Unlock NERC PRC-005 Compliance with Real-Time Battery Insights Although the PRC-005-6 battery maintenance requirements are based on physical site visits using the specified calendar based schedule there is an option. The standard allows the use of remote monitoring to collect and record the required data. As with all standards there is always room for interpretation, […]
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In the latest episode of DC Power Hour, Dave Neubert recaps the Battcon conference in Miami with the Battery Blarney duo, George and Allen. Allen, a founder and Hall of Fame member, discusses the history of Battcon, which began to address negative press around VRLA batteries by fostering dialogue among industry stakeholders. Despite Allen’s absence […]
Is Electrolyte Spill Containment Necessary for Vented Lead-Acid (VLA) and Vented Nickel-Cadmium (Ni-Cd) Stationary Batteries? The above question is frequently asked and often the answer is what seems to be the standard answer to every stationary battery question – it depends! Well, the purpose of this technical note is to give an honest answer, taking […]
Lead-Acid (LA) and Nickel Cadmium (NiCd) vent hydrogen and oxygen when they are being charged. In the case of Valve-Regulated designs, the hydrogen is recombined with the oxygen within the battery back into water until the gassing volume/pressure exceeds the opening setting of the pressure relief valve. Hence the name “Valve-Regulated.” Oxygen gas is harmless, […]
Almost all non-Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) battery related codes were written with the Vented Lead-Acid (VLA) in mind. VLA is the correct IEEE term for a battery that has free-flowing, liquid, dilute sulfuric acid electrolyte that allows gases generated during charging to be vented out of the battery. Because of this design, […]
This timeline shows when and how to properly outfit your battery systems for the redundancy required by this enforceable NERC standard. January 2020 TPL-001 is a long-term planning standard signed by FERC with a 36-month window before becoming enforceable. Minimize Risk with -5 As demand grows and utilities identify all single points of failure, (including […]
Reducing Risk and Cost Through Intelligent Battery Monitoring Continuous battery monitoring can help the user achieve all these things Note: In standby battery systems the terms “cell”, “monobloc” (“bloc”) and “unit” refer to an individual unit within a “battery”, which may be made up of anything from 4 x 12 volt blocs to several hundred […]
I frequently get asked, “what is the difference between the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) stationary battery maintenance standards and those promulgated by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) in PRC-005?” My stock answer is, “lots.” First of all, a little bit of history and a lot of acronyms. In 2003, the […]
In 2011, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) released the Protection System Maintenance Standard, PRC-005-2. NERC comes under the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The mission of NERC is to ensure the reliability of the bulk power system in the USA and Canada. FERC is an independent government agency that is part of the […]
A few months ago, we published a White Paper in our monthly newsletter titled “Some Codes and Standards Applicable to Stationary Batteries and their Chargers.” It was well-received and generated a lot of comments, and true to the sub-heading of “The great thing about codes and standards is that there are so many to choose […]
Listen in this episode of DC Power Hour as our battery Blarney duo of George and Allen field questions from a few members of our sales team. We’ve got Patrick, Andrew, and Doug taking part in our round table discussion looking for feedback and answers to client questions and demands that they are asked to […]
In this episode the Battery Blarney Duo talk about a great topic once again, the Battcon 2023 recap. We’ve been waiting a few weeks to discuss this as George has been traveling, doing some training around North America. He’s back and in studio with us along with Allen and Chris joining in so sit back […]
Minimize Risk, Maximize Insight with a Pilot Program (As seen on Utility Dive) When it comes to addressing feasibility, costs, and potential risks on a small scale before deploying on a much larger one, pilot programs are essential across many industries and applications. One such application is installing a Battery Monitoring System (BMS) on a […]
In this episode, the Battery Blarney Duo of Alan and George are joined by their longtime friend and colleague at times, Dan Lambert. These gentlemen definitely have their finger on the pulse of the industry and can shed some light on the really interesting topic of codes and standards. Episode Highlights 04:40 – Not […]
In this episode, the Battery Blarney Duo is back in action to discuss the important topic of battery monitoring for different types of stationary battery applications. What all does a BMS monitor and what doesn’t it? They’ll discuss IEEE 1491, which they’ve have both chaired committees on, and review all that’s included in this vital […]
Stand-by power installations are a crucial part of any business or facility. They provide emergency power during outages, ensuring that critical systems keep running. However, many businesses and facilities are finding that the quality of their stand-by power installations is declining. What’s causing this decline, and what can be done to improve the situation? The […]
In this episode of DC Power Hour, we have a panel of round table experts to talk about the most recent Battcon event. Allen Byrne, George Pedersen, Erik Knudtson and Andrew Charlton discuss their experience and process the whole event. The whole team dive deep into the conversation and share their thoughts and opinions on […]
How Lead-Acid Batteries Release Hydrogen Lead-acid batteries produce hydrogen and oxygen gas when they are being charged. These gasses are produced by the electrolysis of water from the aqueous solution of sulfuric acid. A Vented Lead-Acid (VLA) battery cell, sometimes referred to as a “flooded” or “wet” cell, is open to the atmosphere through a […]
There are a myriad of codes, standards, guides and practices associated with lead-acid and nickel cadmium stationary batteries. A former colleague of mine and a code expert, used to say that, “the good thing about codes and standards is that there are so many of them to choose from.” The following is an extract from […]