Risky solar energy storage devices. “Family homes will burn!” There is a save solution.
 

 
Risky solar energy storage devices: “Family homes will burn!” was a VDI (Verein Deutscher Ingenieure / Association of German Engineers) headline on the 23rd May 2014 about energy storage measures promoted by the KfW (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau – a German government-owned development bank). But with EnergyBus communications technology, and with due regard to BATSO (Battery Safety Organisation) safety requirements, the deficiencies in solar energy storage systems identified by KIT (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology) would not have been able to occur.

The BATSO safety standard tests lithium batteries in battery pack form against extra, stringent criteria, targeted at failure modes and foreseeable misuse. BATSO includes tests for misconnection of plugs, failure behaviour of safety electronics, mechanical loading and failure modes of the charging system with the objective that no dangerous fires can occur either in use or when charging.
 
 EnergyBus describes a communications standard in which, before any energy system is activated, a safety test is carried out on all components. This guarantees an extremely high standard of safety, and also enables prompt failure control and multiple monitoring. Having an overview of all measured values, including data for every cell, guarantees the highest safety standards. For servicing, the standardised interface means that every component of the battery storage system can be individually accessed.
 
 From 2003, the BATSO and EnergyBus standards were at an early stage recognised by the ExtraEnergy Association as significant components for the safe application of lithium batteries, and they have been made available to the industry. They now just need to be applied and used.
  
EnergyTube
The ‘EnergyTubes’ energy storage system with swarm intelligence from ROPA (ropa Engineering GmbH) speaks the EnergyBus language. By splitting large safety-critical packages into small, non-critical units, they are an additional extension of the safety envelope. EnergyTubes can work together as a swarm of unlimited size, without any risk of danger. In critical situations the total stored energy will be electrically and mechanically split into 100 Wh units. Within the storage package the system runs only at a non-safety-critical 48V DC voltage.
 
Investors have the opportunity to come on board with this safe storage technology.
ROPA engineering GmbH, Tel. +49.7171.10416.0, E-mail: info@ropa.de
 
 For further details, please visit: www.ropa-engineering.de

>> read the press release

Copy: EnergyBus e.V., ROPA engineering GmbH
Translation: Peter Eland (www.velovision.com)

Picture: ROPA engineering GmbH

6 June 2014