Legislation regarding battery energy storage systems for residential use is being drafted in Sea Cliff. The Board of Trustees met on Monday where trustees continued their discussion to determine the parameters of the new regulations.
Trustees began formulating parameters in March, such as the maximum size system residents could own, how far a system must be placed from an owner’s neighbor’s house, and whether indoor storage should be allowed, among other parameters.
There was one open application to install a battery energy storage system in March. While there was no mention on Monday of additional permit applications submitted, trustees agreed drafting legislation would be beneficial. No communities in the surrounding area currently have legislation concerning residential battery storage.
“We already have (systems) in the village,” Trustee James Versocki said. “So, I feel like we want to regulate them.”
Storing energy generated by solar panels is one reason for keeping lithium batteries. Solar panels are not required for installing battery energy storage systems.
Trustees decided in a public conference meeting on March 16 that the legislation should allow residents to own systems that store up to 41 kilowatt hours of energy. A kilowatt hour is the standard measurement for calculating how much energy is being used in a home or place of business. If a resident wants to exceed 41 kilowatt hours, they will need approval from the planning board. Systems that store 80 kilowatt hours or more would be prohibited. Eighty kilowatt hours is the maximum size allowed by New York State for a residential system. Anything larger is considered a commercial system.
It was also previously decided that systems must be installed at least 30 feet from a neighbor’s house. Fire safety was the primary concern in determining the distance. Trustees also previously agreed to allow outdoor installation and indoor installation that includes proper ventilation and fire-rated enclosures, which are designed to prevent fire from spreading. While uncommon, battery fires can pose a threat to the owner’s house and neighboring houses. In this case, fire departments focus on controlling the fire’s spread.
“People are calling for it,” Trustee George Williams said Monday. “I think we were looking at sort of two thirds of what the state would allow, which I think is reasonable.”
One parameter trustees discussed on Monday was the setback, or how far a system should be installed, from the owner’s house. Versocki said that systems could be installed inside an owner’s garage or basement.
“I think the setback for me,” he said, “is what protects the neighbors.”
Mayor Elena Villafane asked trustees what the parameter should be for how far outdoor systems could be placed from the owner’s house. This parameter was ultimately not included.
Discussion focused on system installation in garages. Trustees concluded that whether a garage is attached to an owner’s house or not, installing a system there qualifies as indoor installation. This means an owner would have to ensure the garage is given proper ventilation and turned into an enclosure that could prevent fire from spreading.
Villafane said that if a battery storage system were to catch fire in an owner’s garage that is attached or close to their house, it would endanger the house as well.
“If you do it in the garage with the same fire-rated enclosure that you need (for) the interior,” she said, “then you mitigate that risk.”
An owner’s garage would have to be 30 feet from the neighbors’ houses in order for a unit to be installed inside the garage. Any structure in which a unit is installed would have to be at least 30 feet from the neighbors’ houses.
“Anytime there’s an enclosure,” Village Administrator Bruce Kennedy said, “then the enclosure has to be fire-rated.”
Trustees also decided that if a resident installs a unit, it will need to be registered with the Sea Cliff Fire Department so first responders are aware of where all systems in the village are located. Legislation will also require installation to be completed by a licensed electrician with a manufacturer’s certification from the company that makes the system. Both provisions were first agreed upon in March and again on Monday.
Another detail reviewed on Monday was whether a New York State licensed professional engineer must certify that a unit that has been installed properly and safely. Trustees agreed to include this requirement in the legislation, similar to how solar panel installation is regulated in the village.
The Town of Oyster Bay extended on April 14 its moratorium on battery energy storage systems. This moratorium is limited to commercial systems, not residential ones. This does impact Sea Cliff’s legislation on residential battery storage.
