NFPA members voted at the 2025 annual technical meeting to retain references to carbon dioxide, clean agents, and aerosol agents in NFPA Standard 855. NFPA 855 addresses fire protection for battery energy storage systems (BESS). The proposed 2026 edition of the standard would have eliminated references to carbon dioxide, clean agents, and aerosol agents as alternatives to sprinkler systems for protecting BESS.
CO2 and clean agents have been used for decades to extinguish fires in energy storage systems using various battery chemistries including lead acid. Aerosols have a history of success in protecting various BESS. The technical committee responsible for NFPA 855 had voted to remove references to these fire protection technologies. The only technologies which would have remained would have been water-based technologies. The stated justification for removing the references was “Other fire control and suppression have not been shown to effectively control lithium battery fires except NFPA 15 and NFPA 750 systems.” The justification would have been appropriate IF the only battery technologies address in 855 were lithium batteries. In addition to lithium batteries, 855 covers various energy storage technologies including lead acid, nickel cadmium, and sodium nickel chloride batteries, capacitor storage devices, and mechanical energy storage systems. NFPA 12, 2001, and 2010 systems have successfully extinguished fires involving one or more of these storage technologies.
The Fire Suppression Systems Association (FSSA) made a motion at the technical meeting to restore NFPA 12, 2001, and 2010 systems to the general fire protection section of NFPA 855. The motion was overwhelmingly approved by the NFPA members voting at the June 12 Technical Meeting. The alternative systems will continue to be recognized in the 2026 edition of NFPA 855 as potential means of protecting various BESS in case of fire.