Power continuity solved around the asset, not the equipment.

Commissioning checklist

Six gates before the site is yours.

Each step below is run by a named technical lead, signed off in writing, and attached to the commissioning file. Click any step to see the sub-checks that have to close before we move on.

1. 01

   Protection and safety review

   Single-line diagram, earthing, and isolation points verified against the stamped design package.

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   Before any energy flows, we prove the protection scheme on paper matches what was actually built. Mis-labelled isolation points and under-sized earthing are the two most common causes of avoidable incidents at commissioning — both are closed out here, in writing, under witness.

   Typical duration

   2 – 3 days on site

   Witnesses

   ASE lead engineer, client HSE officer, OEM commissioning engineer

   Document produced

   Stamped protection and earthing sign-off report

   Sub-checks that must close

   • Single-line diagram walked against the as-built layout; discrepancies logged and closed under change-control.
   • Earthing resistance measured at every star-point and compared to the design target (< 1 Ω typical, < 5 Ω maximum).
   • Neutral-earthing arrangement (TN-S, TN-C-S, or IT) verified against utility requirements and documented in the O&M file.
   • Lock-out / tag-out points labelled, photographed, and added to the site operating manual with a named permit-holder.
   • Fire detection, gaseous suppression, and emergency-stop chains tested end-to-end under witness with dated video evidence.
   • Arc-flash study reviewed; PPE category labels fixed to every switchboard and MV cabinet door.
   • Protection relay settings (time-current curves, ground-fault pick-up, under/over-voltage) loaded and witness-tested by secondary injection.
2. 02

   Factory acceptance test (FAT) review

   PCS, BMS, and EMS tests witnessed and signed off at the manufacturer before any shipment.

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   A battery system that fails after delivery costs the client 8 – 16 weeks of slipped programme and an insurance argument. We go to the factory, run the tests ourselves, and sign the shipping release only when the results match the contract — not the datasheet.

   Typical duration

   3 – 5 days at OEM facility

   Witnesses

   ASE senior engineer, independent witness (client or insurer), OEM test lead

   Document produced

   Signed FAT report with annexed firmware manifest

   Sub-checks that must close

   • Cell-level state-of-charge balancing verified across a full charge-discharge cycle under rated thermal load.
   • Battery management system alarm matrix exercised: over-voltage, over-temperature, imbalance, contactor welding, cooling-fan failure.
   • Power-conversion system tested across the full reactive-power envelope (PQ curve) at rated kVA for one hour per quadrant.
   • Firmware versions locked in writing; delta-list versus the last approved build signed by both sides with release-note reference.
   • Grid-code compliance (LVRT, frequency ride-through, reactive support) demonstrated against the utility-interconnection agreement.
   • Communication stack (Modbus TCP, IEC 61850, DNP3 — whichever applies) traffic-captured and replayed against the SCADA reference.
   • Serial numbers of every cell, rack, PCS, and transformer logged to the digital twin before the shipping container is sealed.
3. 03

   Site installation and cold checks

   Mechanical, electrical, and cable-management checks before any system is energised on site.

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   The most expensive defects are the ones buried behind cable trays and bolted enclosures. We walk every connection before energisation — calibrated torque tool in hand — so the commissioning window is used for performance, not rework.

   Typical duration

   5 – 10 days depending on scale

   Witnesses

   ASE resident engineer, installation subcontractor supervisor, client estates manager

   Document produced

   Installation verification dossier with torque and megger logs

   Sub-checks that must close

   • Container placement, anchoring torque, and ventilation clearances verified against the vendor installation manual and wind-load calculation.
   • Cable routing, segregation (HV / LV / data), fire-stopping, and bend-radius documented with geo-tagged photos.
   • Torque check on every busbar and lug connection with a calibrated tool; witnessed, counter-signed, and recorded to the asset register.
   • Insulation-resistance (megger) results logged per circuit at 500 V / 1 kV / 5 kV as appropriate; trend compared to handover baseline.
   • Cooling system (HVAC, liquid-cooling manifold) leak-tested, glycol concentration verified, set-points loaded.
   • Control cabinet phasing, neutral continuity, and CT polarity confirmed before any contactor is closed.
   • Climate-control, dust-ingress, and rodent-protection measures signed off against the site environmental assessment.
4. 04

   Energisation and functional commissioning

   First-energise, interlock validation, and sequence-of-operation signed off under engineer witness.

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   First-energisation is the single highest-risk gate of the programme. Every interlock, every source transfer, and every auxiliary must work on the first attempt under the attending engineer’s signature — not the second attempt after a fault.

   Typical duration

   3 – 5 days

   Witnesses

   ASE partner, utility DNO representative (where grid-tied), client control-room operator

   Document produced

   First-energisation log with oscillograph captures

   Sub-checks that must close

   • Soft-start sequence run with partial load; every protection trip tested via secondary injection and captured on oscillograph.
   • Generator / grid / BESS source transfer executed in both directions without open-transition glitches; transfer time recorded.
   • Interlocks: BESS-to-genset, BESS-to-grid, and manual-bypass chains tested in sequence and mechanically locked under tag.
   • Auxiliary systems (HVAC, fire, UPS for controls) verified under primary-source failure for a full 30-minute run.
   • Black-start capability demonstrated from 0 V bus to critical-load pickup within the design window (typically < 60 seconds).
   • Synchronisation window verified: voltage < 5%, frequency < 0.2 Hz, phase angle < 10° before any breaker close.
   • Operator walk-through on the live HMI; every alarm acknowledged and every trip reset procedure rehearsed under supervision.
5. 05

   Performance and endurance run

   Seven-day unattended run confirming charge-discharge performance against the design contract.

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   A seven-day endurance run is where vendor marketing claims meet the actual heat, the actual load, and the actual dispatch schedule. The certificate we issue at the end is the document the lender, the insurer, and the auditor will ask for first.

   Typical duration

   7 consecutive days, 24 / 7

   Witnesses

   ASE performance engineer on standby; remote monitoring via ASE control room

   Document produced

   Performance-guarantee acceptance certificate

   Sub-checks that must close

   • Rated round-trip efficiency measured across three full cycles at design C-rate; 2% tolerance against guarantee.
   • Dispatch schedule (peak-shave, tariff-shift, or backup) run against live site load for seven consecutive days.
   • Thermal profile of each cabinet logged at one-minute resolution; maximum-temperature corridor compared to vendor envelope.
   • State-of-health drift, cell-voltage spread, and self-discharge rate recorded and trended against the FAT baseline.
   • Grid-services response time (frequency regulation, voltage support) measured against the utility-interconnection agreement.
   • Cybersecurity penetration check against the EMS, BMS, and PCS northbound interfaces; findings closed or documented as accepted risk.
   • Any deviation greater than 2% against the design contract logged, root-caused in writing, and closed before handover.
6. 06

   Monitoring, alarms, and handover

   EMS dashboards, alert routing, and the full documentation pack delivered to the named operator.

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   A system that is live but has no named operator, no routed alarms, and no indexed manuals is a liability. Handover closes when the first real event is responded to correctly — not when the last engineer drives off site.

   Typical duration

   2 – 3 days

   Witnesses

   ASE engagement partner, client facility manager, named O&M contractor

   Document produced

   Sealed commissioning file (digital + hardcopy) with 12-month warranty schedule

   Sub-checks that must close

   • EMS dashboards configured per operator role: control-room watchstander, engineering manager, executive summary.
   • Alarm routing to SMS, email, and on-call rota tested with simulated events, end-to-end, across all severity tiers.
   • As-built drawings, O&M manuals, spare-parts list, and warranty plan delivered as a single sealed and indexed document set.
   • Digital twin populated: nameplate data, serial numbers, firmware versions, and maintenance intervals loaded to the CMMS.
   • First 90 days of planned preventive-maintenance tasks scheduled and assigned to a named technician on the O&M contract.
   • Named ASE engineer assigned as escalation contact on the service retainer from day one, with a written 4-hour response SLA.
   • 30, 90, and 180-day performance-review dates booked in writing with the client before the commissioning file is closed.