Layers of protection: Electric battery storage lightning protection systems

 

Stop power quality disturbances at the source with DEHN

As electrical innovations in renewable energy sources, such as photovoltaic systems and wind energy, gain prevalence, battery storage systems become increasingly more important to the stability of the U.S. power grid and the power quality of many commercial process technology and energy supply organizations.

Battery energy storage systems (BESS) have a big responsibility: storing excess energy produced by PV systems and similar electrical infrastructure and feeding it back into the grid when needed to counterbalance fluctuations and peak loads in the power supply network. To fulfill its purpose, every BESS is connected to the power grid as well as commercial entities’ internal electrical systems.

While the BESS industry has seen productive growth, regulatory bodies, such as the NEC, haven’t kept up. However, outdated standards don’t mean electrical threats simply stop evolving. From surges to lightning strikes, your battery energy storage system is at risk. 

All it takes is one tiny, seemingly insignificant transient voltage event to trigger a chain reaction to bring the whole system crashing down.

Don’t wait until it’s too late. Strike first with powerful protection from DEHN – an international electrical engineering company leading the industry in transient voltage, lightning, and surge solutions.

Request an assessment from DEHN today

A BESS-load of power quality problems

Power quality and power grid stability are directly tied to the safe, successful operation of battery storage systems. If your BESS is compromised by a form of internal or external transient voltage, the resulting damage and outages could spread to every electrical component connected to the storage system.

Essentially, if your battery storage system is struck by lightning or experiences a voltage spike from an internal component, it could result in costly repairs, service interruptions, power outages, and a negative public perception of unreliability for your company.

While direct lightning strikes are especially threatening for BESSs stored outside near PV systems or other grid infrastructure,  indirect lightning strikes can also cause detrimental surges. 

An indirect cloud-to-ground lightning strike current can spread roughly 1,000,000,000,000 watts of electricity across a 1.2-mile radius. As of 2023, modern battery storage systems are only constructed to handle roughly 1 billion watts of energy, meaning the sensitive electrical equipment in an ungrounded battery energy storage system could be damaged beyond repair if it falls within the strike area.

On the other hand, a transient surge from network-related voltage peaks inside an unprotected BESS could cause a defect in one of your system’s important components. As battery storage systems are highly integrated and part of the country's centralized power grid, damage to even the smallest component in the chain is enough to bring the entire storage environment to a standstill, threatening the grid stability of the entire system in the event of a long-term outage.

DEHN’s solutions aren’t stationary. Like the innovators in the industries we serve, we are constantly adjusting and updating our protective systems to reflect the immediate needs of our partners. For battery storage systems, we have solutions tailored to minimize the risk of damage and power quality disruptions caused by any type of transient voltage.

Contact DEHN today to schedule your risk assessment

Combating electrical threats for complete connectivity

Battery storage systems are all about connection – they’re intertwined with countless other electrical systems. DEHN protects battery storage systems because we believe in the power of a safe, effective connection.

As an industry leader for more than 100 years, we have resources and partners across the globe who have enabled us to become experts in transient voltage protection for a wide range of battery energy storage systems, including:

  • Commercial battery storage systems
  • Grid-scale energy storage systems

Contact us today for a risk assessment that keeps you informed and in control of the future of your BESS operation.

Commercial battery storage systems

Commercial facilities and businesses have a variety of electrical systems running simultaneously to power their operations. 

As a result, they rely heavily on commercial battery storage systems to ensure they can operate without disruptions. While these systems have a lower capacity than a larger grid-scale storage system, they still harbor a significant amount of electrical power and sensitive equipment.

So while the battery storage systems are safeguarding their power quality, what is protecting the BESS itself?

If a commercial BESS isn’t equipped with proper protection, it could be rendered inoperable by an electric event such as system overvoltage or a direct lightning strike. The resulting damage could range from a compromised storage system to a surge that spreads and causes a power outage throughout your entire facility.

Keep your business moving forward with battery storage system protection solutions that reduce the risk of transient voltage damage.

Grid-scale energy storage systems

Also known as utility-scale storage, grid-scale battery storage systems are always connected directly to the power grid to support the overall electrical grid stability. Typically located at centralized energy supply facilities or utilities, a grid-scale storage system has the unique ability to impact electrical systems on the input and output sides of the country’s power industry.

These systems are critical to the entire country’s power quality, so why would you leave them unprotected? It’s akin to leaving the front door of your house unlocked every time you leave the house.

While 20% of transient voltage stems from external events such as a lightning strike, which could cause a fire or overvoltage within your storage system, the remaining 80% is the result of your own internal electrical noise. This means your electrical equipment could damage itself with a single transient surge and turn the lights off on the entire grid.

A transient voltage-related power outage within a grid-scale energy storage system means broken grid interconnection agreements, expensive repairs, and costly service downtime.

Protect yourself, your storage systems, and the electric power grid today with a risk assessment from DEHN.

Lighting protection systems for solar parks can protect the entire power plant area from lightning-related damage, as well as safeguard modules, inverters, and monitoring systems from transient electromagnetic impulses and the resulting overvoltage.

Our solutions accommodate a variety of possible options, including a centralized configuration with a central inverted or a distributed configuration with a string inverter.

Request an assessment with DEHN today

Be the BESS-t with safeguarding solutions from DEHN

With DEHN, true, quality protection is about more than installing a random surge protection device. We take a holistic approach that emphasizes education and careful planning to create a tailored protective concept that addresses all your power quality threats as a cohesive system.

For the battery storage system sector, we have a variety of solutions that minimize the risk and adverse effects of transient voltage. All our products and services are compliant with NFPA 780 and other applicable industry regulations.

Our proven solutions include:

  • DEHNguard
  • DEHNcombo
  • BLITZDUCTORconnect
  • DEHNpatch
  • DEHNgate
  • Grounding systems
  • Equipotential bonding systems
  • Air-termination rod
  • HVI conductor

Before we start implementing surge protective devices, surge arresters, grounding systems, and other risk reduction systems, we get the lay of the land with our risk assessment. DEHN’s experts will examine your existing systems to identify any risks and pinpoint potential areas where power quality protection could be prudent.

Request a risk assessment from DEHN today to start your journey toward safer electric storage systems.

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101000 

Air-termination rod

Air-termination rod chamfered on both sides, for protecting roof-mounted structures, chimneys etc., can be fixed in a concrete base (8.5 kg) with fixing wedge or by means of rod holders / spacers.

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HVI Conductor

High-voltage-resistance insulated HVI down conductors for maintaining the separation distance from conductive parts.

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952100 

DEHNguard S ACI

Single-pole DEHNguard S ACI surge arrester type 2 according to EN 61643-11 with integrated ACI switch / spark gap combination consisting of a base part and plug-in protection modules.

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952567 

DEHNguard SE DC

Single-pole DEHNguard SE DC surge arrester (type 2 according to EN 61643-11) consisting of a base part and plug-in protection module.

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952567 

DEHNguard YPV 1500 FM

Multipole DEHNguard M YPV SCI type 2 surge arrester according to EN 61643-31 consisting of a base part and plug-in protection modules.

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900076 

DEHNcombo YPV FM

Multipole type 1 and type 2 combined lightning current and surge arrester for DEHNcombo YPV photovoltaic generator circuits of type 1 and type 2, according to EN 61643-31 with three-step DC switching device.

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927244 

BLITZDUCTORconnect modular

Space-saving, modular combined arrester with a width of 6 mm and push-in connection technology with status indication for protecting one pair of unearthed balanced interfaces.

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Grounding / Equipotential Bonding

Products for installing an ground-termination system and for establishing equipotential bonding.

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929161 

DEHNpatch class EA

Universal, space-saving combined arrester of 19 mm in width and RJ45 connection system with status indication for simple maintenance.

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Know the risk with a risk assessment from DEHN

Even the systems designed to protect grid stability need attention when it comes to minimizing the threat of transient voltage.

For more than 100 years, DEHN has worked with companies across the globe to ensure power quality across industries, including battery storage systems. From an external lightning protection system to internal surge protection devices, we have the products, knowledge, and expertise to develop a comprehensive solution for your unique BESS application.

Don't wait for disruptions to slow you down. Request an assessment from DEHN today and get specific solutions for your battery storage systems.

Request your risk assessment