PS26239 - RAF015/2627 - Plug-in batteries safety study

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*Expression of Interest* The requested datefor repsonces 21/08/2026 @ 14:00 Scope and Requirements Phase 1 The objective of phase 1 is to assess the safety and risk considerations for deployment of up to 800 W AC mains output plug-in batteries in the UK context with acceptable electrical and fire safety risk.

The study will inform technical standards adaptations and assess the feasibility of safe, plug-in batteries for UK domestic use.

Scope of Phase 1 work: 1.

Evaluate the different plug-in self-installed battery products on sale around the world, for example, from producers such as Anker, Fox, Lidl, and EcoFlow, listing the available key specifications, including: Battery chemistry (e.g. lithium ion LFP, sodium ion), Storage capacities of single units (kWh), expandable capacities from connecting multiple units of compatible units according to manufacturer’s instructions (kWh), power outputs (kW), compatibility with plug-in solar units from the same manufacturer or different manufacturers,, compliance with standards including any technical documentation supplied as part of compliance with EU Battery Regulations, compatibility with various installation configurations.

2.

Evaluate the safety risk and hazards of plug-in battery systems currently in the international market installed DIY by consumers, considering the various possible configurations these plug-in systems could be installed , including: i.

Fire incidence: Analysis of the fire incidence of plug-in batteries vs batteries in other products e.g. home batteries, phone batteries, e-bikes, including data from UK and international sources. ii.

Electrical safety: Review the final report from the Plug-in solar electrical safety study and the Plug-in solar: Interim Product Specification and relevant safety standards (including BS EN 62852, BS EN IEC 62368-1, BS 7671, BS EN 62109-2, BS EN 62477-1, BS EN IEC 61204-3, BS EN IEC 61204-7, EN 61000-6-3 Class B, EN 61000-3-2) and evaluate whether and which additional electrical safety tests need to be considered for up to 800 W AC mains output plug-in batteries and plug-in batteries coupled with plug-in solar. iii.

Battery standards review & additional engineering controls: Review related battery safety standards, including BS EN IEC 62619:2022, PAS 63100, MIS3012, BS EN IEC 52485, BS EN 62133-2, EU Digital Product Passport legislations (with regards to disposal), the American national standards UL9540, UL9540A, and NPFA 855, the German standard VDE-AR-E 2510-50, plug-in battery technical specifications and user/install manuals, and any drafted national standards on plug-in batteries, to a. assess which battery safety standards are most relevant to plug-in batteries in the UK and internationally, including identifying any gaps in scope where standards apply to home batteries installed by an electrician but do not include plug-in batteries, b. assess to what extent plug-in battery products on the global market are certified against the fire safety and battery safety standards required for home batteries, c. assess what additional fire safety tests are needed to assess these products in the UK domestic context to ensure the fire safety of the plug-in battery use cases (for example, exposure to domestic fire, location of device in the home etc.) and verify that a representative set of products on the market meet the relevant battery standards. d. assess which additional provisions should be considered for inclusion in a plug-in batteries product standard to reduce the risk of the plug-in battery becoming an ignition source and reduce the hazards of fires involving these batteries, including: A.

Developing a list of controls that could potentially be deployed to improve the fire safety of plug-in batteries.

Examples include: I.

Limiting charge levels II.

Discharging cells in event of a fire III.

Physical controls – e.g. minimum case requirements IV.

Incorporating fire suppression systems V.

Incorporating toxic gas suppression systems B.

Devising a test plan for how to quantify how these engineering controls would reduce the risk of becoming an ignition source and reduce the hazards of fires involving batteries e.

C.

Estimating the cost and benefits of each mitigation method and determine the priority order of the mitigations.

Recommend which (if any) should be specified in any future plug-in battery standard, and map key points of non-compliance of existing products with these provisions and standards identified as necessary to ensure safe install and use of these systems inside UK homes, and potential pathways for mitigation.

The finalised scope of the laboratory test protocols (point 3. below) would be expected to be informed by the findings from a) b) and c), and the results of the laboratory tests would be expected to help inform the findings of d) and e), alongside desk-based research.

3.

Laboratory testing: i.

Design a test protocol to cover a relevant range of plug-in batteries and installation configurations, and a relevant set of additive battery fire safety tests.

The selection of products to test and finalisation of testing matrix will be developed as part of the response to tender and the project itself, however the expectation is that testing will cover 3-8 plug-in battery products.

Expected testing methodologies may be expected to cover: 1.

Reasonably foreseeable misuse and verify compliance of the systems with relevant standards subclauses.

For example: 1.

Overcharge control of voltage/current conditions under 3 configurations: (1) plug-in solar/battery, (2) expanded battery (DC coupled in series), (3) expanded battery (DC coupled in parallel) 2.

Mismatched battery/inverter components under overcharge control of voltage/current conditions 2.

Lab-based assessments may include teardown of products for engineering assessment of design.

3.

Testing of additional engineering controls (see 2.iii.d.) and how these improve the safety of plug-in batteries with respect to (1) reducing the risk of battery as source of ignition and (2) reducing the hazards associated with batteries involved in fire.

In the case of (1), would need to develop a suitable control test using stress-testing of the un-modified battery.

The case of (2) would need to develop a suitable control test where the unmodified battery is exposed to fire.

Monitoring with appropriate sensing to ascertain, fire spread, flammability, production of explosive gases like VOCs and H2, production of toxic gases such as HF. ii.

Create test environments to conduct the tests agreed in the test protocol. iii.

Conduct the safety testing as agreed in the testing protocol. iv.

Decommission the test environments at end of testing phase. v.

Use the lab-based testing to evaluate the safety of the systems and whether additional hardware (e.g. wall mounting the unit), performance of the battery management system, compliance with additional standards, or additional operation guidance can sufficiently mitigate safety concerns.

4.

Recommend technical and regulatory adaptations to permit legal, safe use of plug-in batteries.

Phase 2: Subject to budget availability and emerging findings from phase 1 Scope of Phase 2 work: 5.

Review the outputs of phase 1 work, particularly the standards landscaping and recommendations of technical amendments and additional engineering controls to enhance the safety of plug-in batteries in the UK and evaluate the gap between products marketed for conventional electrician-installed domestic battery installations in the UK and the safety requirements recommended for plug-in batteries.

6.

Laboratory testing: i.

Design a test protocol to cover 5-8 fire safety tests of indoor installation scenarios in UK domestic context with a relevant range of domestic batteries. ii.

Create test environments to conduct the tests agreed in the test protocol. iii.

Conduct safety testing on each system to understand the risk profile of the indoor installation scenarios selected. iv.

Decommission the test environments at the end of the testing phase. v.

Use the lab-based testing to evaluate the safety of the systems in indoor installation scenarios and whether additional hardware, performance of the battery management system, compliance with additional standards, or additional operation guidance can sufficiently mitigate safety concerns.

7.

Recommend technical and regulatory adaptations to enhance the safety of indoor installations of domestic batteries.

This may include amendments to installation standards such as PAS 63100, creation of new technical product specifications with additional engineering controls, and recommended industry guidance for manufacturers, installers and consumers.

Requirements for test facilities • The test facility should have sufficient structural integrity and a fire suppression system to sustain the conditions of overpressure and fire that may occur as a result of testing. • The facility should have a ventilation system to remove and capture gas which might be produced during the tests. • The test facility should have the capability to test 1-5 kWh plug-in battery products.

Note that cell-level testing is not required as part of this work. • The test facility should have the appropriate instrumentation to capture all relevant monitoring data required for the tests – e.g. temperature sensing, gas sensing, voltage and current. • The testing facility should have an appropriate method for safe disposal of waste in line with relevant regulations (such as dangerous goods). • Consideration should be given to high voltage hazards when applicable. • Proven availability of lab time within the project timeline. • Test facility should be of reputable standing, with UKAS accreditation where appropriate. • Demonstrate ability to build bespoke test rigs.

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