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UK Government Just Made Home Battery Installations Much Harder

The Aiden Project🔨

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Home battery installations in the UK have changed. If you're planning a home battery, battery storage, solar battery or plug-in solar system, this video explains how the new BS 7671 wiring regulations, following PAS 63100 guidance, could affect where you can install a domestic battery energy storage system and why my own installation never happened.

I take you through my planned home battery installation, why it fell through after the regulations changed, and what these new fire safety requirements could mean for homeowners, electricians and anyone considering battery storage in the future.

In this video I cover:

Why my home battery installation failed
How PAS 63100 guidance became part of BS 7671
Fire safety requirements for domestic battery energy storage systems (BESS)
Why batteries may no longer be suitable under stairs, in lofts or close to escape routes
Separation distances from doors, windows and combustible materials
The challenges for terraced and semi-detached houses
What the new UK plug-in solar changes mean
Why battery storage remains far more complicated than simply plugging in solar panels
Questions around insurance and future home battery installations

This video is based on my own experience and research and isn't intended as professional electrical or legal advice. If you're considering installing a home battery system, always speak to a qualified installer and ensure your installation complies with the latest applicable regulations.

💬 I'd love to hear from electricians, installers and homeowners in the comments.

Where would you install a home battery on your property under the latest requirements?

👍 If you found the video useful, please like, subscribe and share it with anyone considering solar or battery storage.

#HomeBattery #BatteryStorage #SolarBattery

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https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/theaide...

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About me:

I'm Aiden and I'm documenting what was supposed to be my barn conversion, which has now ended up being a new build. I don't have a trade, I just have a go and I'll be doing lots of work myself. This is the boring bit in grand designs that you don't get to see. Subscribe and follow along to find out how our future home turns out.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_aiden_p...

contact email: aiden@acer-view.com

20 Comments

@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT Creator 1 month ago Pinned

⚠️ Suddenly that "perfect spot" in the garage... side passage... utility room... or next to the house... may no longer be suitable.
If my self-build, with plenty of space and multiple outbuildings, couldn't easily accommodate a home battery installation...
🤔 What chance does the average UK home have?
Some of the key changes introduced through BS 7671 Amendment 4 (based on PAS 63100) include:
❌ No installations under stairs, in lofts, bedrooms, hallways or other escape routes.
🚪 Keep batteries at least 1 metre from doors, windows, vents, flues and external escape routes.
🔥 Keep batteries at least 2 metres from combustible materials such as timber fences, sheds, stored materials, fuel tanks and gas cylinders.
🏠 Depending on the installation, additional fire separation, detection and ventilation measures may also be required.
💬 I'd genuinely like to hear from electricians, battery owners and homeowners...

@trevornelmes9331 1 month ago (edited)

Interesting. When I had ours installed a couple of years ago, the installer made some 'firm' recommendations. Each battery box was 200A x 48V, and he recommended no more than four. As it happens, that is 38.4kW storage. The inverter attached to that pack can only handle a maximum 15kWh (65A @ 230V). Each battery box is limited to 6kWh maximum output/input, just two thirds of the maximum storage capacity (if you assumed it was drawn fully over an hour), meaning the system would operate, at maximum, only 0.66C on any given box, and only 0.4C on average with all four boxes connected. He said this was important because it allowed for an individual battery box to be taken offline for maintenance, and also because slow discharge/charge rates massively reduce heat buildup, prolong cell life, as well as reduce fire risk.

He also specified battery packs that use LFP cells, not Lithium ION (to massively reduce fire risk) and not cylinder (18650 being the most common) but instead prismatic cells. The battery packs have internal fire suppression, fuses and breakers. The small room that the battery packs are in he insisted be at least 3m from any other door, and be completely concrete or cement lined, accessed by a substantial commercial steel fire door, with passive external ventilation nowhere near any exit route from the house, and no living space or void above, not even timbers running though above. The floor/base is two foot thick concrete. Obviously a heat alarm system is fitted, along with an active heat extraction system. Those regs did not exist when he/we did this, but we both (the installer and I) spent some time thinking about safety and did a lot of research. The technical person at the UK inverter importer was utterly brilliant, so should give them a shout out (Sunsynk, and the inverter is made by Deye).

Apologies for typos, I am dyslexic.

@Just_a_thought-k9g 1 month ago

Good video Aiden and I think you laid out the issues fairly comprehensively. The comments by some saying you could have got around the standards if you had fitted them before October, rather missed the point!

The issue is the potential dangers from battery failure and the potential consequences of a failure mean the significant restrictions need to be applied to minimise the risks. As you say no more fitting them under stairs, in garages or even in loft spaces alongside solar inverters! High density electrical energy means potentially high risks of fire if they ever do potentially go wrong. The issue is not the frequency potential risk occurring but the potential level of risk to life and property if ever a failure was to occur.

The brave new world of roof solar, large inverters feeding back into the grid, large local battery storage and ASHP for heating all working together to provide, ideally effectively virtually 'off grid', 'free energy' all needs very careful consideration and potentially a significant overall financial investment and physical foot print space along with adequate distances between all the critical hardware, anything that is potentially combustible and any boundary lines.

As an 'off grid' solution to provide vital heat and energy is one thing where space is plentiful and human density levels are very low but it is potentially a whole different ball game trying to integrate them into already existing or new build 'modern estate' high density rabbit hutches!

@fuzzylogickben 1 month ago

You had me worried! I'd been planning an extensive battery system for ages. Fortunately I'd kept all plans strictly within the recommendations so I should still be ok.

@yadayada3593 1 month ago

There are similar BS rules around R290 heat pumps just because they contain a couple hundred grams of gas, while having gas boiler indoors is absolutely fine.

@maramé.r 1 month ago (edited)

I installed a non plugin off grid system in my home with solar panels and LFP batteries and mains inverter with little difficulty. I also have rooftop solar with a grid linked inverter but much prefer the system I installed which gives me entirely free energy free of the grid and all the complications it brings. It also works when the grid goes down which frequently happens. I’m looking forward to having sodium ion batteries once suitable ones are available

@GlennFS 1 month ago

In Australia it is pretty standard to put cement fibre between any battery and a flammable wall or any wall that has a habitable room on the other side.

it is not a big issue here as a 2.4 x 1.2 (8' x 4') meter cement fibre sheet is about $40 Australian.

@BikeOnRoadLondon 1 month ago

The requirement you have stated applies to certain amount of KWH storage and usually means commercial setting. In domestic setting, unlikely any of these will apply. For a 5kwh system you could have had it pretty much wherever you want tbh.

@vortexlisa 1 month ago

I can't think of a single place a battery could go in my small place.

@RagdollDIY 1 month ago

Fire safety, yet we are allowed to sit on top of them in the car 😂

@rickinphx 1 month ago

I would suggest you put it to the left of the stairs that you were going to put it under the landing of. Come out from the house a couple of meters put in a foundation 1/2 m, by 2 and a half meters, put up a cinder block wall two and a half meters wide and 2 m high and mount it to that on the North side. That should cover everything.

@markdyball63 1 month ago

Great stuff as always Aiden. they'll ban anything which means utility companies missing out on grabbing our cash, same with wood burners etc.

@puddinggeek4623 1 month ago

Excellent video as always. Very informative and interesting.

@zcustard 1 month ago (edited)

Were these batteries NMC or LiFePo4? LiFePo4 is the most common home battery now and practically fireproof. Is this Regulation being pushed by the oil/gas industry to hobble their competition?

@jcflippen1552 1 month ago

Love the subject and the video production. 👍👍👍

@MichaelAddlesee 1 month ago

Great video, very well presented.

@draidangraham 1 month ago

Thanks Aiden. It's like the legislation is being driven by the insurance companies 🤔 I have a large plot, not endless supply of money, detached garage but maybe too close to house? Garage contains . . . Stuff that wouldn't be insured if I put in a battery there. I'll keep with the bulk gas tank for now 👍

@TheNewMediaoftheDawn 1 month ago

This is actually a great question…. However, in my hometown we have natural gas lines running throughout the entire city and occasionally one blows up and takes out a few houses. Also, old houses use oil tanks to run furnaces, and of course wood stoves? Battery fires can certainly be intense tho, stuff to ponder indeed.

@StanleyRestall 1 month ago

We had new gas pipes installed and got a non-compliance notice on the gas meter. It shares the cupboard with the incoming electricity meter, and consumer unit. It was normal practice when the house was built. A non-compliance notice is a cheaper box ticking exercise than moving the meters - it will be the same for the battery installations when the time comes for the EICR.

@eco-terrorist 1 month ago (edited)

You can only fit batteries to a North facing wall, + nothing wrong with a shed or garage install as well.
and were the regs have not caught up is the chemistry of the batteries LFP and Sodium are next to impossible to catch fire.