Manufacturing defect in Powin battery units blamed for Warwick storage fires
2023Published 15 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
- Where
- Warwick, New York, on County Route 1A and Church Street
- Operator
- Convergent Energy and Power
- What
- Fire-related incidents at two battery energy storage facilities
- Manufacturer
- Powin
- Cause
- Manufacturing defect in Powin Centipede modules allowed water ingress
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Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): Convergent Energy and Power, Powin
What happened
Two battery energy storage facilities operated by Convergent Energy and Power in Warwick, New York, on County Route 1A and Church Street, experienced fire-related incidents. Following an investigation involving outside experts, the local school district and insurance representatives, Convergent determined the fires were caused by a manufacturing defect in Powin-branded Centipede battery modules, which allowed water to enter the units and resulted in an electrical fire. A third Warwick site using an older Powin battery system was unaffected.
Convergent stated that replacement units for the defective Centipede models would likely not be available until the second half of 2024. The local utility began developing backup power solutions, including a mobile substation, while village trustees raised concerns about emergency response planning and first responder training, which had not yet occurred at the time of the incidents.
Contributing factors
A manufacturing defect in Powin-branded Centipede battery storage units allowed water ingress into the enclosures, leading to an electrical fire. Additional training for local first responders on battery storage fire risks had been scheduled but had not taken place before the incidents occurred.
Lessons learned
- Battery modules must undergo water ingress testing before deployment, as a manufacturing defect in Powin Centipede units allowed water entry and caused electrical fires.
- First responder training on battery storage risks must occur before commissioning, since scheduled training had not taken place at the time of the incidents.
- Operators should plan for long lead times on specialised battery replacements, given that units for defective Centipede models were unavailable until late 2024.
More lessons on design, standards and commissioning, worker safety and safe systems of work, maintenance, inspection and ageing assets, from every incident on the register.
Not yet known
- Downtime of the affected facilities
- Cost of the incidents and replacements
- Age of the Powin battery systems
This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.
Source
Other entries that name Powin
Other entries that name Warwick
- Fire at Church Street Battery Storage Facility, Warwick, New York, involves unauthorized system
- Single container fire at West Warwick 3 Battery Storage Site in Warwick, New York
- Third battery fire at Warwick storage site raises safety questions
- Battery Storage Fire and Fume Release at Two Warwick, New York Sites
- Battery storage fire burns for a second day at Warwick energy storage facility, New York
Published 2026-09-15. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
