Lithium-ion batteries, which are commonly used in solar energy storage systems, have been known to catch fire under certain conditions. These conditions include overcharging, manufacturing defects, physical damage, or exposure to high temperatures. A battery energy storage system (BESS) is an electrochemical device that charges (or collects energy) from the grid, a power plant, or renewable source, and then discharges that energy at a later time to provide electricity when needed. The BESS is configured with multiple arrays, similar to a. That's why the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) funded the Solar Training and Education for Professionals (STEP) program, which provides tools to more than 10,000 firefighters and fire code officials to manage solar equipment as they put out fires. Learn more about the STEP funding program. The primary reason solar batteries catch fire is typically related to issues with the battery cells themselves.