Services > Quality Assurance > Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)

Quality Control and Testing for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)

Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)

Managing quality amid unprecedented industry growth

With rising worldwide demand in BESS and rapid increases in average system size, chronic underperformance and safety risks have never been higher. New suppliers, factories, and production line technology and workers are deployed at increasingly rapid rates – leading to a spike of serious issues.

A growing overreliance on automated production lines and quality assurance (QA) has contributed to rising issues. Inexperienced and/or poorly training operators too frequently misconfigure automated production and QA systems, which leads to a propagation of quality issues rather than the opposite. Coupled with the now seven system handoffs from cell production to project site, problems are more complicated to solve than ever before.

Unidentified and unresolved issues often lead to costly project delays, unforeseen safety events, performance degradation, and time-consuming warranty claim issues.

Intertek CEA’s proactive and robust quality control and testing program utilizes our strong QA storage background and experienced professionals to proactively identify and resolve issues at every stage of production – before they impact your business.

Pre-production Factory Audit - Battery Cell / Module / PCS / System Integration

Intertek CEA’s factory audits utilize our time-tested 400+ point checklist to provide industry-leading insights into the production processes and quality standards of any storage manufacturer’s factory globally.

Our audits ensure factories have completed a variety of advanced safety and functional tests which go above and beyond basic functional tests, and include:

Quality and Reliability Policies and Practices
Administrative Policies and Practices
Facility Certifications Audit
R&D Capabilities and Testing, benchmarked against the industry
In-House Testing Laboratory Management Audit
Incoming Raw Material Quality Control
Factory And Supplier Processes and Documentation
Production Process and Materials Management Audit
Finished Product Loading and Logistics Management Audit

Inline Production Process Monitoring – Batteries, Racks, and Integration

Intertek CEA’s inline production process monitoring identifies issues during production and before the final product is packed to proactively identify issues, replace faulty component, implement stricter production controls, and reduce the likelihood of defects being shipped.

Proactively catching and preventing quality issues in your equipment optimizes the performance and extends the lifetime of your products.

Through Intertek CEA’s Inline Production Process Monitoring for BESS, you will gain:

Comprehensive weekly reports detailing every issue/risk identified according to severity, including which issues have been resolved. Intertek CEA continues to follow up with the supplier until all identified issues are resolved
Ongoing monitoring of production processes and rates, including production and shipment schedules or expected delays
Project Summary Report detailing the entire production, including issues found and resolved
Access to Intertek CEA’s on-the-ground technology and quality experts who work with the supplier to resolve issues
Detailed insights into the production process and quality standards for every step of production

Comprehensive Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) Witnessing of Sampled Systems

Functional and technical issues are a regular occurrence during the BESS production process and can pose significant safety and financial risks.

Intertek CEA’s third-party FAT oversight identifies issues during the testing process and ensures all issues are resolved before the product is delivered to the client.

Inspections typically include functional test verification; performance test verification; thermal imaging tests; lab testing oversight; and pre-shipment inspection.

Through Intertek CEA’s FAT Witnessing, you will gain:

Access to Intertek CEA’s on-the-ground technology and quality experts who provide recommendations to the supplier to improve their processes and reduce defects over time
Comprehensive inspection report detailing the outcome of the FAT inspections, and any corrective actions taken by the supplier for discovered issues

Container Loading Monitoring

Inadequate loading practices by the factory can result in damaged finished products either during loading of the containers or at some point during transportation. Further, finished products that were previously rejected by Intertek CEA or that were not inspected by a third party altogether may end up getting shipped without oversight.

Intertek CEA’s container loading monitoring oversees the loading of the finished product to ensure conformance with packaging and loading specifications and to ensure the boxes/pallets loaded into the shipping container come exclusively from the inspected and approved lots.

Our engineers confirm the final products are safely loaded without damage, secured, sealed, and accurately recorded on the Bill of Lading. Intertek CEA’s container loading monitoring reports include comprehensive details covering every container, seal, and pallet number with accompanying photos.

Logistics management and shipment tracking

When working with overseas manufacturers on large PV projects, shipment and container tracking can quickly get complicated once the product has left the factory grounds.

Intertek CEA’s logistic management services help our customers capture baseline shipping schedules per the manufacturers and report on shipment progress to final destination on key milestones, including: