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bollards on garage side wall in Riverside county, ca?

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Aren't those Powerwalls mounted too close together for California??!! 🔥

No disconnects = 😢

The disconnect is on the outside wall 👍 ;)

I just measured them, they are 8 inches apart on the wall. They passed, so I am assuming that was ok, or the inspector didnt care (one of those two) in Jan of 2020. I doubt they would pass now though, but as I mentioned I am no where near a code expert.
 
The disconnect is on the outside wall 👍 ;)

I just measured them, they are 8 inches apart on the wall. They passed, so I am assuming that was ok, or the inspector didnt care (one of those two) in Jan of 2020. I doubt they would pass now though, but as I mentioned I am no where near a code expert.

I thought vines said it was 3 feet. When you die in a fiery inferno, I call dibs on the performance model 3. Please park it outside on the day of the fire. K thx.


That link also talks about the 4” bollards.
 
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Fun with Bollards and Fire codes!

That link is from a 4 year old article, so not super recent.

Caution the text below is pretty crunchy, and very current.

Today the CFC and CRC code says that the ESS must be 36" apart unless there has been large-scale UL 9540A fire testing. Tesla has passed this testing and the results speak for themselves. The batteries perform amazingly under forced thermal runaway.

The minimum fire code compliant separation today for Tesla Powerwall is 6" on the side and 1" face to face (stacked configuration). Some fire officials disagree and think these ESS are subject to thermal runaway at any moment, so are restricting them regardless. The truth is that most likely any event smaller than about half a dozen cells going up at once and adjacent top each other event will be contained in a puff of smoke and the built in safety features of the Powerwall will ensure that even an adjacent wood wall or soffit would not ignite.

To this day not one person has been hurt by a UL 9540A listed fire event. Granted the UL standard isn't super old either but hundreds of thousands of Powerwalls have been installed. I really do not know how many but our company alone is going on 3k units installed.

As far as bollards, there is good code basis for this now that has been adopted by the ICC and the CBSC. Next year California will adopt a piece of code I helped create, regarding exactly this issue of impact protection in residential garages.

2021 CFC 1207.11.7 will be adopted on Jan. 1, 2023.

Also, I have attached in PDF what Woodside Fire ruled as far as impact protection at the end of 2020. They are quite a wooded area in a CALFIRE Very High fire danger area.

Here's the picture part of the new code 1207.11.7.1
ESS Garage Locations Subject to DamageICC.jpg


Here is the approximate code language subject to final approvals and editorial boards:

1207.11.7 Protection from impact. ESS installed in a location subject to vehicle damage in accordance with Section 1207.11.7.1 or 1207.11.7.2 shall be provided with impact protection in accordance with Section 1207.11.7.3.

1207.11.7.1 Garages.
Where an ESS is installed in the normal driving path of vehicle travel within a garage, impact protection complying with Section 1207.11.3 shall be
installed. The normal driving path is a line perpendicular to the garage vehicle opening to the back wall, extending 3 ft. (914 mm) to either side along
the back wall and to a height of 48 in. (1219 mm), (See Figure 1207.11.7.1)
Exception: Where the clear height of the vehicle garage opening is 7 ft 6 in, (2286 mm) or less, ESS installed not less than 36 inches (914 mm)
above finished floor are not subject to vehicle impact protection requirements.
1207.11.7.2 Other locations subject to vehicle impact.
Where an ESS is installed in a location other than as defined in Section 1207.11.7.1, and is subject to vehicle damage, impact protection shall be
provided in accordance with Section 1207.11.7.3.
1207.11.7.3 Impact Protection Options.
Where ESS is required to be protected from impact in accordance with Section 1207.11.7.1 or 1207.11.7.2 such protection shall comply with one of
the following:
1. Bollards constructed in accordance with one of the following:
1.1 48 inches (1219 mm) in length by 3 inches (76mm) in diameter schedule. 80 steel pipe embedded in a concrete pier 12 inches (304
mm) deep and 6 inches (152 mm) in diameter, with 36 inches (914 mm) of pipe exposed, filled with concrete, and spaced at a maximum
interval of 5 feet (1524 mm). Each bollard shall be located not less than 6 inches (152 mm) from an ESS.
1.2 36 inches (914 mm) in height by 3 inches (76 mm) in diameter schedule 80 steel pipe fully welded to an 8 inches (203 mm) by 8 inches
(203 mm) by ¼ inch (6.4 mm) thick steel plate and bolted to a concrete floor by means of 4 - ½ inch (13 mm) concrete anchors with 3
inch (76 mm) minimum embedment. Spacing shall be not greater than 60 inches. (1524 mm), and each bollard shall be located not less
than 6 inches (152 mm) from the ESS.
1.3 Pre-manufactured steel pipe bollards shall be filled with concrete and anchored in accordance with the manufacturer's installation
instructions, with spacing not greater than a 60 inches. (1524 mm). Located not less than 6 inches (152mm) from the ESS.

2. Wheel barriers constructed in accordance with one of the following:
2.1. 6 inches (152 mm ) in height by 6 inches (152 mm) in width wheel barrier made of concrete or polymer, anchored to the concrete floor
not less than every 36 inches (914 mm) and located not less than 54 inches (1372 mm) from the ESS.. Minimum 2 - ½ inch (13 mm)
diameter concrete anchors with 3 inch (76 mm) embedment per barrier shall be used. Spacing between barriers shall be no greater
than 36 inches. (914 mm).
2.2. Pre-manufactured wheel barriers shall be anchored in accordance with the manufacturers installation instructions.
3. Approved method designed to resist a 2000 lbf (8899 Newtons) impact in the direction of travel at 24 inches (608 mm) above grade.

TLDR Don't Drive Into Your Batteries
 

Attachments

  • 2020 Woodside Fire Energy Storage System Informational Bulletin (5).pdf
    227.5 KB · Views: 123
Lol I had forgotten that Vines is on the SEAC work group responsible for writing guidance on bollards.

And yet he doesn't have any bollards on his own home install. I know you can get a riding lawn mower near your batteries man... put up 1 bollard for the helluvit.

It's a good thing you didn't use a Model X for the example vehicle in the garage. Those falcon wings could malfunction and rip a giant hole into one of those Powerwalls in between those bollard spacing...
 
Lol I had forgotten that Vines is on the SEAC work group responsible for writing guidance on bollards.

And yet he doesn't have any bollards on his own home install. I know you can get a riding lawn mower near your batteries man... put up 1 bollard for the helluvit.
I hope someone else notices that the 2 vehicles that are going into the code are both Teslas!

I thought about sneaking in a T logo but that seemed wrong.
 
Fun with Bollards and Fire codes!

That link is from a 4 year old article, so not super recent.

Caution the text below is pretty crunchy, and very current.

Today the CFC and CRC code says that the ESS must be 36" apart unless there has been large-scale UL 9540A fire testing. Tesla has passed this testing and the results speak for themselves. The batteries perform amazingly under forced thermal runaway.

The minimum fire code compliant separation today for Tesla Powerwall is 6" on the side and 1" face to face (stacked configuration). Some fire officials disagree and think these ESS are subject to thermal runaway at any moment, so are restricting them regardless. The truth is that most likely any event smaller than about half a dozen cells going up at once and adjacent top each other event will be contained in a puff of smoke and the built in safety features of the Powerwall will ensure that even an adjacent wood wall or soffit would not ignite.

To this day not one person has been hurt by a UL 9540A listed fire event. Granted the UL standard isn't super old either but hundreds of thousands of Powerwalls have been installed. I really do not know how many but our company alone is going on 3k units installed.

As far as bollards, there is good code basis for this now that has been adopted by the ICC and the CBSC. Next year California will adopt a piece of code I helped create, regarding exactly this issue of impact protection in residential garages.

2021 CFC 1207.11.7 will be adopted on Jan. 1, 2023.

Also, I have attached in PDF what Woodside Fire ruled as far as impact protection at the end of 2020. They are quite a wooded area in a CALFIRE Very High fire danger area.

Here's the picture part of the new code 1207.11.7.1
View attachment 784258

Here is the approximate code language subject to final approvals and editorial boards:

1207.11.7 Protection from impact. ESS installed in a location subject to vehicle damage in accordance with Section 1207.11.7.1 or 1207.11.7.2 shall be provided with impact protection in accordance with Section 1207.11.7.3.

1207.11.7.1 Garages.
Where an ESS is installed in the normal driving path of vehicle travel within a garage, impact protection complying with Section 1207.11.3 shall be
installed. The normal driving path is a line perpendicular to the garage vehicle opening to the back wall, extending 3 ft. (914 mm) to either side along
the back wall and to a height of 48 in. (1219 mm), (See Figure 1207.11.7.1)
Exception: Where the clear height of the vehicle garage opening is 7 ft 6 in, (2286 mm) or less, ESS installed not less than 36 inches (914 mm)
above finished floor are not subject to vehicle impact protection requirements.
1207.11.7.2 Other locations subject to vehicle impact.
Where an ESS is installed in a location other than as defined in Section 1207.11.7.1, and is subject to vehicle damage, impact protection shall be
provided in accordance with Section 1207.11.7.3.
1207.11.7.3 Impact Protection Options.
Where ESS is required to be protected from impact in accordance with Section 1207.11.7.1 or 1207.11.7.2 such protection shall comply with one of
the following:
1. Bollards constructed in accordance with one of the following:
1.1 48 inches (1219 mm) in length by 3 inches (76mm) in diameter schedule. 80 steel pipe embedded in a concrete pier 12 inches (304
mm) deep and 6 inches (152 mm) in diameter, with 36 inches (914 mm) of pipe exposed, filled with concrete, and spaced at a maximum
interval of 5 feet (1524 mm). Each bollard shall be located not less than 6 inches (152 mm) from an ESS.
1.2 36 inches (914 mm) in height by 3 inches (76 mm) in diameter schedule 80 steel pipe fully welded to an 8 inches (203 mm) by 8 inches
(203 mm) by ¼ inch (6.4 mm) thick steel plate and bolted to a concrete floor by means of 4 - ½ inch (13 mm) concrete anchors with 3
inch (76 mm) minimum embedment. Spacing shall be not greater than 60 inches. (1524 mm), and each bollard shall be located not less
than 6 inches (152 mm) from the ESS.
1.3 Pre-manufactured steel pipe bollards shall be filled with concrete and anchored in accordance with the manufacturer's installation
instructions, with spacing not greater than a 60 inches. (1524 mm). Located not less than 6 inches (152mm) from the ESS.

2. Wheel barriers constructed in accordance with one of the following:
2.1. 6 inches (152 mm ) in height by 6 inches (152 mm) in width wheel barrier made of concrete or polymer, anchored to the concrete floor
not less than every 36 inches (914 mm) and located not less than 54 inches (1372 mm) from the ESS.. Minimum 2 - ½ inch (13 mm)
diameter concrete anchors with 3 inch (76 mm) embedment per barrier shall be used. Spacing between barriers shall be no greater
than 36 inches. (914 mm).
2.2. Pre-manufactured wheel barriers shall be anchored in accordance with the manufacturers installation instructions.
3. Approved method designed to resist a 2000 lbf (8899 Newtons) impact in the direction of travel at 24 inches (608 mm) above grade.

TLDR Don't Drive Into Your Batteries

first, thank you for the incredibly detailed answer and pictures.

so, if i'm reading this right, anything that is protected by a return wall is "not subject to damage" and should not need bollards, correct?

in other words, since my garage and where the batteries would be going is similar to @jjrandorin and has a wall jutting out before the garage door, i should not need bollards...right? am i reading this correctly?

here's an (extremely) rough diagram of my garage, with a single two-car wide garage door, and the location of the two powerwalls:

Code:
| B
|
|
| B
|
|
|
|
-----oooooooooooooooooooo-----

the "return wall" (again, if i'm understanding this correctly) is far greater than the depth of a single powerwall). it's at least two feet wide, probably a few inches more than that off the top of my head without measuring it (i know we have 2' wide shelves in that space right now and they don't stick out past the door opening).

or, does this not apply to me right now since it hasn't been adopted yet?

i'm just trying to have ammo to take to the installer here, since it seems pretty clear that where they are planning to put the batteries are not within an impact zone and should not need bollards...i'd really rather have them inside, but there is no chance i'm letting them put bollards up and take away a full car space.
 
Mine are under my land bridge for the driveway. Yes, we can get some 115 days, but no often. I would just build a little shade cover over them.
Again, no way would I lose garage space for batteries
I don't know if you saw my fix for our PWs, I bough a shed and cut out the back and put it over them. Has lots of ventilation.
 

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  • IMG_20220126_1627249.jpg
    IMG_20220126_1627249.jpg
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I believe @Vines said that the code details he posted about is "new, not yet adopted code"
This code is officially adopted but does not take effect until Jan 1 2023 is more accurate. All the voting body has accepted it, and all that needs to happen now is time. Therefore an installer with the desire to could go to the fire service and show them what other fire services are doing, IE woodside.

Also, since this code is officially adopted, AHJ can easily pull it forward if they like, and use it for installations now.

first, thank you for the incredibly detailed answer and pictures.
...

or, does this not apply to me right now since it hasn't been adopted yet?

i'm just trying to have ammo to take to the installer here, since it seems pretty clear that where they are planning to put the batteries are not within an impact zone and should not need bollards...i'd really rather have them inside, but there is no chance i'm letting them put bollards up and take away a full car space.
You are welcome, but let me caution you that some fire officials are very hard line. If their boss told them "any ESS in the garage must have impact protection" then the fire official will follow his boss.

Santa Clara County fire literally told me "What if you park diagonally in your garage like some big trucks do?" I saw how little logic entered into this discussion. For a year or more in SCC Fire territory, ANY ESS IN THE GARAGE REQUIRED IMPACT PROTECTION. SCC Fire even saw fit to create their own impact protection document, and have it be more restrictive than code requires. They also "borrowed" one of my old graphics to do so. SCC Fire impact protection

I hate to recommend it, but if you really want ESS inside and the AHJ will not budge you could cut the bollards out after the fact. Hopefully if they are required, the AHJ doesn't make you use a 12K bollard as required by section 312. Those are serious units and we have had to install several in Santa Clara Fire territory. If you can use an off the shelf bollard, they even make them in removable versions Uline Removeable Bollard
 
the installer replied to my email this morning requesting the code that says bollards are required anywhere inside, cc'd someone else inside the company asking for them to provide it...so we'll see where this goes. depending on the response, I'll provide them with these code citations and diagrams and hopefully we can get them to install inside without the bollards...

will keep everyone posted. may have to come back for more info at some point as well...
 
Perhaps if you consider it from the perspective of a belt and suspenders petty official; is there a scenario under which a moving car could possibly hit the batteries, e.g. diagonal entry, inadvertent swerve...? From the way SCC was behaving for us, it seemed like they were considering just if it was possible. Hence, the requirement to behind a wall, a bollard, or more than 36" above the floor. I am not saying that is your case, but sometimes if you can figure out where they are coming from you can address the concern a different way.

Would the latter work for you? e.g. raise the powerwalls to above 36"?

@Vines: that is funny (well not really as it is IP theft) that SCC took your graphic. I recognize the vehicle now. 👍👍

And, yes, SCC pushed us into 36" separation between powerwalls, not installed on the house, which added a couple of thousand to the cost. I'm ok with the result as for us it ended up being safer (fire risk) and the location is NE facing and much more sheltered from the sun, which ought to help the longevity of the powerwalls.

All the best,

BG
 
Would the latter work for you? e.g. raise the powerwalls to above 36"?

yeah, I'd be fine with that. however, based on the SCC code that @Vines posted, I think I should be fine regardless since they would be behind a 24" return wall and on the side of the garage that doesn't connect to the house. unless I'm reading that wrong...

of course I'm not in SCC so that doesn't really matter, just saying that if I were following that code even then I wouldn't need bollards.
 
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SCC fire addressed this as well. In their opinion the bollards needed to be no more than 48" O.C.

One guy literally told me that otherwise there was more danger that he could crash his motorcycle between them.


That doesn't make sense... a Yamaha YZF is 30 inches wide... if he's really concerned about this you'd need like 24" spacing. But since you're dealing with Woodside rich old white dudes... they probably have a Harley Electra Glide which is about 36".

I don't understand the 48" unless he was being sarcastic like I'm being sarcastic.