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BESS Insurers Worry More About Transformers Than Battery Fires
As battery energy storage systems scale to gigawatt sizes, insurers say the risk profile has shifted from thermal runaway to supply chain bottlenecks, transformer failures, and integration errors by less experienced contractors.
Key Takeaways
- Battery enclosures grew nearly 500% in capacity from 2019 to 2025, outpacing insurer loss data and contractor expertise
- Transformer failures are now a primary concern: sudden, severe, and facing 2-year replacement lead times
- Contractor integration errors on balance-of-plant create safety hazards and performance shortfalls
- Insurers now differentiate premiums by contractor experience level and battery product maturity
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DT Editorial AI··via pv-magazine.com