Myers Sets New BESS Safety Benchmark with Industry-First Fire Test Pass

BETHLEHEM, PA – May 20, 2026 – Myers Emergency & Power Systems has established a new benchmark for fire safety in the rapidly growing energy storage sector. The company announced its EnerShed 2.0 Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) is the first in North America to successfully pass the formidable UL 9540A 6th Edition Large-Scale Fire Test, a milestone that promises to reshape industry standards and accelerate the deployment of critical grid technologies.

The achievement, validated by the CSA Group, a leading Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory, confirms the system’s compliance with the most substantial updates to the BESS fire safety standard in years. This development directly addresses one of the most significant hurdles to widespread battery adoption—fire risk—providing a new level of confidence for regulators, developers, and communities.

“At Myers, safety is not a checkbox. It is a core engineering principle that shapes every product decision we make,” said Troy Renken, Chief Product Officer of Myers, in a statement. “Being the first in our industry to achieve this milestone cements Myers’ position as an emerging market leader in the BESS category.”

A New Era for Battery Safety Standards

The significance of Myers’ achievement is rooted in the increased stringency of the UL 9540A 6th Edition standard, which was published in March 2026. Industry experts describe the new edition as a fundamental shift in how energy storage safety is evaluated. It moves beyond component-level analysis to a holistic, system-level validation under real-world fire conditions.

The most critical change is the formal integration of Large-Scale Fire Testing (LSFT) into the certification framework. Manufacturers must now definitively prove that a thermal runaway event—a chain reaction where a battery cell overheats and ignites—will not propagate to adjacent BESS units. This requirement is a direct response to concerns from Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs) and fire departments who are responsible for ensuring the safety of these installations.

Furthermore, the 6th Edition introduces a “passive-first” safety philosophy for outdoor systems. This mandates that a BESS must demonstrate containment of a thermal event without relying on active systems like HVAC or fire suppression, which could fail in a power outage. The standard also makes deflagration (explosion risk) testing mandatory under certain conditions, reflecting a more comprehensive approach to all potential hazards.

This updated standard is crucial as it aligns with the 2026 edition of NFPA 855, the primary standard for the installation of stationary energy storage systems. With NFPA 855 now mandating LSFT, compliance with UL 9540A 6th Edition has become essential for securing project permits and ensuring code compliance across North America.

Inside the Milestone: How EnerShed 2.0 Passed the Test

The EnerShed 2.0 system underwent what observers called an exceptionally demanding test protocol to earn its certification. The testing, conducted at Safe Laboratories under the observation of CSA Group and independent experts from the fire protection engineering firm Atar Fire, simulated a worst-case scenario. The BESS units were placed just two inches apart, a configuration designed to maximize the potential for fire propagation.

According to the company, the system's success is attributable to its innovative design, which includes an air-cooled architecture, robust passive barriers, and an open module design. Unlike many liquid-cooled systems that introduce potential risks associated with flammable coolants or leaks, EnerShed 2.0’s air-cooled approach simplifies thermal management. Its passive barriers proved effective at containing the fire within the initial unit, preventing any spread to adjacent enclosures—the most stringent and successful outcome defined by the standard.

“Large-scale fire testing represents the highest level of system safety validation in the battery energy storage industry,” noted Nicholas Bartlett, P.E., a Senior Fire Protection Engineer at Atar Fire who observed the process. He added that Myers’ decision to conduct open-door testing under these extreme conditions “reflects a strong commitment to both transparency and safety at the highest levels.”

Dana Parmenter, Commercial Vice President at CSA Group, reinforced the importance of this level of evaluation. “As BESS safety standards continue to evolve, large-scale fire testing under UL 9540A, 6th Edition is critical to demonstrating system compliance under real-world fire conditions,” she stated. The successful test generated crucial system-level fire performance data that validates the safety of the EnerShed 2.0.

Unlocking Market Confidence and Accelerating Deployment

This safety milestone is more than a technical achievement; it is a significant commercial enabler. For years, the permitting and insuring of BESS projects have been slowed by uncertainty surrounding fire risk. Local fire officials and insurers have often lacked the empirical data needed to confidently approve installations, leading to project delays and increased costs.

By being the first to provide verifiable, third-party proof of compliance with the industry's most rigorous standard, Myers is effectively de-risking its technology for all stakeholders. Developers using EnerShed 2.0 can now approach AHJs with definitive test data that demonstrates the system’s ability to prevent fire propagation. This streamlines the approval process and gives insurers the quantitative risk assessment data they need to underwrite projects more favorably.

This newfound confidence is essential for accelerating the clean energy transition. Battery storage is a linchpin technology for modernizing the electrical grid, enabling the integration of intermittent renewable sources like solar and wind, and enhancing grid resilience. By making BESS technology demonstrably safer, this certification helps build the public and regulatory trust necessary to deploy storage at the scale needed to meet climate and energy independence goals.

Setting the Pace in a Competitive Market

In the fiercely competitive BESS market, Myers’ achievement provides a significant first-mover advantage. While major industry players are undoubtedly working toward compliance with the new standard, Myers is now the only company in North America that can claim to have officially passed the 6th Edition LSFT. This leadership position on safety and regulatory compliance could prove to be a powerful differentiator in securing contracts for utility-scale, commercial, and industrial projects.

This proactive approach underscores the company’s stated commitment to engineering excellence and responsible commercialization. By investing in rigorous testing ahead of broad market mandates, Myers has not only enhanced its own product offering but has also raised the safety bar for the entire industry. This will likely compel competitors to accelerate their own testing and design efforts, leading to a safer ecosystem of energy storage products for everyone.

As the global energy landscape continues its rapid transformation, the focus on safety and reliability will only intensify. This pioneering certification demonstrates that robust safety is not a barrier to innovation but a catalyst for it, paving the way for the broader acceptance and deployment of the technologies that will power the future.