Surge Protection for Mobile Energy Storage Systems (MESS)

TerraCharge mobile battery trailer. Image used courtesy of Power Edison

OVERVIEW

Today's increased reliance on very sensitive electronics makes surge protection an important topic for Mobile Energy Storage Systems or MESS. The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety study found that $26 billion dollars was lost due to non-lightning power surges. In addition, there are about 25 million lightning strikes in the US each year that cause between $650M to $1B in losses according to the Insurance Information Institute, State Farm©.

This page discusses how to best protect your Mobile Energy Storage System or Energy Storage System (ESS) and all the associated components like Inverters, Power Conversion Modules, Power Panels, Battery Chargers, Electric Vehicle Charging Dispensers, Solar Tracking Modules, Sensors and other alternative energy sources.

Selecting SPD for Mobile Energy Storage System (MESS)

UL 9540 require that Surge Protective Devices (SPDs) shall be UL1449 Listed. This means selecting a surge protector is easier than it has ever been. There are only a few choices available for SPDs that are UL Listed for any of the most commonly used surge standards including UL1449 5th Edition, UL497B, and UL497E.

Recommended SPD for Main Service Panel

Location	Equipment	System	Surge Protector Model#	Link
	Main Panelboard	480Vac	MDS750E-480D

Recommended SPD for Power Conversion Cabinet

Location	Equipment	System	Surge Protector Model#	Link
	Power Conversion System Cabinet	480Vac Power Input	DS74US-480D
		P/S 120-240Vac Power Input	DS72US-230S/G
		DC/DC Converter 1500Vdc Power Input	DS50PVS-1500/51
		P/S 24Vdc Power Output	DS220S-24DC
		Control Unit Ethernet Cat 6A	MJ8-C6A
		Wireless	P8AX09-6G-N/FF
		4-20mA	DLA-24D3

Recommended SPD for Battery Storage Cabinet

Location	Equipment	System	Surge Protector Model#	Link
	Battery Storage Cabinet	24-1500Vdc Power Input	DS220S-24DC DS50PVS-1500/51
		Communications Ethernet Cat 6A	MJ8-C6A

Recommended SPD for Control and Monitoring Cabinet

Location	Equipment	System	Surge Protector Model#	Link
	Control & Monitoring Cabinet	24Vdc Power Input	DS220S-24DC
		Network Switch Ethernet Cat 6A	MJ8-C6A
		Network Switch POE Cat. 6A	MJ8-POE-C6A
		Energy Mgnt RS232	DLA-12D3
		Energy Mgnt 4-20mA	DLA-24D3
		SCADA Wireless	P8AX09-6G-N/FF