Know which standards apply — and which edition to spec.
These are the standards that govern battery storage, mapped to the equipment you procure, from the cell to the grid. Each one shows the edition in force and what's coming next, checked against the issuing body's primary sources. Free to use.
Where BESS specs go wrong
Which edition do you spec?
Specs name last year's edition, or today's, when a newer one will be enforced by the time the equipment is delivered. Published isn't enforced, and the enforced edition keeps moving.
Referenced under the wrong equipment
A DC-block standard lands in the PCS scope; a transport requirement ends up in the installation section. Requirements have to sit with the equipment they actually govern.
No clear overview
Four standards bodies, separate revision cycles, constant change. Keeping a current picture of what applies where, and what's actually enforced, is genuinely hard.
Browse by equipment
Filter by the component you're specifying. A standard can appear under more than one — the tags on each row show every piece of equipment it governs.
| Standard | Body | Equipment | Current edition |
|---|---|---|---|
| NFPA 855 Standard for the Installation of Stationary Energy Storage Systems | NFPA | DC block, BESS plant | 2026 |
| NFPA 69 Standard on Explosion Prevention Systems | NFPA | DC block, BESS plant | 2024 |
| NFPA 68 Standard on Explosion Protection by Deflagration Venting | NFPA | DC block, BESS plant | 2023 |
| NFPA 70 National Electrical Code | NFPA | BESS plant | 2026 |
| UL 9540 Energy Storage Systems and Equipment | UL | DC block, BESS plant | 3rd edition |
| UL 9540A Test Method for Evaluating Thermal Runaway Fire Propagation in Battery Energy Storage Systems | UL | DC block, BESS plant | 6th edition |
| UL 1973 Batteries for Use in Stationary and Motive Auxiliary Power Applications | UL | Battery cell, DC block | 3rd edition |
| IEC 62933-5-2 Electrical energy storage (EES) systems — Part 5-2: Safety requirements for grid-integrated EES systems — Electrochemical-based systems | IEC | DC block, BESS plant | Ed. 2.0 (2025) |
| IEC 62619 Secondary cells and batteries containing alkaline or other non-acid electrolytes — Safety requirements for secondary lithium cells and batteries, for use in industrial applications | IEC | Battery cell, DC block | Ed. 2.0 (2022) |
| IEC 63056 Secondary cells and batteries containing alkaline or other non-acid electrolytes — Safety requirements for secondary lithium cells and batteries for use in electrical energy storage systems | IEC | Battery cell, DC block | Ed. 1.0 (2020) |
| IEEE 1547 IEEE Standard for Interconnection and Interoperability of Distributed Energy Resources with Associated Electric Power Systems Interfaces | IEEE | PCS, PPC / SCADA & EMS, BESS plant | IEEE 1547-2018 (as amended by 1547a-2020) |
| IEC 62271-1 High-voltage switchgear and controlgear — Part 1: Common specifications for alternating current switchgear and controlgear | IEC | RMU / MV switchgear | Ed. 2.1 (2021) |
| IEC 60076-1 Power transformers — Part 1: General | IEC | Transformer | Ed. 3.0 (2011) |
| UL 1741 Inverters, Converters, Controllers and Interconnection System Equipment for Use With Distributed Energy Resources | UL | PCS | 3rd edition |
| IEC 62477-1 Safety requirements for power electronic converter systems and equipment — Part 1: General | IEC | PCS | Ed. 2.0 (2022) |
| IEC 61850 Communication networks and systems for power utility automation | IEC | PPC / SCADA & EMS | Multi-part series |
| ISO 9001 Quality management systems — Requirements | ISO | Company | ISO 9001:2015 |
| ISO 14001 Environmental management systems — Requirements with guidance for use | ISO | Company | ISO 14001:2026 |
| ISO/IEC 27001 Information security, cybersecurity and privacy protection — Information security management systems — Requirements | ISO | Company | ISO/IEC 27001:2022 |
| ISO 45001 Occupational health and safety management systems — Requirements with guidance for use | ISO | Company | ISO 45001:2018 |
| UN 38.3 Manual of Tests and Criteria — Section 38.3: Lithium metal and lithium ion batteries | UN | Transport & shipping | Rev. 8 (2023) + Amd 1 (2025) |
No standards match. Try a different search or equipment filter.
What's coming
When the next editions are expected — so a spec written today isn't out of date the month it's issued. Dates are the bodies' own targets and can move.
- 2026this year
- 2027
- 2028
- 2029
- No date set
Frequently asked
Which standards apply to a battery energy storage system?
It depends on the equipment and the market, but a utility-scale BESS typically has to meet cell and battery safety (IEC 62619, IEC 63056, UL 1973), system-level listing and fire-propagation testing (UL 9540, UL 9540A), installation and fire protection (NFPA 855, and NFPA 68/69/70 reached through it), and grid interconnection (IEEE 1547 in the US). This directory maps each standard to the equipment it governs, so you can see what applies where.
How do I know which edition of a standard to specify?
Specify the edition that will be enforced when the equipment is actually procured and delivered — not automatically the newest published one, and not the edition you used on the last project. Adoption lags publication, often by years, and varies by jurisdiction. Each record shows the edition in force, and the timeline flags revisions in the pipeline so you can spec ahead of a change.
What is the difference between UL 9540 and UL 9540A?
UL 9540 is the system-level safety listing for a complete energy storage system. UL 9540A is not a pass/fail certification — it is a test method that characterizes how a fire propagates through a battery installation during thermal runaway. NFPA 855 uses UL 9540A test data to justify separation distances and explosion-control decisions.
Is NFPA 855 mandatory?
NFPA 855 is a standard, not law in itself. It becomes mandatory where a jurisdiction adopts it, usually through the fire code. Which edition binds a given project depends on the edition the authority having jurisdiction enforces — which often lags the latest published edition.
Do these standards apply outside the United States?
Some are US-centric (NFPA, UL, and IEEE 1547 for interconnection); others are international (the IEC 62933, 62619 and 63056 series). In IEC-aligned markets the international routes usually govern; in North America the UL and NFPA route is customary. Always confirm what the local authority and grid operator require.
How current is this directory, and how is it kept up to date?
Every record is checked against the issuing body’s primary sources and carries a last-verified date on its page. When an edition changes or a new revision enters the pipeline, Standards Watch emails you — so a spec written today does not quietly go out of date.
Standards change quietly. Get told when they move.
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