Energy Storage Contract Alliance
ESCA maintains an open procurement contract for Battery Energy Storage Systems, developed from the perspective of asset owners, developers, and project financiers. The clauses are publicly readable; membership provides access to technical appendices and participation in the standards process.
Energy Storage
Contract Alliance
The Contract
An independently maintained BESS procurement template focused on buyer-side risk allocation. It covers pricing, specifications, quality control, commissioning, warranties, cybersecurity, and related procurement requirements. The clauses are publicly readable; the technical appendices are available to members.
Clause 2 — Agreement Parties
This Agreement is entered into between [Seller], a manufacturer and supplier of BESS, and [Buyer]. Subject to approval by the third-party inspection company (Sinovoltaics Group Limited) designated by the Buyer, Buyer desires to purchase BESS from Seller under the terms set out herein.
Clause 3 — Purpose & Scope
This Agreement sets out the terms under which (i) Seller manufactures and supplies BESS to Buyer, (ii) Sinovoltaics Group Limited inspects the BESS prior to final acceptance, and (iii) Buyer purchases and pays for such BESS.
Clause 4 — Contract Price, Traceability & Cybersecurity (extract)
Seller shall provide traceable data certifying the origin of all battery cells and components within 14 days of the start of each manufacturing batch. All firmware must be verifiable via SHA-256 or equivalent. Seller must notify Buyer within 72 hours of any critical vulnerability and within 24 hours of any cybersecurity incident. NIS2 Directive and IEC 62443 compliance is mandatory.
Clause 5 — Inspection, Shipping & Delivery (extract)
All containers inspected — no sampling permitted. Acceptance Quality Limits: Critical 0, Major 0, Minor 0. No BESS shipped without a Pass Certificate from Sinovoltaics Group Limited. Late delivery liquidated damages: 0.2% per day from day 16 after the scheduled delivery period expires.
Clause 6 — Site Commissioning, Monitoring & Payment
The 15+ appendices come with ESCA membership.Members access all appendices, technical specifications, and warranty schedules, and can leave comments or ask questions.
Read the full contract →Access levels
The ESCA access model distinguishes between public contract access, member access to appendices and discussion, and Steering Committee participation in the development of the standard.
Visitor
Free — no registration required
Registered Member
Membership
Steering Committee
Annual contribution to ESCA governance
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Steering Committee enquiries will be followed up separately by the Secretariat.
Steering Committee
Steering Committee members are BESS buyers, developers, financiers, and technical advisors who contribute to ESCA governance. They hold a named Steering Committee seat, review amendment proposals, and support the continued development of the standard as market requirements evolve.
About ESCA
BESS procurement contracts often vary significantly between projects, resulting in repeated negotiation of common commercial, technical, and quality-related issues.
ESCA maintains a model BESS procurement contract that documents buyer-side risk allocation, technical specifications, cybersecurity requirements, and quality assurance provisions, with updates as market requirements evolve.
The contract is publicly readable and can be reviewed without contacting ESCA. It is drafted from the buyer's side, so warranties, FAT and SAT, payment terms, and quality provisions are structured around asset-owner requirements rather than supplier preferences. The contract is maintained independently of equipment manufacturers and is intended to provide a consistent buyer-side reference framework.
ESCA is administered by Sinovoltaics Group Limited as permanent Secretariat, coordinating contract administration, version control, and stakeholder participation.