Fires in electrical vehicles, and especially electric two-wheelers, raise concerns about the safety of lithium-ion batteries generally. Researchers at Aachen University decided to find out whether home storage system fires have a similar high frequency. We report what they found, after they pondered how likely are home battery fires to break out, statistically speaking.
How They Went About Collecting Home Battery Fire Data
The Aachen University researchers began by collecting data about battery fires in Germany from various sources:
- They obtained their information regarding HHS fires from internet research, because no other data was available.
- They sourced their data regarding home solar systems, electric vehicles, and general house fires from other sources.
The team defined the fire risks they were comparing, as “the probability or likelihood of fire occurrence”. However, they did not include the severity of actual incidents in their data, because this information was not consistently available.
The researchers appear to have faced incomplete data in several areas. Their findings were therefore best-fit estimates, as opposed to precise information. With that as backdrop, we turn to the core question how likely are home battery fires to occur in reality?
How Likely Are Various Home Fires to Occur?
In summary, the researchers reported the following comparisons to home storage system fires :
- Home storage fires (HSS) are 50 times less likely than house fires.
- These HSS fires are 18 times less likely than gasoline vehicle fires.
- However, HSS fires are 4 times less likely than electric vehicle fires.
- And home storage fires are as likely to occur as tumble dryer fires.
- But HSS fires are three times more likely than photovoltaic system fires.
The data in this study may not be entirely accurate. However, it does succeed in placing home storage system fires in perspective. The researchers advise homeowners not to drop their guard. That’s because, when they do occur, home storage fires generate dangerous heat that spreads rapidly.
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