BESS Enclosure RFQ Checklist: What to Prepare in 5 Categories

An RFQ that gives just capacity and format, such as “20 ft, 5 MWh”, can only be priced on a typical configuration. At the same capacity, a change in pack size, liquid-cooling interface or fire suppression method means re-laying the racks, piping and internal layout, and the price and lead time change with them.

ETENZ groups the data for a BESS enclosure RFQ into five categories. Prepare all five and you receive the pack envelope drawing and general arrangement at quotation stage:

1. Battery pack data: the racks, liquid-cooling connections and explosion venting are designed around it.
2. Capacity and quantity: these set the enclosure type, internal layout and production batches.
3. Delivery scope: enclosure-only or battery-ready.
4. Destination and standards: these set the design codes and the documents shipped with the enclosure.
5. Branding requirements: colors, labels, nameplates and documents for delivery under your brand.

1. Battery pack data

The shelf pitch, load rating and anchor points of the racks, the position of the liquid-cooling connections and the service aisle inside the enclosure are all set by the battery pack. The data needed:

• Datasheet: external dimensions, weight, rated voltage and capacity.
• Installation drawing: fixing method and hole positions, lifting and insertion directions.
• Liquid-cooling interface: connector type and position, required flow rate and pressure drop.
• Electrical and communication interfaces: DC output and BMS communication.
• Thermal-runaway gas data (such as a UL ⁠9540A test report): the vent area and exhaust are calculated from it.

If you have the battery pack but no enclosure drawings yet, the pack’s usable dimensions, load per shelf, liquid-cooling connection positions and fixing method are enough. ETENZ designs the enclosure, racks, liquid cooling and fire protection from them, with packs and racks matched to one envelope drawing. BESS enclosure design requirements explains how these inputs drive the structure, cooling and fire design.

2. Capacity and quantity

Capacity per enclosure and the size and number of packs determine the enclosure’s outline and how the racks are arranged. The 28-pack 6.25 MWh BESS enclosure is built as a 20 ft high cube (6058 × 2438 × 2896 mm), with 28 packs pushed in through the long-side doors onto cantilever racks. The 48-pack 5 MWh BESS enclosure was made for its project site as a non-standard enclosure 5650 mm long and 3288 mm high, using extra height to save depth. A different pack type means re-laying the shelf pitch, the pack spacing and the number of pack positions.

Total quantity and delivery batches affect production scheduling and unit price. Series projects start with a first-article enclosure; once assembly and interfaces are confirmed, the series is built with the same process and to the same inspection standard. ETENZ has delivered 143 units of 5 MWh BESS enclosures in a single batch.

3. Delivery scope: enclosure-only or battery-ready

Both tiers are completed in the ETENZ factory; they differ in how far the work goes. Just state the tier in your RFQ:

• Enclosure-only: the enclosure built to your drawings, with structure, coating and insulation, doors, seals, earthing and equipotential bonding; battery racks optional.
• Battery-ready: everything installed except the battery packs, adding the liquid-cooling loop, dehumidification, fire suppression, fire alarm and flammable gas detection, explosion venting, LV auxiliary distribution and lighting, DC combining and output terminals, and enclosure-level monitoring and security, all covered by the enclosure-level factory test.
• Supplied by you or the system integrator: battery packs, BMS, PCS and EMS.

In the battery-ready tier, the fire suppression system can be supplied and installed by ETENZ or configured as you specify, and enclosure monitoring is prepared with interfaces for the BMS alarm signals and the EMS / SCADA protocol. Your suppression specification and protocol details can come with the RFQ. For an item-by-item comparison, see the delivery scope table on the BESS Enclosure Manufacturing and Integration page.

4. Destination and standards

The delivery location determines the design codes, certification documents and shipping method. In your RFQ, give the destination country or region, the site temperature, humidity and altitude, and whether the site is coastal.

• European projects: ETENZ issues an EU declaration of conformity for the electrical equipment it delivers inside the enclosure.
• North American projects: enclosure technical files are provided to support the system integrator’s UL ⁠9540 certification.
• Corrosion and ingress protection: coating systems based on ISO ⁠12944, matched to the site corrosivity from C3 to C5; design protection rating IP54 / IP55.
• Shipping: the 20 ft enclosure type holds CSC type approval, and enclosure types whose external dimensions and corner castings match an ISO ⁠20 ft container ship as standard containers.
• Documents shipped with the enclosure: drawings, factory test records and O&M manuals.

5. Branding requirements

Both tiers can be delivered under your brand. Colors, labels, nameplate content and shipped documents are produced to your brand; describe them in your RFQ. One base enclosure can be repeated in series across projects. The ‎10 ft all-in-one energy storage cabin has already been delivered under a customer’s brand.

Frequently asked questions

Can ETENZ quote from capacity and format alone?

Yes, as an estimate. ETENZ prices a typical configuration first, then issues a formal quotation against the drawings once the battery pack data arrive.

What determines the price of an empty BESS enclosure?

For enclosure-only supply, the main drivers are enclosure size, structure and insulation, corrosion category, number of doors, whether battery racks are included, and quantity. For a battery-ready enclosure, liquid cooling, fire protection, electrical work and factory testing are added to the quotation.

How is the lead time determined?

Lead time is given in the quotation based on quantity and delivery scope. Series projects start with a first-article sample, and series production follows its approval.

With your data ready, you can submit your RFQ directly. If you only have the battery pack datasheet, send that first; ETENZ will start from the envelope drawing.