Training on UL 9540A, NFPA 855, and large-scale fire validation of 6.25 MWh BESS containers (US focus)

Monday, 2. March 2026
9:00 am - 10:00 am PST, Los Angeles | 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm EST, New York City | 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm CET, Berlin, Paris, Madrid

This webinar explains how upcoming UL 9540A (2025) and NFPA 855 (2026) updates will change fire testing, design, and permitting for large battery energy storage systems, illustrated by real-world lessons from Hithium’s 6.25 MWh container large-scale fire test.

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As battery energy storage systems increase in size and energy density, fire codes and testing standards are tightening. The 2025 revision of UL 9540A and the 2026 edition of NFPA 855 introduce updated expectations around explosion prevention, enclosure performance and large-scale fire testing.

This webinar will begin with a focused interpretation of what these changes mean for manufacturers, developers, EPCs, authorities having jurisdiction, and insurers. LaTanya Schwalb, Principal Engineer at UL Solutions, will outline how UL 9540A large-scale fire testing is evolving and how NFPA 855 (2026) is expected to shape design, spacing and permitting decisions. She has more than 20 years’ experience in product safety certification and contributes to key standards committees including UL 9540 and UL 9540A.

In the second part of the webinar, Neil Bradshaw, Vice President, Americas & Director Applications Engineering at Hithium, will then present the company’s ∞Power 6.25 MWh container large-scale fire test. He will explain how the test was configured, what conditions were applied, and how the enclosure and internal safety systems responded under extreme thermal load.

The session will examine lessons learned and what validated test results may mean for spacing strategies, material selection and active safety system design.

This session will focus on the broader Americas market, including North and South America

Key discussion points include:

Presentation and discussion of UL 9540A (2025) and NFPA 855 (2026)
The role of full-scale fire testing in demonstrating compliance
How validated test data is considered and presented
Design considerations for high-energy-density containerized BESS
The webinar will close with a live Q&A session.

Questions can be submitted beforehand in the comments window when registering or in the chat during the live webinar.

Tristan Rayner, editor at pv magazine, will be the moderator of this webinar.

Registration for this webinar is free of charge.

Speakers

LaTanya Schwalb | Principal Engineer at UL Solutions

LaTanya Schwalb is responsible for developing technical requirements and interpreting UL Standards for stationary batteries, energy storage systems, fuel cells, and hydrogen generators. She represents UL Solutions on the technical committees for UL 1973, UL 9540, and UL 9540A, helping shape safety standards for batteries and energy storage systems. She is an active member of several NFPA committees, including NFPA 855, 850, 853, 800 (The Battery Code), and NFPA 2, as well as multiple IEC technical committees covering secondary batteries, fuel cell technologies, electrical energy storage systems, and batteries used in hazardous locations. She also serves on CSA technical committees focused on fuel cells and hydrogen generators using water electrolysis. LaTanya brings more than 20 years of experience in product safety certification.

Neil Bradshaw | Vice President, Americas & Director Applications Engineering, Hithium

Neil Bradshaw believes that stationary energy storage is best served from the cells up, advocating for a holistic approach that starts with the foundation of technology. With two decades of pioneering experience in energy storage product design, Neil brings a unique perspective to the field. As the Director of Global Applications Engineering at Hithium Energy Storage, his expertise spans diverse disciplines, making him an innovative specialist engineer capable of addressing complex challenges. His profound grasp of all project dimensions enables seamless communication across different levels. Prior to working at Hithium Neil worked at Sungrow and Enel X.

Moderators

Tristan Rayner | Editor, pv magazine

After studying Electrical Engineering, Tristan Rayner turned his attention to editorial roles. Prior to joining pv magazine in 2020, he was managing editor and founding editor of culture, tech and sport publications in Australia, and later contributed to publications including Android Authority, AFP, ZDNet, and YouTube channel The Friday Checkout, among other roles.