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5th August 2025

Why battery storage is safer than you think

Battery storage helps us get the most out of renewable energy. It is thanks in part to the deployment of battery energy storage systems (BESS) that renewable energy now provides over a third of all our electricity in the UK.

However, the ability to build BESS projects closer to grid infrastructure also puts them closer to residential areas. The result? Local communities are being asked to make important decisions without being provided with important facts. The desire to consider carefully any new development in your community is sensible, but social media is awash with misinformation regarding the safety of BESS.

At Ethical Power, we believe transparency is a prerequisite for trust. Let us explain how we keep our BESS projects and the communities around them safe.

What is BESS, and why do we need it?

The UK is a leader in BESS deployment, with over 70 GWh of approved projects due to be connected by 2030. We have the knowledge, expertise, and infrastructure to deliver the safest, most efficient battery storage.

For context, that would power over 20,000 households for a year, or nearly seven and a half million homes for a day. In reality, we would never need to power entire populations just using battery storage, but this should give you a good idea of how much of an impact battery storage has on our grid.

Naturally, our fire and rescue services take BESS safety very seriously and, as a result, we have some of the highest safety standards in the world.

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC ) is the national authority that helps support and improve all aspects of the fire rescue services. To help ensure BESS projects are rolled out safely, they published a document titled the ā€˜Grid Scale Battery Energy Storage System planningā€™, in which they describe BESS as ā€œa fundamental part of the UKā€™s move toward a sustainable energy system.ā€ Following NFCC guidelines ensures that modern BESS projects in the UK are designed, built, and monitored according to world-leading fire safety standards.

Despite not being mandatory yet, here at Ethical Power, we develop all our new BESS projects in line with this guidance. But what exactly do the top advisors have to say about battery storage?

The UK's Gold Standard: How NFCC Guidance Keeps You Safe

This document lays out a step-by-step approach to safe BESS development and references several similar documents from other countries to illustrate key learnings. So, what are some of the key measures the fire chiefs recommend?

  • 1) Involve the fire services from day one

    This is a given for us, as we work directly with the local Fire and Rescue Service before construction even begins. They help review site access, water availability, and emergency planning. In some cases, fire services visit the site to test response readiness.

    When we develop battery storage projects, we incorporate guidance from fire and rescue services into every aspect of the project. Firstly, our development team take the 14 key points from the NFCC guidelines and works them into the design of the project. We then submit our design to the local fire service, who review our plan and let us know if anything additional is needed.

    Once the local fire and rescue service is satisfied that we have met the NFCC criteria, we progress with the rest of the planning. This gives us and the community peace of mind that this project was safe by design from the start.

  • 2) Prevention is better than a cure

    It goes without saying that our key priority is to reduce the risk of a fire ever occurring in the first place. Our battery units are overseen by thermal cameras and fitted with sensors that monitor for heat, gas, and smoke, always watching for any unusual activity. If somethingā€™s wrong, the on-site system can isolate the problem instantly and trigger automatic fire suppression systems.

    Our Operations and Maintenance team also have a 24/7 control room team, who can make sure that human eyes accompany any automated processes, adding another layer of protection for sites covered by our O&M.

    In such a case, detailed alarms will reach a member of our O&M team in mere seconds, by which time any relevant automated systems will have already kicked in.

  • 3) Built-in fire suppression

    Almost every modern battery unit contains an automatic fire suppression system that can kick in and help extinguish the fire. There are many types of fire suppression systems; some use certain gases to remove oxygen from the unit, while others use water.

    Comprehensive water supply solutions are also prepared, which can include on-site storage tanks, attenuation ponds for run off, and access to hydrants. Our sites are safe by design, and we take expert advice from all areas to ensure this.

  • 4) Plan for safety

    Battery units are spaced apart to prevent fire from spreading, and every unit includes built-in ventilation and emergency gas release points that direct any heat or smoke safely upward and away. Naturally, we have fire alarm systems to provide early warning of fire, allowing anyone working on-site to evacuate immediately.Ā 

    The NFCC recommends a 25-metre minimum distance between batteries and any nearby buildings, a figure we meet or exceed on every site we design.

    Every site we build also has a detailed Emergency Response Plan, developed with local services and reviewed regularly. These plans include how the fire service is alerted, how to enter the site safely, and what actions to take.

But these are just guidelines, canā€™t you ignore them?

In short, no! At least, not if we want our projects to receive planning permission. Choosing to ignore expert guidance on safety is not a great way to convince local authorities that your project is a net positive. We always strive to develop and build to the highest standards and take on best practices from every angle. Guidelines like these help, not hinder, BESS deployments.

While the combination of NFCC guidance and planning authorities acts as a very effective filter, legislation is on the books that would enforce these standards.

The Battery Safety (Lithium Ion) Bill states clearly that its number one purpose is to ā€œMake provision regarding the safe storage, use and disposal of lithium-ion batteries; and for connected purposes.ā€

This bill, once passed, will make it mandatory for companies developing battery storage projects to consult the Environment Agency, the Health and Safety Executive, as well as the local fire and rescue service. There is also provision made for the Secretary of State to regulate environmental permits as well as the safe disposal of lithium-ion batteries.

With strong legislation like this, we will be able to maintain the UKā€™s exemplary safety record when it comes to battery energy storage. There are nearly 200 operational battery storage sites across the UK, owned and operated by many different companies, and yet only one recorded fire to date.

Why it matters

These battery systems donā€™t just make the grid smarter, they make it cleaner, cheaper, and more reliable. They allow us to store energy, especially domestically produced wind and solar power, for when itā€™s needed most. And they help reduce our reliance on costly and destructive imported fossil fuels.

Because the demand is so strong, we must take extra care to ensure that all battery storage projects meet the same standards ours do, and that they remain safe for the communities and environments they neighbour.

Ethical Power is committed to working together with communities on all our projects, so if you have any questions about a proposed development, please get in touch using the contact form below.

You may also find our “Renewable energy FAQs” interesting, which are also linked below.