We need to build an EI60 fire cell in the barn for our solar power system (with battery) (this is obviously something the solar company didn't know/care to inform us about, which means the system then needs to be moved to that space, but that's another story). The space will be in the existing barn (old classic wooden barn) at ground level against one outer wall.
Regarding walls/ceiling/door, I feel like I have a reasonable grasp on what needs to be done (mostly based on this document), however, what I feel uncertain about and haven't found good instructions for is ventilation. The space should be nearly airtight (to prevent the spread of fire gases) while the inverter and battery need to be well-ventilated.
The first thought was just to install an air vent for supply air at floor level and an exhaust vent closer to the ceiling, both in the outer wall, but in the event of a fire, this would mean that fire gases and possibly even flames would come out directly against the outer wall, risking igniting the panel and thus spreading to the rest of the building.
To counteract this, I'm thinking of running the exhaust vent straight up, through the loft and out through the metal roof, which would ventilate any fire upwards and "over" flammable wood. The intake vent should be able to remain at floor level with a backdraft damper in the "opposite" direction, i.e., to prevent fire gases from being pushed out that way. All pipes, etc., in metal, with insulation around the pipes and no pipe directly adjoining wood:
Another possible option would be to use a fire damper like https://soliduct.se/brandspjall-160-ei-60.htm, though I've found quite little about it. Do they work so simply that you just build regular ventilation ducts (in metal) for supply/exhaust air and then place a fire damper in each duct at the level of the plasterboard and according to the instructions provided for the fire damper?
Am I on the right track with either of these solutions, or is there a better way? Is any of this preferable? Have I missed anything important?
Applies also in barns if you have animal husbandry (only rabbits today, but have plans for more in the future), but based on the fact that the solar panel installer didn't seem knowledgeable and how it sounded from the insurance guy, it is a fairly common oversight.
Exactly what requirements do inverters and batteries have to be considered well-ventilated?
I assume that the ventilation is for cooling and general operation, and that ventilation in connection with a fire can basically be closed with, for example, a fire damper that can normally be used to achieve such a fire rating with a wooden facade
Hi, I'm in a similar situation as you @02JanDal, I'm in the process of setting up a solar power system and battery in a barn building and have started to understand that there's a bit to consider.
However, we have no animals or plans for that, but reading the checklist/requirements from the insurance company, it looks like I need to look into a similar solution, they write "fire-rated space with a door to the outside."
So grateful if you could write a few lines about how the project went. How was the ventilation resolved and what materials/layers/dimensions for walls/roof were used?
The ventilation turned out to be significantly easier to solve than I had expected when I wrote this post; I talked to someone at Fire and an advisor at the insurance company (Länsförsäkringar, they've been very helpful, and I should have asked them more things right from the start) and it was enough to simply extend the ventilation through the outer wall, just as usual. They said that it is equivalent to a window; a place you expect flames to burst out if there is a fire. The only important thing was that the ventilation should be in the outer wall, that you don't have the ventilation duct (in metal) directly against a wooden stud (I made a "pocket" that I lined with gypsum to ensure there's always something between the duct and the stud), and that you fireproof the eaves if necessary.
I haven't had the insurance guy on a follow-up visit yet, but I feel fairly confident that I've done everything right and that it will be approved.
I can also recommend https://www.mindorr.se/massivdorr-ei6035db-brjohansson, the cheapest fire-rated door I found. It's also the only one made of wood that I've found; most other doors with fire rating Ei60 are entirely metal.
I mainly referred to LBK tab 3 - Structural Fire Protection for dimensions of walls, etc. (chapter 8), as well as LBK tab 5 - Electrical Installations for some other rules alongside the insurance company's list.
The ventilation turned out to be significantly easier to resolve than I had expected when I wrote this post; spoke with someone at Fire and an advisor at the insurance company (Länsförsäkringar, they have been very helpful and I should have asked them more things directly from the start) and it was enough to simply run the ventilation through the outer wall, just as usual. They said it would be equivalent to a window; a place where you would expect flames to burst out if there’s a fire. The only important thing was that the ventilation is in the outer wall, that you don't have the ventilation duct (in metal) directly against a wooden stud (I made a "pocket" which I lined with gypsum to ensure there is always something between the duct and the stud) and that you fireproof the eaves if needed.
I haven't had the insurance guy for a follow-up visit yet, but I feel fairly confident that I've done everything right and that it will be approved.
I can also recommend [link], the cheapest fire-rated door I found. Also the only one made of wood that I found, most other doors with fire rating Ei60 are entirely made of metal.
Thanks for all the info and tips, very good, also reassuring to hear that the ventilation could be resolved in the simpler way.
I'll start sketching my own solution after I've checked with my insurance company.
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