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EDWartens UK

Free course · Renewable energy

Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS): Design, Controls and Safety

A BESS course for electrical engineers: size storage, compare LFP and NMC, apply UL 9540A and NFPA 855. Free to learn; the certificate is optional and paid.

See the modules

Free to learn. Verifiable certificate £19 when you pass the final exam (optional, VAT included).

Level
Intermediate
Modules
9
Video
8 hours
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Explain the parts of a BESS from cell to grid connection; tell MW from MWh and calculate duration, C-rate and round-trip losses; compare LFP and NMC for stationary use; explain what a PCS does and calculate its P and Q limits; describe the EMS, BMS and PCS control stack and the grid services a battery can provide; size a battery for a solar time-shift duty with degradation allowed for; explain thermal runaway, UL 9540, UL 9540A and NFPA 855; and draw design lessons from real BESS fires.

  • Tell MW from MWh and calculate duration, C-rate and round-trip losses
  • Name every part of a BESS from cell to MV switchgear
  • Compare LFP and NMC chemistry for stationary storage
  • Explain what a PCS does and calculate its reactive power headroom
  • Describe the EMS, PCS and BMS stack and the grid services a battery provides
  • Size a battery for a solar time-shift duty, allowing for fade
  • Explain thermal runaway, UL 9540A and NFPA 855
  • Apply the lessons of real BESS fires to a design

Software

None required. A spreadsheet for the sizing calculations.

Hardware

None.

Syllabus

9 modules

Each module has video lessons, notes and a short quiz. The final exam closes the course.

  1. 1What a battery energy storage system is3 lessons
  2. 2Every component, explained2 lessonsLab
  3. 3Battery chemistry: LFP versus NMC3 lessons
  4. 4Power conversion systems2 lessons
  5. 5EMS, controls and grid services5 lessonsLab
  6. 6Sizing, and solar plus storage3 lessonsLab
  7. 7Fire safety: UL 9540A and NFPA 8554 lessons
  8. 8Learning from BESS fires3 lessons
  9. 9Final Assessment1 lesson

How it works

How this course works

  1. Watch the video lessonsOne module at a time, at your own pace.
  2. Take the module quizA short quiz at the end of each module shows what stuck.
  3. Keep your notesWrite in My notes beside each module and ask the trainer if you are stuck.
  4. Practise in the labOptionalTry a task from the module in the EDWartens Lab, in your browser.
  5. Sit the final examPass it once you have been through the modules.
  6. Certificate, if you want oneOptionalPaid, and only after you pass. Anyone can check it online.

EDWartens Lab

Practise this in the EDWartens Lab

Test a solar string, isolate the DC side safely and find an EV charger fault in the Lab's Solar and EV simulator.

Works alongside Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS): Design, Controls and Safety. The Lab is solar and ev charging practice in your browser: no install, no hardware, free to use. Sign in as a learner and it opens with your account.

Open the free lab See the Lab
Solar and EV charging: Commission solar and EV.

Levels to try with this course

Optional. Skip it whenever you like: it never blocks your progress or your certificate.

Why practise in a lab

Technical work is judged on what you can do: wiring, commissioning, finding a fault. Doing a task yourself teaches more than watching it a second time, and a lab lets you try it safely before you meet real equipment. It does not replace working on real hardware.

  • Practise safely, so a mistake costs nothing.
  • The lab checks your work like a site test, so you know when it is right.
  • Free, in your browser, with nothing to install.

Certificate

An optional certificate when you pass

Learning is free. Pass the final exam and you can have a certificate for £19, including VAT, with a number employers can check online. It records that you completed a free online course; it is not a regulated qualification or a CPD certificate.

  • Your name, the course, its study time and your final exam score
  • A unique certificate number and a QR code to its verification page
  • Issued by Wartens Ltd; add it to your LinkedIn profile in one click
  • Pay now or after you pass: it is issued the moment you pass the final

How the certificate works

Sample certificate for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS): Design, Controls and Safety

Credits

Who made the lessons

The video lessons belong to their creators. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, quizzes and the final exam.

Questions

About this course

What is a battery energy storage system (BESS)?
A BESS is a set of rechargeable batteries with power conversion and control equipment that stores electricity and releases it to the grid or a site when it is needed. The International Energy Agency calls battery storage the fastest growing power technology today, reporting that 108 GW of new battery storage capacity was deployed worldwide in 2025, 40% more than in 2024, and that around 80% of it was utility-scale. This course follows a BESS from the cell to the grid connection, for both grid-scale and commercial systems.
Why do most battery storage projects use LFP cells?
Because lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells are typically cheaper and better suited to frequent cycling than the chemistries common in electric vehicles, even though they are less energy-dense. According to the International Energy Agency, LFP batteries now account for around 90% of battery storage deployments. The course compares LFP and NMC for stationary use, and you need no battery chemistry background to follow it.
What is the difference between MW and MWh in battery storage?
MW is the power a battery can deliver at any moment, while MWh is the energy it holds, and dividing MWh by MW gives its duration in hours. The International Energy Agency reports that most battery projects still cluster around two hours, with a growing number deployed for four hours or more as power systems take on more solar. The course works through MW versus MWh, duration, C-rate and round-trip losses with calculations you can repeat in a spreadsheet.
Who is this course for?
Electrical engineers, solar engineers and project engineers moving into battery storage, and anyone specifying or reviewing a BESS. Basic electrical theory, including active and reactive power, is assumed.
Do I need to know battery chemistry?
No. The course explains what you need about lithium-ion cells, LFP and NMC, and ageing from the start.
Does it cover fire safety standards?
Yes. It covers UL 9540, the UL 9540A test method including large-scale fire testing, NFPA 855, and explosion control, and works through what real BESS fires have taught the industry.
Is it about grid-scale or commercial batteries?
Both. The principles are the same from a factory battery to a utility plant; the worked examples use both.
Is the course really free?
Yes. Every module, the notes, the project and the final assessment. The only paid item is the certificate, if you want it.
What certificate do I get?
An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you pass the final assessment, with a number anyone can verify on our site.
How long does the course take?
About 4.5 hours of video lessons, plus time for the notes, worked problems and practice questions. Allow about 10 more hours if you do the optional project.
Is this a UL or NFPA certification?
No. EDWartens is not affiliated with UL Solutions or NFPA, and this course does not replace formal training on their standards. It teaches you to read a UL 9540A report and apply the ideas behind NFPA 855, which is a sound grounding before any paid standards course.

The Professional Module is five live days of Siemens PLC, HMI and SCADA with an instructor, then a resume session and a CPD certificate.

See the Professional Module