battery energy storage systems > 25kWh. This standard came about in response to the increasing decentralised generation of electrical energy.
Mr.ir. P.V.W. (Paul) Hoorens, I hold consultant high voltage and energy transition at Croonwolter&dros is a member of the standards committee, which drafted the NEN 4288 and made this standard suitable for future energy storage systems. He is hosting a compact information session especially for kIvi.The "neighbourhood battery standard" NEN 4288 is for battery energy storage systems, an extension iop the NEN 3140 for safe operations....
I deal with the "Safe application of High Voltage" at Croonwolter&dros. With the energy transition, electrical energy flows will increase and, in particular, the distribution of electrical energy will claim an increasingly important role in our society. This manifests itself in local initiatives on the one hand and transport of large amounts of electrical energy over long distances. In other words: more and more High Voltage. The safe application of High Voltage requires not only attention to insulation (do not touch), but also to the control of electric fields, shielding (do not get too close). As a consultant, Paul tries to broaden this awareness inside and outside our company. Safety above all, for our customers, suppliers and colleagues.
I studied electrical engineering at Eindhoven University of Technology and I followed 4 modules High Voltage, through Postgraduate Education, at Delft University of Technology. I am a member of the Cigré and represented the installation sector on behalf of Techniek Nederland, formerly Uneto-VNI, in the standards committee for the creation of NEN 4288: Operation of battery energy storage systems.