pv magazine Webinar | Training on UL 9540A, NFPA 855 and large-scale fire validation of 6.25 MWh BESS containers (Global focus)

As battery energy storage systems increase in size and energy density, fire codes and testing standards are tightening. The 2025 revision of UL 9540A and the 2026 edition of NFPA 855 introduce updated expectations around explosion prevention, enclosure performance and large-scale fire testing.

This webinar brings together independent standards expertise and manufacturer-led test insights to examine those developments in practical terms.

The session will open with a detailed look at UL 9540A (2025) and NFPA 855 (2026), outlining how large-scale fire testing protocols are evolving and what authorities are likely to expect from high-capacity container systems. An independent expert will join the webinar to present this aspect.

In the second part of the webinar, Richard Ridgway, Senior Application Engineer at Hithium, will then present the company’s ∞Power 6.25 MWh container large-scale fire test. He will explain how the test was configured, what conditions were applied, and how the enclosure and internal safety systems responded under extreme thermal load.
The session will examine lessons learned and what validated test results may mean for spacing strategies, material selection and active safety system design.
This session will focus on European, Australian, Middle East, and Chinese markets.

Key discussion points include:
● Presentation and discussion of UL 9540A (2025) and NFPA 855 (2026)
● The role of full-scale fire testing in demonstrating compliance
● How validated test data is considered and presented
● Design considerations for high-energy-density containerised BESS
● The webinar will close with a live Q&A.

Questions can be submitted beforehand in the comments window when registering or in the chat during the live webinar.

Tristan Rayner, editor at pv magazine, will be the moderator of this webinar.
Registration for this webinar is free of charge.