NEMA establishing BESS standards for data centers
Powering hyperscale data centers requires an incredible amount of electricity, and the incredible number of data centers in development in the United States is ushering in large-scale battery energy storage systems (ESS) and power equipment purpose-built for the task. Emerging category + emerging technology can only mean one thing: new codes and standards!
The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) is establishing clear performance expectations for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) to assist data center developers and other end users in making informed decisions about which BESS products to deploy to improve reliability and resilience and power economic development.
“An upcoming NEMA study projects that U.S. data center electricity demand will double, or potentially even triple, by 2030,” said Patrick Hughes, Senior Vice President, Technical Affairs, NEMA. “If the United States wants to lead the world in AI, we need tools like energy storage that will help create a reliable supply of electricity to power new data centers.”
The BESS Testing and Performance Measurements Standard outlines consistent methods for assessing key performance specifications of BESS to allow for easier evaluation and selection of products and to empower users to choose which storage system will best meet their needs. Users of this standard include data center developers, manufacturers, consumers and businesses, utilities, policymakers, researchers, and analysts.
“NEMA’s BESS Testing and Performance Measurements Standard will provide standardized performance specifications for BESS to ensure optimal system performance, enhance reliability, and power the U.S. economy,” Hughes says.
NEMA standard for data center BESS
This standard outlines standardized testing methods for measuring key performance specifications of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), ensuring that results are comparable across different manufacturers. It specifies testing criteria and parameters, referencing IEC 62933-2-1:2017 for the actual tests.
The standard covers a range of tests, including determining rated input/output active power, energy capacity, roundtrip efficiency, auxiliary power consumption, and self-discharge for various temperature and state-of-charge (SOC) settings.
It also includes special tests for specific functions like duty cycle efficiency and voltage range during black start transitions.
Additionally, a reporting format is defined to ensure comparability between test results for different BESS equipment. The standard integrates existing testing frameworks like NEMA ESS 1-2019 and IEC 62933-2-1.
You can read more about the standard here.
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