Battery safety. Any codes regulating battery location in public schools?

[Ganna]

Hi. Our elementary school installed 250kWh storage battery this year along with solar panels. The battery is placed less than a feet away from one of the classrooms. I'm worried about fire safety after several recent news of batteries exploding and causing fires. We are in SoCal so all walls are plywood and temperature is above 100F. Wondering if there are any code/safety standards that regulate how far storage batteries should be located from public buildings in particular from public school classrooms?

[Sunking]

Sure there is. The batteries will need to be further away in a secure room with proper ventilation and barriers. In CA will also require seismic bracing, and spill containment. In other words it has to be away from the public in a secure enforced room with a firewall(s)

This document might help you get started. Look at Fig 4 picture as an example of seismic bracing and spill containment. Something secure like Mechanical Rooms where the public has no access, for Authorized Personnel Only. For Battery Rooms preference is on Grade Level like basement of Multi-Story facility, or slab-on-grade to support the weight and contain spills.

Installed in the manner you have is about as risky as installing a Boiler Room next to a class room. One might think that is a bad idea. CA is not an easy state to deal with when it comes to batteries. If you think International and National codes are tough, wait until you see what CA piles on top of that.

[SunEagle]

CA probably has more building codes than most states due to earth quake and environmental on top of OSHA and Electrical. So I would presume that where batteries are stored and used would have a long list of Do's and Don'ts.

[J.P.M.]

I'm surprised such a setup was allowed. I'd bring this to the attention of school authorities immediately. That is NOW.

[SunEagle]

I find it hard to believe any school official in Southern CA would allow a battery system to be built in a room with plywood walls and 100F ambient temperatures. It must be a DIY system.

I agree that someone needs to alert the school authorities immediately.

[Sunking]

I'm surprised such a setup was allowed. I'd bring this to the attention of school authorities immediately. That is NOW.

I am too. Clearly demonstrates incompetence. If anything were to happen with such gross negligence....

[Ganna]

Hi, thank you all. I think I didn't make myself clear. The batteries are installed outside by a professional company. What I mean by 'plywood walls' that we don't have brick structures there, everything is plywood + stucco. The battery looks very much similar to this https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/i...9S4qW5cDzRShQA
with classroom door right next to the most left battery. I have no problems with batteries themselves, but I'm having concerns with their installation location. The classroom has only one exit, no windows and in case batteries catch fire the children will become trapped inside.

[Ganna]

Hi, thank you all. I think I didn't make myself clear. The batteries are installed outside by a professional company. What I mean by 'plywood walls' that we don't have brick structures there, everything is plywood + stucco. The battery looks very much similar to this one in the picture attached with classroom door right next to the most left battery. I have no problems with batteries themselves, but I'm having concerns with their installation location. The classroom has only one exit, no windows, and in case batteries catch fire the children will become trapped inside.

[J.P.M.]

Hi, thank you all. I think I didn't make myself clear. The batteries are installed outside by a professional company. What I mean by 'plywood walls' that we don't have brick structures there, everything is plywood + stucco. The battery looks very much similar to this one in the picture attached with classroom door right next to the most left battery. I have no problems with batteries themselves, but I'm having concerns with their installation location. The classroom has only one exit, no windows, and in case batteries catch fire the children will become trapped inside.

Like I wrote, bring your concerns to the attention of proper authority. Safety is priority #1 and a good place for redundancy.

[Sunking]

I do not know who installed them. Looks like they might be a commercial lithium product which is more dangerous then lead acid. What I do know is in a commercial environment they have to be secured and inaccessible to the public. Those appear to be on a a wall, on a walk way, between class rooms? If something were to happen, the school would be defenseless in courts.

The best answer you are going to get is to call code enforcement in and have a look. I bet they turn white as a sheet.

[Wy_White_Wolf]

He stated "looks like" these. The picture is not the actual installation at the school.

[SunEagle]

Then again the installer may have followed all the proper codes and permits for that installation including everything to do with NEC and energy storage.

Maybe finding out what that system is comprised of including all of the safety equipment used that will make take it off line and reduce any hazard exposure to the children.

[Logan5]

those are some nice cabinets. what is the combined storage?

[elisagrace]

Larger height will provide it more safety.

[SunEagle]

Larger height will provide it more safety.

My guess is that system was installed per code and follows all safety regulations.

The OP is a concerned parent that was probably not provided all the information concerning the solar / battery system and was justified in asking some questions about the safety of their child that attended that school.

[inetdog]

I would also be concerned about a classroom that has only one door and no windows, regardless of whether there are batteries installed outside the door.
I can see such a room being designed for storage or other uses, but not as a classroom!