How important is the safety of household energy storage batteries?

The safety of household energy storage batteries is crucial, as it has a direct impact on multiple dimensions such as personal safety, property protection, system reliability, and industry development, and may even affect the overall safety of households and communities. Below is a detailed explanation from a specific perspective: 1. Directly related to personal safety, avoiding major injuries Household energy storage batteries often use high-capacity lithium batteries (such as lithium iron phosphate, ternary lithium, etc.). If the safety performance is insufficient, it may cause thermal runaway (internal short circuit, overcharging, etc. leading to sudden temperature rise), resulting in smoke, fire, and even explosion. When lithium batteries burn, they release toxic gases such as carbon monoxide and hydrogen fluoride. If they spread in a closed home environment, it may cause poisoning and suffocation to personnel. Fire or explosion may directly cause physical injuries such as burns and scalds, especially for vulnerable groups such as the elderly and children, with slower evacuation reactions and higher risks. For example, in 2023, a fire broke out in a certain area due to the failure of overcharge protection for household energy storage batteries, resulting in partial burning of houses. Fortunately, there were no casualties, but such incidents are enough to highlight the bottom line of safety. 2. Protect family property and reduce economic losses Household energy storage batteries are usually installed indoors (such as balconies, storage rooms) or in outdoor areas near residential areas. Once a safety accident occurs, it may trigger a chain reaction: A battery fire may ignite surrounding furniture, appliances, walls, etc., causing the destruction of houses and indoor property, resulting in economic losses of tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of yuan. Even in the absence of a fire, battery leakage, short circuits, and other issues may damage connected appliances (such as refrigerators and air conditioners) or cause household circuit failures, increasing repair costs. In addition, if a neighbor fire is caused due to battery safety issues, it may also involve third-party property compensation, further expanding economic risks. 3. Ensure long-term stable operation of the system and avoid functional failure Safety is a prerequisite for energy storage batteries to achieve their core functions. Batteries lacking safety design may cause system paralysis due to the following issues: Battery management system (BMS) failure: unable to accurately monitor voltage, temperature, and current, which may lead to overcharging, overdischarging, shortened battery life, and even inability to supply power at critical moments (such as power outages), losing the significance of emergency backup power. Inadequate protection performance: if the waterproof and dustproof level is low (such as lower than IP54), short circuit may occur in humid environment or rainstorm weather; Poor resistance to vibration and impact may damage the internal structure during movement or installation, posing a safety hazard. For example, if a household relies on energy storage batteries combined with solar panels for power supply, the safety failure of the batteries may lead to the paralysis of the entire off grid system, affecting daily electricity consumption. 4. Maintain industry trust and promote healthy technological development Home energy storage is an emerging industry, and consumers' trust in product safety directly determines market acceptance. Frequent safety accidents can undermine user confidence, hinder the popularization of energy storage batteries in household scenarios, and thus affect the promotion of new energy sources such as distributed photovoltaics - because energy storage is the key to solving the "intermittency" problem of solar energy. On the contrary, high security products can drive industry standard upgrades (such as mandatory BMS certification and thermal runaway testing), promote enterprise research and development of more reliable technologies (such as solid-state batteries and more efficient heat dissipation designs), and form a virtuous cycle. Summary: Safety is the "lifeline" of household energy storage batteries For household scenarios, the core value of energy storage batteries is "convenience" and "security", and safety is the foundation for realizing this value. Whether from the direct protection of personal and property, or from the long-term perspective of system functionality and industry development, safety is always given priority. Therefore, when choosing energy storage batteries, families need to focus on battery type (lithium iron phosphate safety is usually higher than ternary lithium), BMS technology, certification standards (such as UL94, IEC 62133), and manufacturer's safety test reports to avoid neglecting safety risks due to the pursuit of low prices or capacity.