WG 1657 - Battery Technician Qualification Working Group

Although ac and dc electricity follow the same physical laws, there are differences. Training of electricians worldwide is fairly standardized through apprenticeship programs, classroom and self-paced training courses, etc. Although electricians are trained on dc, they spend most of their time working on ac systems. This means that hiring an electrician to work on dc systems (especially battery systems) does not guarantee that they have the expertise, training, or experience to install or work on batteries. The IEEE PES Stationary Battery Standards subcommittee recognizes that specific training on battery system installation and maintenance is necessary. We also recognize that existing training of battery maintenance and installation technicians is generally non-existent, or at the least, non-standard. With those thoughts in mind, this working group is responsible for this 1657 guide that exists to specify the types of knowledge a battery installation or maintenance technician should possess in order to safely and competently work on lead-acid and nickel-cadmium batteries. The guide provides a syllabus from which course developers can create training programs for varying levels of battery installation and maintenance technicians.