Image of energy storage battery catching fire

Does battery storage have a problem with fires?

Here is what you need to know. Battery storage is a key piece of California’s clean energy transition. But there’s a problem with fires A fire at Valley Center Energy Storage Facility in San Diego County is the latest in a series of incidents; advocates insist problems will get ironed out in time.

What happened at California's largest lithium-ion battery energy storage facility?

A fire at a California lithium-ion battery energy storage facility once described as the world’s largest has burned for five days, prompting evacuation orders. The fire broke out on Wednesday at the 250MW Gateway Energy Storage facility owned by grid infrastructure developer LS Power in San Diego.

Do lithium-ion batteries catch on fire?

The lithium-ion battery is a near-ubiquitous technology with a serious flaw: They sometimes catch on fire. A video of crew and passengers aboard a JetBlue flight feverishly dumping water on a backpack became the most recent example of broader concerns about the batteries, which can now be found in almost any device that needs portable power.

What causes a battery to fire?

Fires can be caused by overcharging, overheating, physical damage or product defects, which trigger a process known as thermal runaway — where excessive heat inside a battery creates a self-sustaining chemical reaction that can then easily spread to adjacent batteries.

Are lithium-ion batteries causing a fire in a multifamily home?

And last month, a fire believed to be caused by the batteries in an electric scooter engulfed a multifamily home in Brockton, Massachusetts. Lithium-ion batteries have become a ubiquitous feature in new forms of transportation and common household products. They're also found in residential solar energy systems.

Are lithium-ion battery fires rare?

Lithium-ion battery fires are rare but have blackened the image of a clean energy technology essential to the energy transition. Such fires are difficult to put out because lithium-ion battery fires generate their own oxygen.