Battery certificates are not decoration — they decide whether your shipment clears customs, whether your insurer will cover an installation, and whether a distributor is willing to carry your brand. Here is what each one actually covers and how to check it is real.
Certificates at a glance
| Certificate | What it covers | Where it is needed |
|---|---|---|
| CE | EU health, safety and environmental conformity | European Economic Area |
| CB | IEC safety test report, mutually recognised across 50+ countries | Global (basis for many national approvals) |
| UN38.3 | Transport safety: altitude, thermal, vibration, shock, short circuit | Mandatory for air, sea and road freight |
| IEC 62619 | Safety of secondary lithium cells for industrial applications | Stationary storage, often required by inspectors |
| MSDS / SDS | Material composition, handling, emergency response | Required with every shipment |
| RoHS | Restriction of hazardous substances | EU, and increasingly other markets |
| UL 1973 / UL 9540A | Stationary battery and thermal propagation testing | United States, often required by AHJ inspectors |
CE marking
CE is a manufacturer's declaration that the product meets applicable EU directives — for batteries typically the Low Voltage Directive and EMC Directive, plus RoHS. It is a self-declaration backed by a technical file and test evidence, not a government-issued licence.
What to ask for: the EU Declaration of Conformity, the directive list, and the test report numbers that support it. A CE mark with no declaration document behind it is a marketing sticker.
CB scheme
The CB scheme is an IEC system where a test report from one certified laboratory is recognised by national certification bodies in 50+ countries. For a battery manufacturer, a CB report is the most efficient route to multiple national approvals without retesting.
This is why CB appears alongside CE on serious products: the CB report is the underlying evidence, and national marks are derived from it. STORASTRA ENERGY battery products carry CE and CB certification.
UN38.3 — transport, not product safety
This is the one that stops shipments. UN38.3 is the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria section covering lithium battery transport, and it is mandatory for air (IATA), sea (IMDG) and road (ADR) freight. It covers:
- Altitude simulation (low pressure)
- Thermal cycling between -40°C and +75°C
- Vibration and mechanical shock
- External short circuit
- Impact and crush
- Overcharge
- Forced discharge
A UN38.3 test summary has been mandatory for manufacturers and distributors since 2020. If your freight forwarder cannot produce one, your cargo will not board.
IEC 62619
IEC 62619 is the safety standard for secondary lithium cells and batteries used in industrial applications, including stationary energy storage. It addresses over-charge, over-discharge, short circuit, thermal abuse and internal short propagation. Increasingly it is the standard a grid operator, insurer or inspector asks about for a residential or commercial storage installation.
Important: verify who holds the certificate
This applies to your own marketing too: do not write "we hold UL certification" in a quotation unless the certificate is actually issued to your entity or you have written authorisation from the holder to reference it.
How to verify a certificate in five steps
- Match the model number. The certificate must list the exact model you are buying, not a similar one.
- Check the holder's name. Certificate holder vs seller — these are often different companies.
- Check the issue and expiry dates. Many schemes require periodic surveillance audits.
- Cross-check the test lab. Ask for the lab name and report number, and confirm the lab is accredited for that standard.
- Ask for the full PDF, not a logo. A certificate image on a website proves nothing; the PDF carries the numbers you can verify.
Practical safety beyond the paperwork
Certification tests what happens when things go wrong. Reducing the chance they go wrong is installation work:
- Size protection correctly — a DC breaker or fuse rated for the pack's maximum continuous current, mounted close to the terminal.
- Respect the temperature window — charge above 0°C, discharge above -20°C, and keep the pack out of direct sun.
- Use a compatible charger — a lithium profile, no equalisation mode.
- Torque terminals — lithium's low internal resistance makes a loose connection a serious heat source.
- Do not mix — never parallel a new pack with an old one of a different age, chemistry or capacity.
Every STORASTRA ENERGY battery system is tested before shipment, and certificate copies are provided with the quotation. Request them via the inquiry form.
FAQ
CE is required for placing the product on the EEA market, but many distributors and inspectors also ask for the underlying CB report and, for stationary storage, IEC 62619. Treat CE as the entry ticket, not the complete package.
Yes. UN38.3 is required for air, sea and road transport of lithium batteries, and a test summary must be available. Without it, carriers will refuse the shipment.
Ask for the full PDF and check three things: that your exact model number is listed, that the certificate holder is the company selling to you (or has written authorisation), and that the issue date is current.