MNRE Eyes Comments on Draft Guidelines for Series Approval of Storage Batteries for Lab Testing

These draft guidelines has been prepared in consultation with the related stakeholders, including experts from test labs, Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), New Delhi and Battery Storage Industry.

The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) has sought suggestions or comments from public and related stakeholders on the guidelines drafted for series approval of storage batteries for conducting testing in test labs.

These draft guidelines has been prepared in consultation with the related stakeholders, including experts from test labs, Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), New Delhi and Battery Storage Industry.

Moreover, the interested stakeholders can provide their comments latest by April 18, 2019 at [email protected].

The MNRE said in notification that, “The guidelines are issued to facilitate labs/manufacturers in formation of series of products for approval of product family for performance testing of storage batteries (lead acid and nickel based chemistry type) in test labs for compulsory registration with BIS for implementation of the Solar Photovoltaics Systems, Devices and Component Goods Order 2017.”

Here’re a few guidelines that will be followed for conducting tests on storage batteries as per IS 16270(2014) by test labs:

1). Material and Construction

• Lead-Acid Batteries: The containers shall have been made using hard rubber, transparent SAN, fibre-reinforced plastic or polypropylene for vented type and polypropylene co-polymer, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, styrene-acrylonitrile or any other acid resistant plastic material for sealed batteries.
• Nickel-Cadmium and Nickel-Metal Hydride Batteries: The containers shall have been made using high strength alkali resistant material such as nickel-plated mild steel, stainless steel or nonporous plastic.

2). Procedure for submitting batteries for testing

The information regarding material of the containers, separator used, and type of sealing adopted (in case of sealed batteries) and the overall dimensions shall be provided by the manufacturer while submitting the batteries for testing at test laboratories.

• Charging of batteries: The manufacturer shall recommend the procedure to be followed for charging of the cells/ batteries to the test laboratory. If the information is not provided by the customer, the procedure described in applicable standards mentioned in Cl. 7.2 shall be followed.

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