Lithium-ion battery FAQ

The most common reason cited by our customers is the significantly longer service life. With lithium-ion, IT professionals can easily deploy lithium-ion UPSs without the maintenance and refresh challenges of those utilizing traditional lead acid batteries. The extended battery life enables users to align their UPS refresh cycles with the rest of IT stack, saving time and money spent on labor and battery replacement. This “set it and forget it” value proposition is especially conducive at sites where operations are critical yet IT resources are constrained. Lithium-ion also provides a greater cycle life (the number of charge/discharge cycles ranges from extends into the thousands, versus approximately 500 for VRLA batteries), as well as a longer standard warranty. Additionally, lithium-ion UPSs like the 9PX can provide more runtime in the same footprint without the need for external battery modules or cabinets (EBMs or EBCs). Many customers have also found the lighter weight of a lithium-ion to be an added benefit.

Eaton currently has two network UPSs with lithium-ion models: the 5P and the 9PX. 

Yes! The 5P lithium-ion UPS and the 9PX lithium-ion UPS can be wallmounted in a slimline fashion using the standard brackets included with the UPS. The UPS can also be installed in space-saving, wall-mount cabinets, like the MiniRaQ by Eaton.

No, all current and planned lithium-ion UPSs will have true sine wave output in battery mode.

No, VRLA and lithium-ion batteries cannot be mixed in a deployment. The battery pack within the standard 9PX UPS is VRLA, which means lithium-ion EBMs cannot be used, just like VRLA EBMs cannot be deployed with a lithium-ion 9PX UPS. 

Eaton’s 9PX 1.5-3kVA lithium-ion EBM is 1U, whereas the comparable VRLA EBM is 2U. The 9PX 6kVA lithium-ion EBM is 2U.

Up to 4 extended battery modules (EBMs) can be deployed with the 9PX rackmount lithium-ion UPS. The 5P rackmount lithium-ion UPS is not compatible with EBMs.

Add up to 4 EBMs for the 9PX lithium-ion UPS. 

Lithium-ion EBMs for the 9PX UPS should be installed below or to the left of UPS. Due to the location of the EBM connections, they cannot be installed to the right of the UPS. 

Almost as many as you want. Any limit on the number of rackmount lithium-ion UPSs will be based on the building and fire codes, as specified by the local authority having jurisdiction (AHJ). Typically, to support distributed IT equipment in a network closet, IDF or MDF, no more than a few rackmount lithium-ion UPSs are needed. To date, Eaton has not encountered an instance where more rackmount lithium-ion UPSs were needed than a fire or building code has allowed.

Ideally, UPSs with lithium-ion batteries should operate in a normal room temperature of 20-25 °C (68-77 °F). The maximum operating temperature range is 0-40 °C (32-104 °F) for both lead-acid and lithium-ion UPS installed in a network closet. For the longest lifespan of a lithium-ion UPS battery – 2-3x battery lifetime over a lead-acid equivalent UPS – will be found when a battery is kept in 30-40 °C (86-104 °F) environments.

Yes, rackmount lithium-ion UPSs require the same space for airflow in a server rack as a standard lead-acid based rackmount UPS does.

Most building codes do not apply to network closet rackmount lithium-ion UPS installations. Building and fire codes – such as NFPA 1, NFPA 855 and IFC 1206 (now 1207) – are primarily based on the size of the lithium-ion UPS system and the chemistry of the lithium-ion batteries. The rackmount lithium-ion UPSs Eaton offers are generally below that threshold, but the larger lithium stand-alone cabinets are above the threshold and must comply with the codes. This should be verified with the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) for the installation location as Eaton should not be the official source for information on building codes. Clients are ultimately responsible for interpretation of, and compliance with the appropriate local codes. 

No. Lithium-ion batteries are about 40% lighter than comparable lead-acid batteries so user-installation is even easier.   

The most common reason cited by our customers is the significantly longer service life. With lithium-ion, IT professionals can easily deploy lithium-ion UPSs without the maintenance and refresh challenges of those utilizing traditional lead acid batteries. The extended battery life enables users to align their UPS refresh cycles with the rest of IT stack, saving time and money spent on labor and battery replacement. This “set it and forget it” value proposition is especially conducive at sites where operations are critical yet IT resources are constrained. Lithium-ion also provides a greater cycle life (the number of charge/discharge cycles ranges from extends into the thousands, versus approximately 500 for VRLA batteries), as well as a longer standard warranty. Additionally, lithium-ion UPSs can provide more runtime in the same footprint without the need for external battery modules (EBMs). Many customers have also found the lighter weight of a lithium-ion to be an added benefit.

The primary downside is that because the technology is different than traditional UPS batteries, many users, contractors and specifying engineers have multiple questions on how to size, install and operate lithium battery systems. However, clients are rapidly becoming more comfortable with deploying lithium-ion in their mission critical applications. Successful deployments now exceed six years, with tens of thousands of large lithium cabinets in service.

While any battery has the potential to catch fire if abused, lithium has a reputation for more dramatic ‘thermal events.’ However, in UPS applications, the presence of a Battery Management System (BMS) — which actively controls charge rate, voltage and temperature — makes lithium batteries less likely to enter thermal runaway than traditional UPS batteries. In the event of a problem, the BMS can automatically disconnect the affected battery string before any serious failure occurs. Additionally, the manufacturing of lithium-ion UPS batteries is not as restrictive on packaging space as other applications such as cell phone, e-bike or laptop battery modules, which have appreciably constricted battery compartments. UPS manufacturers can utilize the extra space to ensure that the plates inside the battery will not short circuit, even in extreme conditions. As long as the battery and its packaging are designed to dissipate more heat than can be created on overcharge, the battery cannot go into thermal runaway.  All UPS vendors and battery manufacturers are ensuring that this is the case for their lithium products.

After dramatic price reductions in 2019 and 2020, lithium prices are generally on par with good-quality VRLA, especially when shipping costs and commissioning services are considered. However, Eaton requires a customer service engineer to be on site for large battery cabinet startup service, which isn’t needed for VRLA batteries. It is important to note now that vendors are starting to ship battery cabinets with battery pre-installed, we expect the shipping costs for lithium batteries will often be slightly less than that of VRLA batteries. 

The cost of lithium-ion battery systems for UPSs have plummeted 50-75% over the last four years. Today, if we compare the cost of a VRLA battery system with a monitoring system and a lithium-ion battery system with the required battery management system (BMS), the cost per kWh is comparable and, in some cases, is even less. Currently, though, additional field service set up and commissioning costs can drive the cost to 1.25x the cost of a VRLA battery system. However,  the ten to 12 year service life of lithium-ion batteries negates most of those extra costs. 

No, lithium cannot be put in series or parallel with other types of batteries or other lithium products. The different charge voltages, currents and cutoff voltage levels don't allow paralleling of different battery chemistries.

Eaton launched the 9PX 1.5-6kVA lithium-ion UPS, becoming the 1^st UPS vendor to launch a global double conversion offering, because we believe in lithium-ion technology. However, we do believe there will continue to be places where VRLA is more appealing and expect to offer a balance of VRLA and lithium-ion solutions even as we continue investing in safer, longer life battery solutions like sodium ion and nickel zinc.

With lithium-ion, UPS operators can play a role in helping energy providers balance power generation and consumption with the EnergyAware solution. EnergyAware enables facilities to support sustainable energy solutions, optimize the cost of powering their buildings and create additional revenue streams from their power protection assets. Also, lithium batteries are better suited to long-runtime ‘Battery Energy Storage Systems” or BESS.  These are often deployed outdoors, with 30 minutes to 4 hours of backup time.

The longer lithium-ion battery life of the UPS—2x battery life vs VRLA—can eliminate the cost of procuring replacement batteries as well as the labor cost for in-person battery replacement. So while it is true the capital expenditure may be higher for lithium ion, the lower OPEX costs can offset the up-front investment for many customers. 

Yes, office-sized UPSs with lithium batteries are now available. They are dramatically lighter than UPSs with VRLA batteries and the battery will typically last the entire life of the UPS. Eaton offers several models of small office UPSs and rackmount UPSs with lithium-ion batteries: 5P1500R-L (120V 1440 VA), 5P1550GR-L (208V 1550 VA) and the 9PX lithium-ion UPS.

Yes, Eaton offers lithium-ion battery retrofit systems, which include new cabinets and batteries, for several of our UPS products. The field engineer will need to make minor firmware modifications to the UPS. We cannot, however, deploy a mix of VRLA and lithium-ion batteries for the same UPS system. 

Yes, we are comfortable and confident that all the vendors’ products we offer are safe, when used with our UPS, installed per the manufacturer’s recommendations, and when their environmental requirements are observed. The battery management system (BMS) is one component which ensures the safe operation of the battery, by monitoring temperature, voltage balance, etc., and it has the ability to disconnect the battery string if conditions warrant. The other component is the design of the battery cells and battery modules. All of our vendors comply with UL1642 (Battery cell safety); UL1973 (Battery module/cabinet safety). The BMS complies with UL1973 which pulls in UL991 and UL1998 (Software safety) and UL9540A (large scale fire testing) as appropriate. We also select lithium battery chemistries that provide a balance of energy density and thermal performance. 

As of this writing, no UPS manufacturer has suffered a thermal event with its lithium batteries. The presence of a BMS has been instrumental in the detection and mitigation of any temperature anomalies. While we have seen individual batteries fail to retain a charge, these rare instances were not thermal-related and occurred after the batteries had been stored too long, at improper temperatures or humidity or were otherwise abused. 

You can view the SDS for Samsung lithium-ion batteries here.

No, there is not an increased risk. An excerpt from an application note on lithium-ion battery safety explains "As part of DOT/UN38.3 testing, the case temperature of cells may not exceed 170 °C(338F); since the LFP(Lithium iron phosphate) cells used in the 5P 1U lithium-ion UPS have a thermal runaway point much greater than this temperature, risk of thermal runaway when exposed to situations like the test conditions is further reduced.” 

Read the full lithium-ion UPS battery safety application note here.

The battery management system (BMS) and battery module construction handles the detection and mitigation and meets fire code requirements. The BMS can disconnect the string via opening the cabinet breaker and is programmed to do so well before temperatures rise too high.

Lithium-ion UPS batteries do not give off any gas during normal charging/discharging, however a battery fire can emit dangerous gasses, including H2.

We have material safety data sheets (MSDS) and UL9540A test reports that show gasses are only released during a fire. 

Download the MSDS for Samsung lithium-ion batteries.

An active BMS has the ability to physically/electronically disconnect either individual batteries or battery strings if thermal or cell balance conditions require intervention by the BMS control. This would happen only after an early warning and shutdown imminent alarms and warnings are issued. A passive BMS is only a monitor. It can issue alarms, but cannot take any protective action on its own. 

A battery management system (BMS) provides a necessary level of safety against thermal runaway events. 

Yes, and it must be listed to UL1973. All Eaton-supplied cabinets are listed. 

IMPORTANT: Latest version of UL1973 requires, if one battery string breaker trips open, ALL of the other battery string breakers in that paralleled system must trip open as well. Manual re-closure of those breakers will be required before the battery system can be placed back into service. 

Lithium battery management systems and battery monitoring systems, like Cellwatch and BTech, have the following similarities:

• Both monitor individual battery voltages and string currents
• Both provide instantaneous status of individual batteries
• Both (can) monitor battery terminal temperature and cabinet ambient temperature and can warn of possible thermal runaway conditions

Lithium battery management systems differ from Cellwatch/Btech, in the below capabilities:

• Lithium Management systems ‘manage’ the battery and can take action independently of customer interaction. For example, the BMS can disconnect the entire lithium battery string (cabinet) from the UPS if determined to be necessary and can do this without the client’s permission or acknowledgement.
• Lithium BMS systems also track and manage individual pack DC voltage balance to limit potential for development of thermal issues.
• Most Lithium BMSs lack a user-friendly HMI interface/display. Modbus information to the site’s Building Management System (also called BMS), is available for the user to implement their own data log, and storage.
• Lithium BMS tracks voltage, current, temperature, and balances voltages constantly for every battery. It communicates status changes and alarms immediately to the UPS, which can then send this info onto the client’s network via the PXGX card. But the information history is not logged in the lithium BMS.

If the BMS fails, stops operating or loses power for any reason, the cabinet or battery string will disconnect from the associated UPS. If AC power to all BMSs in a system fails, all paralleled battery cabinets will disconnect from the associated UPS. 

The BMS will use the UPS charge voltage to balance the cell, similar to what we do with an equalize charge on flooded batteries.

Eaton’s lithium vendors expect 10-15-year float service life like we utilize in our UPS equipment. Vendors offer a 3-year defect warranty and a performance warranty of 10-12 years.

Samsung’s warranty is voided after 6 months of storage, including storage prior to shipment, but there are exceptions and methods that can be used to extend battery storage. Check with your Eaton representative if batteries will be stored longer, or at different temperatures than mentioned in the installation manual or specifications. And, to ensure a functional battery when put into service, a voltage check of stored batteries should be done every 6 months to ensure that batteries remain functional.  If the voltages are out of vendor’s limits, a recharge will be required. After recharge, the batteries may be stored an additional 6 months, and should still work properly. Eaton Service can provide the voltage check service and recharge service onsite.

Lithium batteries can be recharged significantly faster than traditional UPS batteries; however, keep in mind that the manufacturers limit the amount of battery charge current that the UPS can supply. During recharge, the BMS monitors not only voltage levels, but also the internal temperature of each individual lithium cell. In this manner, the system will automatically limit the charge if a cell gets too warm, which can potentially lengthen the recharge time. In general, the VRLA rule-of-thumb of “10x the discharge time to 90 percent capacity” may not apply to lithium.

At the vendor-specified recharge currents, it should take no more than 4 hours. Very large battery systems may require longer recharge time.

We provide consumers across North America the capability to do the right thing and conveniently recycle used lithium-ion batteries versus throwing them in the landfill. Eaton provides recycling options at Eaton.com/batteryrecycle. The site shows our recycling partner is Heritage Environmental, but the user/owner is free to work with other recycling vendors that specialize in lithium-ion recycling.

Alternatively, some battery vendors, and some 3^rd parties will recommend that, rather than recycling, the used batteries should be shipped to them, where they will be refurbished and reused in a ‘second life application’, where they may be in service for an additional 5-6 years before finally reaching their end of life. While few of these organizations exist today, it is likely that many battery re-use entities will enter the market over the initial 10-year life of a UPS lithium-ion battery.

Lithium-ion batteries are disposable and, while currently not readily recyclable, new options are expected in the future. To read more about recycling lithium-ion batteries, visit Eaton's battery recycling page. 

Yes. IFC 1206 (now IFC 1207) and NFPA 855 state that maximum allowable quantities are 600 kWH per room, unless the room is specifically built for H2 Hazard Class occupancy. This can be waived by the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) in the presence of UL9540A test results and a FMEA analysis by engineers designated by the building owners.

Yes, the sizing is slightly different and in the case of lithium, we limit the backup time based not only on low cell voltage limits, but also the cell temperature during discharge. This means the cutoff time for a lithium battery might be dictated by high temperature, as opposed to only low voltage. Eaton’s published battery time tables for our UPS products take this into account, and our application engineers are trained on proper sizing of these batteries. As always, feel free to contact Eaton for sizing guidance.

At this time, Eaton uses vendor-specific battery charge current limits for lithium-ion UPS systems. These are expected to change over time as we deploy more lithium-ion batteries in traditional UPS system applications and, therefore, gain more data to base our battery charge current limits on. For now, the vendor-specific limits represent a pretty conservative estimate.

No. We have limited the charge current per cabinet to a level that will not add internal heating to the battery, thus we can begin recharging immediately upon return of AC input power.

We recommend that the PV system, most commonly known as a solar power system (and its inverter) be fed to the UPS AC input so the UPS directly controls the battery recharging.  In the future this may not be necessary, but currently it is important to have control over the rate of charge for the UPS batteries.

ABM is not needed with lithium-ion batteries. The purpose of ABM is to extend the service life of VRLA batteries, and since lithium-ion already has an excellent service life characteristic, there are no immediate plans to use it. 

Yes. The float voltages and ranges for lithium-ion batteries are slightly different. This is handled by a trained CSE in the UPS firmware settings at the startup time. 

See the Eaton customer drawings for BTUh levels. This heat is negligible, and does not typically affect HVAC calculations for the room. 

Download the Samsung lithium-ion drawing here.

Worst case, 8900 BTUh for Samsung, and only during the duration of the discharge.

Building Codes require the room to become ‘incidental occupancy’ with 1-hour separation rating for the lithium ion/UPS battery room, if total electrolyte weight is >1000 lbs. The battery room shall not be more than 10% of the total building area, in the story they are located. 

We will ship battery cabinet systems by ground. Individual replacement batteries may be air shipped. Refrigerated ground shipment is not required. Shipments must be in accordance with UN38.3 requirements. All shippers must be trained on Class 9 shipment of hazardous goods. These requirements involve specific packaging, labeling of said packaging, and accompanying paperwork. Trucker and the truck must be certified with proper signage. Batteries for air shipment must not exceed 30% state of charge (SoC). We will ship all lithium batteries at 30% SoC, whether ground or air shipment. It will require about 4 hours of charge time to bring the newly replaced battery up to full charge. Battery cabinet systems are shipped disassembled. All assembly and start-up/commissioning activities are included in our pricing.

Not yet, but Eaton is developing this capability.

4 to 8 weeks from stock. Note this may vary with current supply chain challenges. Eaton sales can verify lead times from the published lead time report.

Yes, these are available in advance for Eaton sales support. However, they may not be shared. The vendors’ intent is that the user utilizes only the up-to-date manuals that ship with their cabinets. Eaton’s customer installation drawings can be shared at any time. They are posted on Eaton.com. Eaton’s Guide Form specifications can be shared at any time. Guide specs and Eaton customer drawings for all vendors are available on the Eaton.com.

Yes, all vendors’ lithium-ion UPS battery cabinets communicate by Modbus TCP. The customer’s connection is via a TCP/IP (RJ45) connector from the main battery BMS module on the vendor’s cabinet/system.

NOTE: The Modbus TCP provides no alarm history. Information is real time, unless the user creates an external logging program.

Yes. Eaton is working to make lithium-ion UPS battery cabinets compatible with our Brightlayer suite, with pertinent information and data monitored and logged.

Cable sizing for our batteries is not considered continuous operation, so we can use different ratings than standard permanent continuous operation tables per NEC. Consult the battery cabinet installation and operation manual, or the customer site plan drawing for allowable cable sizes.

We evaluated 2x 3/0 cables for use in our Samsung solution with UL, based on temperature rise test method. That’s where the recommendation comes from in our site plan. That’s how the product was evaluated by UL and hence the recommendations in our site plan. 

No, clients must use Modbus TCP which is built-in for all lithium vendors.

The lithium cells in many of our lithium-ion battery units are composed of LFP (lithium iron phosphate). Each cell includes built-in over charge protection, pressure vent, anti-puncture ceramic coating, and a barrier on the positive LFP electrode to help mitigate short circuiting from any dendritic growth.  Also, our BMS monitors and controls every cell within the battery pack to mitigate conditions which may encourage dendrite growth.

For more information on dendrites in lithium-ion batteries, read Eaton’s latest application note.

Operating temperature range: 32 to 104°F / 0 to 40°C. Note that while lithium-ion batteries will operate safely at this temperature, the lithium-ion performance guarantee specifies a narrower temperature range. That is; 18-28 degrees C to assure the full 10 or 12 year warranted life.

Eaton currently offers Samsung lithium-ion batteries. Samsung cabinets contain 128 or 136 battery cells (16 or 17 battery modules).

LG Chem cabinets populated with a single string or a double string of battery modules. LG Chem has discontinued this UPS battery, but many are deployed in the field, and will continue to be supported.

LiiON cabinets that have been installed in several locations.  This manufacturer still offers this battery, but Eaton does not support its use on our products. Any service on these systems will be provided by LiiON.

Yes, and evaluations are underway. We expect to authorize at least 3 lithium-ion vendors for use with most of our UPS products.

Samsung provides a 3-year defect warranty and a Performance warranty of 10 (or 12) years, guaranteeing the lithium battery’s ability to provide rated capacity. NOTE that all warranties have specific requirements to keep the batteries within the environmental requirements specified in the installation or operation manuals. Data logging is required for most warranty claims. Administration of the vendors’ pass-through warranty will be identical to what we provide for VRLA, but labor charges on lithium-ion battery solutions are not included.

Eaton stands behind our lithium technology and the promise of a lower TCO (total cost of ownership). That is why standard warranty for the 5P lithium-ion UPS and the 9PX lithium-ion UPS is 5-years including electronics and battery. Check your local Eaton warranty terms or agreements as warranty may differ in some countries. 

The vendor warrants that when the battery is installed per vendor’s instructions, operated within vendors environmental guidelines, and charged by the UPS as specified, the battery system will provide at least 78-80% of its initial capacity at the 10- (or 12) year mark. If the battery or string fails to provide that capacity, it will be replaced at no charge. Labor is not covered, but a labor charge can be added to a battery system quote. The battery must be operated within the environmental specifications and cycle life limits set by the battery vendor. Data recordkeeping is the responsibility of the user (like VRLA). If the evidence indicates that the battery has been misused:

• Samsung may cancel the 10-year warranty
• LG Chem decrements the warranty coverage time length, depending on the degree of misuse (temperature and/or cycle count)

Yes. Access this through the DCCG group in Raleigh and is provided with all quotations or sales.

No, battery vendors’ products cannot be mixed on the same UPS. For example, Samsung 128S and 136S cabinets should not be mixed on the same UPS system. Paralleled UPSs should all utilize the same battery; we recommend against mixing of VRLA and lithium, and no mixing of different lithium products on the same paralleled UPS-system.

Refer to the installation manual part # 164000729, shipped with each cabinet.

• Control Power, AC: Each cabinet has landing terminals for 2 sets of 480VAC, 15A 3-phase power, or 2 sets of 1-phase 120/240VAC. This is necessary to power the BMS and other controls. Minimum requirement is to provide a single, protected (derived from the UPS output, typically from customer’s output distribution), 480V feed (or 120/240V feed, if powered by a 208VAC UPS). An additional 480V or 120/240Vfeed, from the UPS bypass source is recommended but not required. Note that if a single AC BMS power source is connected to multiple battery cabinets in parallel, the disconnection of that single source will result in all connected battery cabinets to trip their breaker.  The battery system is not allowed to operate without its BMS functioning. NOTE: this requirement for external AC power to the battery cabinet will be eliminated in newer battery cabinet designs.
• Conduit landing kit: This top-mounted landing kit is installed by the contractor and contains terminals for both DC power and control/status communications wiring. The installation instructions are provided, document part # P-164000742.
• Remote trip of the battery cabinet breaker: note that the UPS does NOT generate the shunt trip command for battery breakers. (a UPS “load off” or UPS EPO command will shut off the UPS but will not trip the battery breakers in the Samsung cabinets). The user is responsible for providing a switch or dry contact that must close for 3 seconds to facilitate a remote trip of the battery cabinet breaker. See the installation manual and the customer drawing #110000740 for details of this connection.

Conduit bushings or cable glands are required by code (NFPA 75 article 300.4(G) in the US and Canada, unless the room is restricted to authorized personnel only. Cable may not ‘waterfall’ into the cabinet from an overhead tray, for example, in a room or environment that is not restricted. Some inspectors have waived this requirement, but we will ship conduit landing kits with all standard lithium cabinets.

The Conduit landing assembly is mounted to the cabinet onsite. Instructions are provided. Total cabinet height would be an issue otherwise.

Download installation instructions for lithium-ion battery cabinets.

It is important to note that Eaton should not be the official source for these answers. Legal liabilities preclude our ability to act as the authority on any of this information. Clients are responsible for interpretation of and compliance to the appropriate local codes. However, we do want to provide general information on what clients should be aware of prior to the sale of lithium-ion battery systems. Both national and local codes could apply, and various codes may exceed or supersede our generic interpretations. Codes that may apply are, but not limited to:

• NFPA 1, section 52.3
• IFC 1206 (now 1207) 2018, 2021 or 2024 edition, formerly section 608 in previous IFC codes. Note that municipalities may not currently have adopted, or even plan to adopt these requirements in the immediate future.
• NFPA 855 

The requirements and wording in all the above codes are similar but not identical. Different exceptions or exclusions could apply.

Room location: Not greater than 75’ above or 30’ below the lowest fire department access level unless successful UL9540A testing and FMEA analysis convinces AHJ to approve.

Seismic: a.    Must comply with IBC Section 16, which describes the building structure, not the battery cabinet, but Samsung has been evaluated to seismic Zone 4 and is OSHPD certified with their latest (black) cabinets, when installed according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Ventilation: The below is not different than that which is required for VRLA installations.

• Maximum gassing is limited to <25% of the lower flammability limit (LFL) of that gas.
• May require room ventilation or fans which must be remotely monitored
• Smoke detectors are required.
• Gas detectors that can automatically start the room fans are required.

Any battery ‘system’ with capacity greater than 20 kWh must comply with applicable sections of the fire code. Samsung single cabinet is 34 kWh.

Previous versions of IFC 608, the new version of IFC 1206 (now 1207) and NFPA 855 all describe how indoor lithium-ion batteries should be deployed. 

• Smoke detectors are required, just like for VRLA.
• Sprinkler systems (water) are required, as per IFC Sec. 903.3.1.1
• ‘Clean gaseous’ agents like Novec 1230, FM200, and CO2 systems may be used, but due to their expense, are typically recommended for rooms where water would significantly damage other electrical equipment in the same room such as switchgear or IT equipment.
• ABC type fire extinguishers are OK if the fire has NOT ‘originated in or spread to’, the battery itself. This does not replace the requirement for water sprinkler systems.
• Water may be also used to cool the battery and other systems in the same room during a fire.
• Use the battery vendor’s Safety Data Sheets (SDS) to access instructions for fire suppression.

MAQ for lithium-ion batteries in a room is 600 kWh. If the amount of lithium-ion battery capacity in the room exceeds the MAQ, then ‘Hazardous Class H-2’ room construction is required. This means the room must meet stricter fire rating and other fire and building code requirements. These limits may be waived by the AHJ, but they will need to see the UL9540A test report.

Technically, no. The minimum threshold for lithium-ion is 20 kWh for both NFA 855 and IFC 1206 (now 1207). Some AHJs do require smaller lithium systems comply with the code, especially if they are concerned about room size/volume or ventilation.

If the user has adopted the latest fire code IFC 1206 (now 1207) or NFPA 855, battery arrays (i.e. each cabinet) must be spaced 3’ apart on all sides from each other and from the walls. That’s 64 sq ft of floorspace, per cabinet. An exception to the rule is for cabinets tested to UL9540A. In which case the AHJ can review and accept the test results and can allow that the side and rear spacing is NOT required; only 36” at the front of the cabinet.

Yes. There should be a 3’ space from each side of the lithium-ion UPS system, UNLESS the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) waives this requirement based on our provided UL9540A test report.

Not at this time. Eaton has received some specifications that require testing lithium-ion batteries to existing IEEE standards for lead acid batteries, but those standards are not applicable for lithium-ion UPS battery installations. 

Yes, if the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ, or electrical/building inspector) approves the analysis and data. Note that the AHJ may be reticent to approve a non-code installation for this relatively new battery application and chemistry. 

Lithium-ion batteries that meet UL9540A standards have only recently become available, so we do not have much anecdotal evidence to draw from. What we have heard is that AHJ have only required the increased 3’ spacing in cases where the room is considered too small or the ventilation capacity is considered too low. 

At the moment, we are planning UL9540 system listing (UPS and battery form a 'system'). NOTE: UL9540 listing is different than UL9540A testing.

The UPS manufacturer or battery vendor provides copies of the report, complete with test results and the professional opinion of the UL testers, to the AHJ. 

Yes. UL9540A is the test method for evaluating the thermal runaway fire propagation in battery energy storage systems. This test is used to evaluate whether a fire or thermal runaway condition in a single battery module or cabinet will propagate outside of the cabinet to adjacent cabinets or walls. Test result data helps the AHJ decide whether battery cabinets may be mounted adjacent or front-to-back with other battery cabinets or the walls of the room. With this test report and the FMEA analysis, the AHJ can waive the cabinet spacing and MAQ requirements for a given installation. The Samsung-built lithium battery cabinets that Eaton offers were tested in accordance with UL9540A and there was no fire propagation outside the module that was being tested. The test report is available to be given to the AHJ. Read more here. 

Eaton-supplied battery cabinets contain the correct signage, including nameplates, per the code Note: other room signage is the responsibility of the site or owner.

IFC 1206 (now 1207) and NFPA 855 are not retroactive, so installations that took place before they were enacted (in 2018 and 2019, respectively) do not need to comply. New battery installations or expansions of existing ones will need to comply.

To comply, a lithium ion battery installation must meet these requirements:

• Adequate cabinet spacing or a waiver
• Not exceeding a max allowable quantity per room of 600kWH
• Each cabinet, or “array,” should be less than 50kWH
• Water sprinkler system is installed and functioning
• Gas detector and smoke detector are installed and functioning, with room fans possibly required for large rooms

Contact an AHJ inspector for any planned new additions. 

Copies of the IFC 1206 (now 1207) and NFPS 855 are available that state the safety requirements for lithium-ion batteries. For help with specific local requirements, one should contact a local authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) at the design and planning stages for a new installation.

For Samsung products:

UL 1642 for the batteries
UL 1973 for battery modules and systems
UL 1998 for the BMS (part of UL 1973 testing)
UL 9540A large scale fire testing; for Samsung black cabinets (Note: 9540A is a test method, not a ‘listing’ like UL9540). We have copies of the UL 9540A test report available on request for evaluation by the client or their AHJ.

Contractor places the empty cabinets, secures the battery cabinet to the floor of the building following the installation manual instructions, installs the conduit landing kit, runs wire and conduit for AC control power (480V or 208V 3W+G for Samsung) and installs and connects all power and control wiring between the battery cabinets and the UPS. 

Eaton field engineers install the battery modules and other components in each cabinet for Samsung and connects the power and communication cabling internal to the cabinet. Eaton CSE performs the battery cabinet software setup and commissioning and makes applicable changes to the UPS charging functions, based on battery vendor’s set points.

Yes, this must be considered at the room layout and system design stage.  Lithium batteries are more sensitive to cable impedance than are lead acid batteries, and current imbalances can occur. Designers and installers should plan <1% DC voltage drop across the length of the cable between battery and UPS, or between each parabattery cabinet and a DC “Tie” or junction cabinet. IMPORTANT: Failure to observe this requirement may result in problems that could reduce backup time of the system.

Once a year. PM procedure includes taking measurements, re-torquing connections, downloading and reviewing real time data from the BMS.

With the absence of a standardized commissioning test for lithium batteries, we expect that commissioning would be somewhat similar to that of VRLA, and should include the following:

• Verification of correct and safe installation per the vendor’s manuals, including torqueing of terminals and set up of the Battery Management System by a trained service engineer. Configuration files should be saved for future reference.
• Refresh charge to ensure all batteries in each string are properly voltage-balanced and within limits (this may require several hours of charging). Note that batteries will have been reduced to 30 percent SOC during shipment.
• Test discharge for time, at one or preferably two different UPS load levels, followed by a review of the BMS data, looking for temperature or voltage anomalies during the discharge.
• Take time to recharge data and record after a full discharge test.  Verify UPS charge limits are programmed correctly.
• Verify communication of status, and automatic disconnect device (breaker or contactor) in each cabinet to ensure it is functioning correctly.

Service Marketing will determine and publish this, but the UPS CTO number, existing battery CTO, available footprint, any weight restrictions, door height, plans for control power and connection to each cabinet’s BMS system, and desired runtime for the new system. User should refer to local and national codes for compliance with lithium ion battery installations. We can advise on typical requirements.

Call Eaton’s field service dispatch 1-800-843-9433, same as for VRLA.

Yes, allow at least 4 hours for charging prior to a discharge test, assuming the batteries are at least 30% state of charge when installed with the UPS.