In the context of global resource scarcity and environmental pollution, the world is actively promoting carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals, driving the rapid development of the new energy sector. The energy storage battery industry holds immense potential, but it inevitably faces challenges such as prominent product safety issues and a lack of standardized frameworks. This paper collects and analyzes policy regulations and standard documents related to the energy storage battery sector, examines industry development trends and the current state of standardization efforts, and explores directions for improving testing standards based on technological advancements and market demands. This work provides significant theoretical reference and practical guidance for fostering the healthy and sustainable growth of the energy storage battery industry.
Energy storage batteries, as critical devices in the energy storage field, enable the mutual conversion and storage of electrical energy into chemical energy (or physical energy, kinetic energy). They play a vital role in enhancing energy utilization efficiency, promoting clean energy applications, and facilitating energy transition. In recent years, electrochemical energy storage has seen a rapid increase in its share of the global energy storage market. Among these, lithium-ion batteries dominate the market due to their excellent overall performance, while flow batteries and sodium-sulfur batteries serve unique functions in specific applications. According to data from industry reports, global energy storage battery shipments reached 369.8 GWh in 2024, representing a year-on-year growth of 64.9%, with Chinese companies accounting for as much as 93.5% of these shipments. Unlike traditional consumer batteries, the core function of energy storage batteries lies in storing large amounts of energy over extended periods and performing frequent, efficient charge-discharge cycles to meet diverse application scenarios such as grid peak shaving, renewable energy integration, and emergency backup power. However, issues related to safety, cycle life, reliability assurance, and full lifecycle costs remain key bottlenecks limiting their broader adoption. Therefore, establishing a scientific and rigorous testing standard system for energy storage lithium batteries is essential to ensure product safety and reliability, improve performance quality, guide technological progress, reduce application costs, and promote fair market competition.
The energy storage industry is experiencing robust growth driven by policy incentives and market demand. The transition to renewable energy and the increasing penetration of wind and solar power have heightened the need for energy storage solutions. Electrochemical energy storage, particularly lithium-ion batteries, has become crucial for stabilizing grid operations due to its fast response, high efficiency, and flexible deployment. Simultaneously, continuous advancements in energy storage technology and mass production have led to significant cost reductions, greatly enhancing the economic viability of energy storage projects. Additionally, application scenarios for energy storage are expanding from traditional power system ancillary services to user-side applications such as commercial and industrial energy storage, residential energy storage, as well as communication base stations, data centers, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure. This diversification is propelling the energy storage battery industry into a period of rapid expansion.
Energy storage battery technologies are evolving along diverse pathways to meet varying demands for cost, lifespan, safety, energy density, and power characteristics across different applications. Each battery type possesses distinct advantages and limitations. Lithium-ion batteries, with their high energy density, long cycle life, mature supply chain, and relatively low cost, hold a substantial market share. However, inherent safety risks such as thermal runaway and dependence on critical resources like lithium and cobalt remain areas of concern. Sodium-ion batteries offer benefits including abundant sodium resources, low cost potential, good low-temperature performance, and higher safety, positioning them as complements or alternatives to lithium-ion batteries in cost-sensitive or lower energy density scenarios. Nonetheless, their current energy density and cycle life are inferior to mature lithium battery technologies, and their supply chain is in the early stages of development. Flow batteries provide high safety, long cycle life, independent power and capacity design, and ease of recycling, making them suitable for long-duration storage and large-scale applications. Drawbacks include lower energy density, higher system complexity, and significant initial investment. Lead-acid batteries are characterized by mature technology, low cost, a well-established recycling system, and excellent high-rate discharge performance, but suffer from low energy density and shorter cycle life. Lead-carbon batteries, which incorporate carbon materials into the negative electrode, significantly improve charge acceptance and extend cycle life, making them suitable for specific energy storage scenarios, albeit at increased cost. Furthermore, other energy storage technologies such as zinc-based batteries and sodium-sulfur batteries continue to develop in niche segments or are in the research and demonstration phases. Together, these energy storage battery technologies form an increasingly rich energy storage technology landscape, driving the industry toward meeting a broader range of needs.
| Battery Type | Energy Density (Wh/kg) | Cycle Life (cycles) | Safety Level | Relative Cost | Key Applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lithium-ion | 150-250 | 3000-6000 | Medium | Medium | Grid storage, EVs |
| Sodium-ion | 100-160 | 2000-4000 | High | Low | Stationary storage |
| Flow Battery | 20-50 | >10000 | High | High | Long-duration storage |
| Lead-acid | 30-50 | 500-1500 | High | Low | Backup power |
| Lead-carbon | 30-60 | 2000-4000 | High | Medium | Cycling applications |
As the mainstream technology, the testing standard system for lithium-ion batteries is relatively mature and continuously improving. Internationally, IEC 62619 and IEC 62620 specify safety and performance requirements for secondary lithium batteries used in industrial equipment and power energy storage systems, respectively. IEC 63056 covers safety requirements and tests for secondary lithium batteries in power energy storage systems, including insulation, overcharge and over-discharge protection, short-circuit, and reverse connection protection. UL 1973, widely adopted in North America, assesses the safety and performance of batteries for stationary energy storage systems, vehicle auxiliary power, and light electric rail vehicles, covering electrical, mechanical, environmental, and functional safety aspects. Nationally, standards such as GB/T 36276—2023 for power energy storage lithium-ion batteries define requirements for appearance, dimensions, mass, electrical performance, environmental adaptability, durability, and safety. GB/T 43522—2023 provides guidance for quality control during lithium-ion battery production, while T/CES 172—2022 details safety testing procedures for battery management systems in energy storage stations. Although existing standards cover major performance and safety dimensions of energy storage lithium batteries, continuous updates are needed in areas such as refined testing methods, evaluation of aging mechanisms, and system-level safety linkage tests as technology evolves and application scenarios expand.
Current testing standards for lead-acid and lead-carbon batteries primarily regulate capacity retention, cycle durability, and basic safety characteristics. Internationally, IEC 61427 and IEC 60896 specify requirements for renewable energy storage systems and stationary backup power lead-acid batteries, respectively. In China, GB/T 22473.1—2021 details key indicators and test methods for lead-acid batteries in energy storage applications, including capacity, consistency, sealing, charge acceptance, charge retention, water loss, and cycle life. Despite their advantages, lead-acid batteries have limited cycle life and are prone to sulfation during high-rate charge-discharge, leading to accelerated capacity decay. To address these limitations, lead-carbon battery technology has emerged, combining the benefits of lead-acid batteries and supercapacitors. By incorporating activated carbon materials into the negative electrode, lead-carbon batteries significantly enhance charge-discharge rates, specific capacity, and cycle life, exhibiting superior charge-discharge characteristics and longer service life. For lead-carbon batteries, GB/T 36280—2023 specifies characteristics and test methods for appearance, dimensions, performance, environmental adaptability, lifespan, and safety.
Testing standards for flow batteries are gradually expanding from key materials and core components to system-level performance, safety, and reliability assessments. The IEC 62932 series outlines general requirements, performance test methods, and safety requirements for flow battery energy storage systems, serving as an important international standard. In China, GB/T 33339—2016 and GB/T 43512—2023 provide essential guidance for testing and reliability evaluation of all-vanadium flow battery systems. Additionally, industry standards such as NB/T 42133—2017 specify test methods for components like electrolytes in all-vanadium flow batteries. Specific types like zinc-bromine and zinc-nickel flow batteries also have dedicated testing standards, such as NB/T 11224—2023 for electrode testing in zinc-nickel flow batteries, further refining the testing process. These standards collectively form the foundation of the flow battery testing standard system.
With continuous innovation in energy storage battery technology and increasingly complex market demands and application scenarios, standards related to energy storage batteries must be continuously updated and refined based on factors such as application scenarios, characteristics of different energy storage battery types, economic benefits, and policy directions, while ensuring quality and safety.
Safety is the bottom line for energy storage applications, and existing safety-related standards for energy storage batteries urgently need deepening and systematization. In the future, standard development organizations should formulate targeted safety requirements and test methods based on the safety risk characteristics of different chemical systems, battery forms, integration levels, and application scenarios. This includes distinguishing safety assessment priorities between energy-type and power-type batteries, ensuring safety standards cover the entire battery lifecycle from transportation, installation, operation, maintenance, decommissioning, to recycling. Particular attention should be paid to the quantitative assessment of the impact of aging on safety performance. Simultaneously, standard development organizations should strengthen system-level safety testing, improving safety test standards for key auxiliary systems such as battery management, thermal management, energy management, and fire protection, including functional safety, reliability, and collaborative operation. Additionally, they should closely follow international standard development trends, actively participate in international standardization activities, and promote the alignment of domestic standards with international advanced levels to address technological iterations and new safety risks.
Cycle life is a core indicator for measuring the economy and durability of energy storage batteries. However, differences in test methods and evaluation criteria used by various entities in the industry, coupled with long testing cycles, hinder the rapid application of energy storage technologies. Therefore, industry associations can collaborate with testing institutions to promote the establishment of industry-recognized, unified cycle life testing standards. These should clarify key parameters such as charge-discharge rates, depth, temperature, cutoff conditions, and end-of-life criteria, enabling fair comparison of different technologies and products from various manufacturers on the same benchmark. Moreover, beyond average lifespan, standard development organizations need to focus on reliability indicators such as battery performance consistency, early failure probability, and failure rates, establishing reliability testing and evaluation standards based on statistics and probability theory to provide more comprehensive guarantees for the long-term stable operation of energy storage systems.
| Parameter | Description | Recommended Value Range | Impact on Lifespan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charge/Discharge Rate (C-rate) | Current relative to battery capacity | 0.5C to 2C | Higher rates reduce life |
| Depth of Discharge (DoD) | Percentage of capacity used per cycle | 20% to 100% | Deeper DoD shortens life |
| Temperature | Operating temperature during cycling | -20°C to 60°C | Extreme temperatures degrade life |
| Cycle Count | Number of cycles until end-of-life | Defined by capacity fade (e.g., 80% of initial) | Direct measure of durability |
Energy storage batteries must operate reliably under various climatic and working conditions, making environmental adaptability crucial. Existing standards address factors like high and low temperatures and humidity but need further refinement for complex environmental factors such as salt spray (coastal areas), sand and dust (desert regions), high altitude, mold, condensation, electromagnetic compatibility, vibration, and shock. Therefore, standard development organizations can refer to international standards and tailor requirements to China’s vast territory and diverse climate. Before formulating corresponding standards, testing institutions should simulate combined stress conditions (e.g., temperature-humidity cycles, vibration combined with temperature) that match the actual application environments of energy storage batteries, rather than单一静态的条件 (single static conditions).
To model the impact of environmental stress on battery life, we can use an acceleration factor equation common in reliability testing: $$ AF = \exp\left[\left(\frac{E_a}{k}\right)\left(\frac{1}{T_{\text{use}}} – \frac{1}{T_{\text{test}}}\right)\right] $$ where \( AF \) is the acceleration factor, \( E_a \) is the activation energy, \( k \) is Boltzmann’s constant, \( T_{\text{use}} \) is the use temperature, and \( T_{\text{test}} \) is the test temperature. This helps in designing accelerated life tests for energy storage lithium batteries.
Another important formula relates to cycle life estimation based on operating conditions: $$ N = N_0 \times \left(\frac{DoD_0}{DoD}\right)^k \times \exp\left[\frac{E_a}{k}\left(\frac{1}{T} – \frac{1}{T_0}\right)\right] $$ where \( N \) is the actual cycle life, \( N_0 \) is the reference cycle life at reference depth of discharge \( DoD_0 \) and temperature \( T_0 \), \( DoD \) is the actual depth of discharge, \( k \) is a constant, and \( T \) is the actual temperature. This emphasizes the need for standardized testing parameters.
In summary, the energy storage battery industry is at a critical juncture of rapid development and technological transformation. A well-established testing standard system is the cornerstone for supporting its healthy, safe, and orderly growth. Although a series of international and domestic standards exist for mainstream energy storage technologies, there is still room for improvement in terms of systematicness, specificity, foresight, and international coordination. Future development of energy storage battery testing standards should focus on the following needs: deepening and systematizing safety performance standards to cover the entire lifecycle and system-level risks; improving cycle life and reliability standards to enable rapid and accurate assessment; and expanding and refining environmental adaptability standards to ensure reliable operation in complex scenarios. Continuous development, revision, and implementation of standards will effectively ensure the quality and safety of energy storage battery products, guide technological innovation, regulate market order, and thereby enhance the role of energy storage technology in the global energy transition.
The evolution of testing standards for energy storage lithium batteries must keep pace with technological advancements. For instance, the energy density of lithium-ion batteries can be expressed as: $$ E_d = \frac{C \times V}{m} $$ where \( E_d \) is energy density in Wh/kg, \( C \) is capacity in Ah, \( V \) is voltage, and \( m \) is mass in kg. Standards need to account for such parameters under various conditions.
Safety testing might involve evaluating thermal runaway risks using formulas like: $$ T_{\text{rise}} = \frac{Q_{\text{gen}}}{m \times C_p} $$ where \( T_{\text{rise}} \) is temperature rise, \( Q_{\text{gen}} \) is heat generated, \( m \) is mass, and \( C_p \) is specific heat capacity. This highlights the importance of standardized safety protocols for energy storage lithium batteries.
In conclusion, the ongoing refinement of testing standards for energy storage lithium batteries is vital for addressing emerging challenges and opportunities in the industry. By fostering collaboration among stakeholders and aligning with global best practices, we can ensure that energy storage lithium batteries contribute significantly to a sustainable energy future.