Los Angeles County Municipal Code § 1207.1 Fire Code

Permits shall be obtained ESS as follows:

Construction permits shall be obtained for stationary ESS installations with a capacity of more than 3 kWh; and for mobile ESS charging and storage installations with a capacity of more than 3 kWh, covered by Section 1207.10.1. Permits shall be obtained in accordance with Section 105.6.5.

Operational permits shall be obtained for stationary ESS installations with a capacity of more than 3 kWh; and for mobile ESS deployment operations with a capacity of more than 3 kWh, covered by Section 1207.10.3. Permits shall be obtained in accordance with Section 105.5.14.

The following information shall be provided with the permit application:

Location and layout diagram of the room or area in which the ESS is to be installed.

Details on the hourly fire-resistance ratings of assemblies enclosing the ESS.

The quantities and types of ESS to be installed.

Manufacturer's specifications, ratings and listings of each ESS.

Description of energy (battery) management systems and their operation.

Location and content of required signage.

Details on fire suppression, smoke or fire detection, thermal management, ventilation, exhaust and deflagration venting systems, if provided.

Support arrangement associated with the installation, including any required seismic restraint.

A commissioning plan complying with Section 1207.2.1.

A decommissioning plan complying with Section 1207.2.3.

Other information required by the code official in accordance with Section 106.

A failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) or other approved hazard mitigation analysis shall be provided in accordance with Section 104.8.2 under any of the following conditions:

Where ESS technologies not specifically identified in Table 1207.1 are provided.

More than one ESS technology is provided in a room or enclosed area where there is a potential for adverse interaction between technologies.

Where allowed as a basis for increasing maximum allowable quantities. See Section 1207.5.2.

When required by the fire code official.

The hazard mitigation analysis shall evaluate the consequences of the following failure modes. Only single failure modes shall be considered.

A thermal runaway condition in a single ESS rack, module or unit.

Failure of any battery (energy) management system.

Failure of any required ventilation or exhaust system.

Voltage surges on the primary electric supply.

Short circuits on the load side of the ESS.

Failure of the smoke detection, fire detection, fire suppression or gas detection system.

Required spill neutralization not being provided or failure of a required secondary containment system.

Failure of temperature control.

The fire code official is authorized to approve the hazardous mitigation analysis provided that the consequences of the hazard mitigation analysis demonstrate:

Fires will be contained within unoccupied ESS rooms or areas for the minimum duration of the fire-resistance-rated separations identified in Section 1207.7.4.

Fires in occupied work centers will be detected in time to allow occupants within the room or area to safely evacuate.

Toxic and highly toxic gases released during fires will not reach concentrations in excess of the IDLH level in the building or adjacent means of egress routes during the time deemed necessary to evacuate occupants from any affected area.

Flammable gases released from ESS during charging, discharging and normal operation will not exceed 10 percent of their lower flammability limit (LFL).

Flammable gases released from ESS during fire, overcharging and other abnormal conditions will be controlled through the use of ventilation of the gases, preventing accumulation, or by deflagration venting.

Where required elsewhere in Section 1207, large-scale fire testing shall be conducted on a representative ESS in accordance with UL 9540A. The testing shall be conducted or witnessed and reported by an approved testing laboratory. The test report shall include demonstration that a fire involving one ESS will not propagate to an adjacent ESS, and where an ESS is installed within buildings, enclosed areas and walk-in units, that a fire involving one ESS will be contained within the room, enclosed area or walk-in unit for a duration equal to the fire-resistance rating of the room separation specified in Section 1207.7.4. The test report shall be provided to the fire department for review and approval in accordance with Section 104.8.2. In making the determination regarding approval, the fire department may also require other considerations be provided. Such considerations may include, but are not limited to, those regarding the impact(s) of gases generated during abnormal conditions; the ability of first responders to respond to and mitigate incidents involving the ESS, with a reasonable level of safety; and the provision of adequate safeguards to prevent well-intended but detrimental interaction with ESS.

The fire code official may also require a forensic analysis of the cause of failure by an independent laboratory approved by the fire code official in accordance with Section 104.11. A written report generated through the forensic analysis will be forwarded to the fire code official for approval and record keeping.