What determines whether a battery project performs safely over its lifetime?
According to Kathleen McCaffery and Jeff Zwijack, the answer has as much to do with process, preparation, and quality assurance as it does with the battery itself.
In this special live SunCast broadcast, Nico Johnson sits down with Kathleen McCaffery, retired Battalion Chief and former Global Fire Liaison for Tesla, and Jeff Zwijack, Associate Director of Energy Storage at Clean Energy Associates, to discuss what hundreds of inspections reveal about battery safety, operational readiness, and risk management across the energy storage industry.
Drawing from hundreds of factory inspections and years of real-world fire response experience, Kathleen and Jeff explore the lessons the industry is learning as battery projects grow larger, more complex, and increasingly important to grid reliability.
From supplier selection and factory acceptance testing to emergency response planning and long-term asset management, this conversation highlights the systems and processes that help prevent problems before they become operational, financial, or reputational risks.
Expect to learn:
🔹 What hundreds of inspections reveal about today's most common battery storage quality challenges
🔹 Why quality assurance extends far beyond the battery itself
🔹 How developers can identify and mitigate risks before equipment reaches the field
🔹 Why local fire departments should be part of every project's planning process
🔹 What industry leaders are learning about building safer, more resilient storage projects
As battery storage becomes an increasingly critical part of the energy transition, the industry's success depends not only on technology, but on the discipline and preparation behind every project.
If you're developing, financing, building, operating, or insuring energy storage assets, this conversation offers practical lessons from two professionals who have spent their careers focused on safety, quality, and risk.
Give it a listen.
Massive Fire at Fredericktown, Mo. Battery Plant
Original Live Broadcast
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