Enhancing battery storage safety, reliability, and sustainability through QA/QC and risk mitigation

An adequate approach involves comprehensive risk mitigation and energy storage quality control strategies being implemented from the early project stages, such as procurement, supplier selection, and system design. Enertis Applus+ advocates for robust QAQC frameworks incorporating supplier qualification, factory audits, inline production monitoring, and Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT). These practices are crucial for minimizing project delays, reducing safety incidents, and preserving investment value throughout the BESS lifecycle.

While growing, the BESS supply chain faces major challenges: a concentrated manufacturing base, reliance on critical raw materials, fragmented traceability, and a rapidly evolving technology landscape. These conditions require stakeholders to adopt resilient sourcing strategies and work with suppliers that uphold ethical, environmental, and technical standards.

Sustainability and ESG considerations are now central to BESS procurement. Energy storage quality control experts recommend selecting suppliers with demonstrable commitments to responsible sourcing, recycling, and compliance with international frameworks such as the EU Battery Regulation, UK Modern Slavery Act, and UFLPA (Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act). Full traceability remains complex but can be improved through a combination of desktop reviews, digital tracking, and on-site audits.

QAQC principles must be extended across the entire system lifecycle—from pre-contract design reviews and factory audits to in-line production monitoring and post-shipment inspections. Inline monitoring during cell and system assembly enables real-time identification of quality risks, while FATs confirm system functionality, safety protections, and performance metrics before deployment.

Inspection data from eleven BESS manufacturers in 2024 reveal that over 50% of quality issues arise at the battery cell level, and 44% at the system level, mainly related to enclosure assembly and integration. Key challenges include poor warehouse conditions, SOP deviations, limited access to proprietary manufacturing data, and appearance defects that may signal deeper systemic weaknesses. Notably, enclosure water ingress remains a serious safety threat, as highlighted by the Moss Landing fire incident in California.

Battery storage safety requires all stakeholders—developers, EPCs, integrators, and advisors—to collaborate in enforcing technical specifications, traceability requirements, and quality benchmarks across the supply chain. Third-party energy storage quality control professionals such as Enertis Applus+ play a key role in defining QAQC plans, auditing manufacturers, and supporting contract negotiations to ensure compliance and mitigate risks.

As the industry matures, standardization, transparency, and robust QAQC implementation will be key to building confidence in BESS deployments worldwide. By prioritizing sustainability, safety, and technical integrity, battery energy storage can fulfill its promise as a reliable cornerstone of the clean energy transition.