Expert Assessor for Battery Storage Systems
Home storage, commercial storage and utility-scale storage: we investigate fires, cell damage, reverse polarity and system failures down to cell level.
Storage losses are rare but expensive, and the question of evidence is almost always: product defect, operating error or installation defect? We examine the storage system down to cell level, secure the exhibits and assess whether the safety mechanisms of the cells performed their function.
Typical damage patterns
- Thermal runaway of individual cells with fire or explosion
- Failure of the pressure relief of lithium-ion cells
- Reverse polarity and wrong connection of battery modules with overload of high-voltage components
- Failure of battery management system, high-voltage boxes and contactors
- Age- and wear-related cell failure after exceeding the cycle count
- Consequential damage to the building and yield loss after storage failure
Questions of evidence we answer
- Did the fire originate in the storage unit, and which cell triggered it?
- Did the cell safety mechanisms function according to DIN EN 62133, or is there a product defect?
- Was an operating or installation error causal, for instance a wrong connection of the modules?
- Were the manufacturer's requirements on installation location and fire protection observed?
- Is the damage limited to the affected components, or must the system be replaced as a whole?
How we examine
Systematic exclusion logic: every conceivable cause is examined individually and ruled out with reasons until the most probable one remains.
- Site inspection, documentation of the trace pattern and securing of exhibits
- Evaluation of battery management system data and charging history
- Exclusion of all other devices and external causes as the point of origin
- Laboratory examination of the cells: visual inspection, X-ray, assessment of pressure relief
- Examination of high-voltage components for overload traces where reverse polarity is suspected
- Comparison with manufacturer requirements and standards, including DIN EN 62133 and DIN VDE 0100-712
- Cost review separating storage, PV system and building damage
The result
The report names the triggering component and the mechanism. In case of a product defect you receive the basis for recourse against the manufacturer or supplier, in case of an installation or operating error the attribution of responsibility.
Frequently asked questions
Can you still examine cells after a fire?
Yes. Even cells that have gone into thermal runaway show in the X-ray image and on the casing whether the pressure relief operated. That is the central question for the product defect.
Do you also examine large-scale storage?
Yes. We have examined commercial and large-scale storage with high-voltage boxes and battery modules, including follow-up appointments together with the manufacturer.
What applies to storage units older than the specified cycle count?
A storage unit that catches fire after exceeding its service life must still not do so according to DIN 31000. Age does not automatically relieve the manufacturer.
Enquiry about this type of loss
A few key facts, and we get back to you on the same working day with an assessment of how to proceed.
Do you have a case?
Call us or send us the claim notification with your questions of evidence. We get back to you the same working day.