CIGRE GCC Free Webinar Battery Energy Storage Systems Design, Risk,

Описание: “Battery Energy Storage Systems: Design, Risk, and Grid Integration for Utilities”
This session is designed for an engineering audience and will walk participants through:
• Core BESS configurations and chemistries (LFP, NMC)
• Failure modes and system-level risk areas (thermal runaway, HVAC loss, DC arc, harmonic injection)
• Current fire spacing guidelines from global insurers (FM Global, AEGIS, AIG)
• Real-world insights from full-scale UL 9540A and CSA TS-800 fire testing
• Tools for radiant heat and plume modeling (NUREG-1805 Fire Dynamics Tools)
• Deflagration venting design considerations
• Integration impacts on T&D infrastructure (reverse power flow, resonance, fast frequency response)
The material is focused on helping local stakeholders:
• Identify risk soft spots in existing or proposed BESS installations
• Understand how insurers and regulators are currently evaluating these systems
• Leverage modeling tools when physical spacing cannot be adjusted
• Prepare for grid integration and resilience planning

About the Speaker:

Meet John – a seasoned Energy Risk Engineer, risk management expert, and Licensed Insurance Agent (Producer) with over 40 years of experience in the energy industry. John’s career began in nuclear power generation at Georgia Power, where he gained invaluable experience spanning plant design change engineering to leading fire protection engineering teams at a nuclear power plant.
John later joined Constellation Energy and Dominion Resources, where he spent 17 years in corporate Risk Engineering. His responsibilities covered a wide array of energy sectors, including power generation, gas storage and delivery, electric transmission and distribution, and oil and gas exploration and production. He managed comprehensive risk and insurance programs for gas processing facilities, led Process Safety Management (PSM) audits at fractionation plants, and conducted Safety and Environmental Management Program (SEMP) reviews for offshore platforms, including deepwater spars.
John has played a significant role in the renewable energy sector, with extensive experience in solar and battery energy storage systems (BESS). He was instrumental in adjusting an $80 million solar insurance claim following a catastrophic hailstorm in Texas, and has conducted multiple solar risk assessments, including site visits across the U.S. To better understand module-level damage, John visited the Renewable Energy Testing Center (RETC) in San Jose to examine hail resistance and failure modes in photovoltaic modules. His current work includes evaluating fire risk, vegetation management, and loss prevention strategies for large-scale solar farms and BESS installations.
Notable accomplishments include:
• Leading the risk analysis of 1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas storage
• Investigating the cause and origin of a $22M gas plant explosion and fire
• Conducting field evaluations of wildfire and hail exposure for solar arrays
• Supporting black start capabilities and grid integration evaluations for BESS sites
John serves on the NFPA 25 Technical Committee for Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems. His industry contributions also include:
• Former Chairman, Edison Electric Institute Loss Control Committee
• Former Member, AEGIS Loss Control Task Force
• Former Engineering Advisory Committee Member, Nuclear Electric Insurance Limited (NEIL)
• Contributor to NEIL’s Property Standards Subcommittee
His diverse background also includes radiation safety and nuclear liability inspections for American Nuclear Insurers. John earned a B.S. in Fire Protection Engineering from the University of Maryland in 1983 and has been a key member of Gallagher since 2007.

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