EVLO’s Approach to Safety Validated with EVLOFLEX UL 9540 Certification
March 8, 2024
EVLO Energy Storage Inc. (EVLO), a fully integrated battery energy storage system provider and wholly owned subsidiary of Hydro-Québec, has recently announced that its latest generation battery energy storage system (BESS), the EVLOFLEX, has achieved UL 9540 certification.
The certification, administered by a North American independent third party, is an important safety standard for grid-connected batteries such as EVLO’s utility-scale BESS solutions.
UL 9540 certification encompasses BESS safety, reliability, performance and documentation across several phases of system development including design, construction, testing, installation and operation. UL 9540 certification requires demonstrating robust functional safety governance, fire prevention and response preparedness, explosion containment provisions, hazard detection sensitivity, and resistance to cascading failures.
“UL 9540 certification provides critical third-party validation of our industry-leading approach to safety throughout the development and operation of our EVLOFLEX systems,” said Sonia St-Arnaud, President and CEO of EVLO. “Our commitment to safety, performance, and continuous innovation is a leading factor in why our customers and partners choose to work with us.”
As an initial step toward UL 9540 certification, the EVLOFLEX met the requirements of UL 9540A, which confirmed that the mitigation strategy implemented in the EVLOFLEX BESS prevented the cascading of thermal runaway by slowing down propagation and containing it within a single module, maintaining a low severity level for the event. Today’s UL 9540 certification also encompasses other safety features, such as EVLO’s unique integration of both active and passive approaches for the dilution of combustion gases outlined in National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standard 855: 2020, NFPA 69 chapter 8. This means that during a thermal runaway event the EVLOFLEX will safely vent gases even if not connected to auxiliary power.
