BESS maintenance for Malaysian battery storage, from daily checks to ST records

Run Suruhanjaya Tenaga's daily, periodic and routine BESS checks, send competent persons to each site and keep every container's service and warranty history.

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Updated 19 Oct 2026

FieldEx scheduling board on desktop with a technician's inspection checklist open on the mobile app, as used by battery storage maintenance teams

FieldEx is a field service and asset management (FSM+CMMS) application for battery energy storage owners, contractors and operations and maintenance (O&M) providers in Malaysia. For BESS maintenance, it holds each container, battery rack, inverter and fire system on record. It schedules routine and periodic inspections and assigns competent technicians. FieldEx also keeps the maintenance records Suruhanjaya Tenaga (ST) expects to be kept and accessible.

What FieldEx does for BESS owners and O&M contractors

Battery storage arrives with its own rulebook. Suruhanjaya Tenaga's 2026 BESS safety guideline, Bomba's battery room requirements and the manufacturer's service plan all apply. They sit on top of the Electricity Regulations 1994. FieldEx puts that work on the asset records of each site. The daily check, the periodic inspection and the corrective repair for each rack or inverter end up in one history. Book a demo to see it on your own BESS sites.

Sites, containers and inverters on record

One site per BESS facility, solar farm or substation.
Each site's address, map pin, service zone and contacts.
Every asset and plan listed under its site.
One asset per container, battery rack, inverter and transformer.
One asset per heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) unit and fire suppression panel.
Serial number, specs, photos and warranty on each asset.
Containers as parents, with their racks, HVAC unit and fire panel as components that each carry their own history, in Asset Management.
The original equipment manufacturer's (OEM) manual, single-line diagram, UN 38.3 report and commissioning results stored on the asset.
A log of every edit to the asset, with the user and time.

Daily, periodic and annual checks

Inspections that recur daily, weekly or monthly, each linked to its own checklist.
Longer inspection cycles: quarterly, every 6 months or yearly.
Planned preventive maintenance (PPM) plans that raise the annual service and longer overhauls by date, by meter reading such as cycles, or whichever comes first.
A fixed calendar, or a schedule counted from the last completed visit, with missed PPM moved forward after a set overdue period. Fixed calendar dates apply to time-based plans.
One plan across every site with the same container model, picking up new containers as they are added, in Preventive Maintenance.

ST and Bomba deadlines

Certifications per asset type on set frequencies, such as the five-yearly competent person inspection, with the certifying authority recorded.
Each record shown as due, overdue or done, with reminders by email, in the app or both.
The performer, the date, the result and remarks on every record, with the test report or certificate attached, through Compliance Documentation.
A dashboard of what is overdue, what falls due in the next 7 days and what was finished in the last 7 days.
Dashboard views by site or service zone.

Readings and abnormal findings

Custom job forms with number fields for values such as rack voltage, current and container temperature, entered exactly by the technician on site.
Container and HVAC temperatures logged as meter readings on the asset, giving a dated trend from visit to visit.
A "No" on a checklist question, such as unusual smell or water ingress, raising the corrective job and its tasks immediately. A follow-up inspection is optional.
A warning when a new job repeats a recent job on the same inverter or rack, in Work Order Management.

Technicians on site and offline

The FieldEx Mobile App, with the asset's history, its checklist, watermarked photos and the client's sign-off on each job in the app.
Jobs and tasks can be downloaded and worked offline, with check-in, check-out and travel synced later.
A QR or barcode sticker on every container and rack, scanned to open the asset and start its checklist.
Ordered procedures, with required steps such as isolation and personal protective equipment (PPE) confirmation that must be ticked off before the job can close.

Competent persons and dispatch

Jobs matched on skills, zone and availability first, then nearest and least busy.
A drag-and-drop scheduler for anything urgent, in Scheduling and Dispatch.
Response and repair targets per client, in stages, with a warning before a target is missed and a flag when it is.
Each trip logged as a task journey, with distance, travel time and time on site.

Spares, warranties and service contracts

Spare fans, pumps, fuses, contactors and gaskets in each warehouse and each technician's van stock.
Transfers and approvals for parts, in Spare Parts Inventory.
A warranty period on each spare part and warranty details on each asset, with every part fitted logged on the job.
Long-term service agreements as contracts with start and end dates, linked to the containers and PPM plans they cover.
A job sheet PDF for each finished job, sent automatically to the owner or anyone else.
Reports by site, asset or period, exported or emailed on a timetable.

Your own gas monitors, testers and vans

Portable gas monitors, insulation testers and thermal cameras kept as company assets, each with its serial number and holder.
Calibration due dates for each instrument as recurring certifications, with reminders and the certificate on the record.
Company vans on maintenance plans by date or odometer reading, and workshop machinery on its own plan.
Workshop machinery used to repair battery packs and fans on its own maintenance plan.

Reports and records for owners

Completion PDFs, sent automatically to the owner or anyone else, with a record of when each was sent.
Each PDF holds the equipment, the fault and resolution, the parts used and check-in and check-out times. Photos and the customer's signature are included too.
Reports on asset reliability, maintenance cost and age, and on jobs and inspections by site, in Reporting and Analytics.
Owner reports exported as CSV, Excel or PDF, or emailed to owners on a schedule.
A branded Customer Portal where the asset owner sees registered equipment with last-serviced dates, upcoming asset maintenance and downloadable job reports.

What inspections does Suruhanjaya Tenaga's BESS safety guideline require?

Suruhanjaya Tenaga (ST) recommends routine checks and a deeper periodic inspection of every BESS. ST's BESS safety guideline (GP/ST/No.62/2026) recommend both. The routine checks confirm that alarm indicators and status displays are normal, and that the battery management system (BMS) and energy management system (EMS) are working. They also look for unusual smell, temperature rise, water ingress or impeded airflow. Periodic inspection verifies the protection systems and inspects electrical connections and earthing for integrity and continuity.

What FieldEx does about it

Daily rounds as inspections: the guideline's routine checks become a daily inspection on each container. Yes or no questions cover alarms and displays. Others cover smell, heat, water and airflow.
Periodic inspection with its own checklist: protection checks and the connection and earthing inspection run on a longer cycle. They use a separate checklist and a qualified technician.
Abnormal findings acted on: an answer that flags smell, heat or water ingress raises a corrective job at once and can schedule a re-inspection.
Missed rounds visible: the dashboard shows overdue inspections by site, so a skipped daily check is seen the same day.

Who can service or repair a BESS in Malaysia?

Only competent persons, or people working under their control, may service, repair or clean a BESS or its components. That rule is in ST's BESS safety guideline. The Electricity Regulations 1994 add a fixed cycle for the wider installation. A competent person must inspect and test non-domestic installations at least once every 5 years.

What FieldEx does about it

Skills that match the job: each BESS job carries a required skill, and only technicians holding that skill are matched to it. Skills can be named after ST competency classes, such as chargeman or wireman, and after BESS manufacturer authorizations, each with an expiry date.
Supervised work recorded: a job can be assigned to a group, and the technicians who checked in and out are recorded on every task.
The five-yearly inspection as a certification: the competent person's inspection and test runs as a certification with a five-year frequency. It has reminders, and the report is attached.
Thermal images on file: infrared photos are attached to the job and the asset, with automatic watermarks on photos taken in the app.

Which tests are needed to commission a BESS in Malaysia?

Commissioning needs grounding, insulation and continuity tests, plus tests of protective devices, isolation switches and anti-islanding. ST's BESS safety guideline lists those tests. It also requires each BESS to be tested to UN 38.3 before transport, with the test report made available.

What FieldEx does about it

Commissioning as a job with tasks: each test, from insulation resistance to anti-islanding, is a task on the commissioning job, in order. Technicians enter the results on the phone.
Test reports on the asset: the UN 38.3 report, UL 9540A evidence and commissioning results are attached to the container's record from day one.
Punch-list items tracked: snags found at commissioning become follow-up jobs on the asset they affect, and stay open until closed.
Baseline readings: the first readings taken at commissioning are stored against each asset, ready to compare with later visits.

What does Bomba require for battery rooms and energy storage systems?

An indoor battery room needs fire suppression that suits it, and the building must meet Bomba's requirements. ST's BESS safety guideline says an unavoidable indoor installation must have appropriate fire suppression. It must also meet all applicable Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) requirements.

What FieldEx does about it

Fire systems as assets: detectors, sprinkler valves and suppression cylinders sit under the battery room or container, each with its own service history.
Service on Bomba's cycle: each fire system runs on recurring inspections and certifications, with reminders before the due date.
Certificates on file: service reports and certificates are attached to each completed record, ready when Bomba or an auditor asks for them.
Defects to repair: a failed test on any fire system raises a corrective job straight away.

What cooling and environmental protection must a BESS container have?

A BESS needs an HVAC system or equivalent that keeps temperature-sensitive parts within limits, and an IP rating tested to IEC 60529. Both requirements are in ST's BESS safety guideline. For the battery itself, NREL's O&M best practices guide adds a quarterly check of the ventilation or air filtration system and an annual visual survey of the enclosure.

What FieldEx does about it

HVAC as a component: each container's HVAC or chiller unit is its own asset with its own PPM plan, filters and spare parts.
Temperature trends: container and coolant temperatures recorded as meter readings show whether cooling is keeping up between visits.
Seals and ingress checked: door seal and water ingress questions sit on the routine checklist, and photos of any damage are attached to the job.
Filter changes on schedule: filter cleaning and replacement can run monthly or quarterly, separate from the annual service.

What BESS maintenance records must be kept in Malaysia?

Keep every maintenance record, update it periodically and make it accessible to the relevant people. That is the rule in ST's BESS safety guideline, which also lists tasks such as updating BMS or EMS software or firmware where required. Under the Electricity Regulations 1994, the competent person gives the owner an inspection report within 2 weeks of each inspection. The report holds findings, recommendations and instructions, and the owner keeps a book of records and reports.

What FieldEx does about it

Every record on the asset: jobs, inspections and readings stay on the asset and site, and so do photos, certificates and parts used. An edit log tracks every change.
Firmware updates tracked: BMS and EMS updates run as jobs with the date, the technician and notes on what was changed.
Reports to the owner on time: the job sheet PDF goes to the owner automatically on completion, well inside the two-week window. A log shows when it was sent.
Owner access: the branded Customer Portal lets the owner see equipment, last-serviced dates and planned work, and download job reports.

What PPE do technicians need when maintaining a BESS?

Technicians wear the personal protective equipment (PPE) that the task and the manufacturer's procedure call for. ST's BESS safety guideline states that people involved in maintenance work, or working on or near live parts of a BESS, shall wear appropriate PPE.

What FieldEx does about it

PPE as a required step: a PPE confirmation task can be placed first in the job's procedure. It must be completed before the job can close.
A photo as evidence: the technician can attach a watermarked photo of the PPE in use.
Hazard notes on the asset: live-part warnings and the OEM's safety notes are attached to the asset and shown to the technician on the phone.
Plan reviews scheduled: the yearly review of the emergency plan runs as a recurring site job, created ahead of its due date.

What should a BESS emergency plan give the fire services?

The plan should tell the fire service how it will be alerted, and give a site plan with firefighting facilities, the site's alarms and the emergency coordinator's details. For the plan itself, the clearest guidance is international. The UK National Fire Chiefs Council's grid-scale BESS guidance lists those contents and adds the site's hazards and emergency shutoff locations. It says site operators should develop this plan and share it with the local fire and rescue service.

What FieldEx does about it

Plans on the site record: the emergency plan, site layout and contact list are attached to the site, visible to technicians on the phone.
Yearly review on schedule: the plan review runs as a recurring site job, raised ahead of its due date.
Emergency call-outs timed: service-level stages time how fast a technician is on the way and on site after an emergency call.
Contractors included: grounds contractors can be set up as a user group, so the jobs go to them and the record stays on your site.

How often should BESS technicians check their portable gas monitors?

Bump test or calibration check each portable gas monitor before every day's use, following its manufacturer's instructions. The clearest reference is international: the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration's bulletin on portable gas monitors. A monitor that fails the bump test gets a full calibration before use, and one that fails calibration is removed from service. Employers keep calibration records for the life of each instrument.

What FieldEx does about it

Each monitor on record: every portable gas monitor, insulation tester and thermal camera has its own asset record, with serial number and holder.
The bump test as a first task: the daily bump test can be a required task at the start of every BESS job.
Calibration on its own cycle: each monitor's full calibration runs as a recurring certification, with reminders and the certificate kept on file.
Vans on their own plans: each company van runs on a maintenance plan by date or odometer reading.

How often should a technician's portable gas monitor be checked?

Bump test or calibration check each portable gas monitor before every day's use, and keep its calibration records for life. That is the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration's advice in its bulletin on calibrating portable gas monitors. A monitor that fails the bump test gets a full calibration before use. If it fails the full calibration, the employer removes it from service. At battery sites, the NFCC guidance also expects continuous gas monitoring inside every BESS enclosure.

What FieldEx does about it

Each monitor as an asset: every portable gas monitor, insulation tester and thermal camera has its own record, with serial number and holder.
Daily checks on the job: the bump test can be a required first task on every battery site job.
Calibration that doesn't lapse: each monitor's full calibration runs as a recurring certification, with reminders and the certificate kept for the life of the instrument.
Failed monitors out of use: a failed answer on the monitor's checklist can set its status to out of service and raise a repair job.

Customer story

TapEffect designs, builds and operates piped water systems for hard-to-reach rural communities in Cambodia. It runs its remote sites from a head office in Phnom Penh on FieldEx. Its story describes central visibility of stock levels at each site and transfers of equipment and machinery between sites. It also describes job tasks and instructions set for each remote site. TapEffect recorded a 25% increase in inventory management efficiency. It's a different industry, but the same pattern: unmanned remote sites run from one office.

Read the TapEffect Story

AMRTUR, a Southeast Asian oilfield services contractor, runs offshore and onshore maintenance on FieldEx. It works across harsh rig environments and strict HSSEQ standards. Its story describes maintenance jobs created automatically once a machine reaches 300 hours of use or 6 months, whichever comes first. It also describes QR request forms routed to the right team, and maintenance tracked for each component of complex equipment. It's a different industry, but the same pattern: hours-or-calendar PPM on component-level assets at remote sites.

Read the AMRTUR Story

Questions Malaysian BESS operators ask about FieldEx

Which maintenance software suits BESS operators in Malaysia?

Choose one that covers the ST checks, competent person jobs and records described above. FieldEx does this in one system with field service management, on the same asset records. See our guide to CMMS Software.

Can FieldEx link with our BMS, EMS or SCADA?

Yes. Through the FieldEx API, outside systems such as BMS, EMS or monitoring platforms can create jobs and exchange data with FieldEx. FieldEx can connect to any open system through REST APIs and has connectors for QuickBooks and Xero.

Can we schedule daily BESS checks for every container?

Yes, as in the ST inspection section above. Each daily round can go to a named technician or to the site's group.

Can BESS technicians use the app in Bahasa Malaysia?

Yes. The mobile app runs in English, Bahasa Malaysia and Chinese, so each technician works in the language they prefer.

Can FieldEx remind us before the five-yearly competent person examination?

Yes. Reminders go by email, in the app or both, and the dashboard lists every certification due in the next 7 days.

Can we keep OEM warranty records for racks and inverters?

Yes. Warranty details sit on each asset and warranty periods on each spare part. Every repair and part fitted is recorded against the asset's serial number.

Can one O&M contractor run BESS sites for several owners?

Yes. Each owner is a customer with its own sites, assets, contracts and response targets, and each owner sees only its own records in the portal.

Can jobs be done at remote sites with no signal?

Yes. Jobs and tasks can be downloaded and worked offline, with check-in, check-out and travel synced later.

Can we track spares between warehouses, sites and vans?

Yes. Each warehouse and each technician's van stock is tracked, and transfers between them can need an approval.

How soon can our BESS sites go live on FieldEx?

There's no setup fee. Once we know your requirements and your data is ready, FieldEx can be implemented in as little as a week with standard features for small businesses. Larger setups and custom work take longer. Sites and assets can be uploaded. FieldEx helps with setup, and training is included. Onboarding is in person in Malaysia as well as online. See Setup and Training.

How quickly can our storage sites be running on FieldEx?

There's no setup fee. Once we know your requirements and your data is ready, FieldEx can be implemented in as little as a week with standard features for small businesses. Larger setups and custom work take longer. Sites and assets can be uploaded. FieldEx helps with setup, and training is included. See Setup and Training.

Keep every BESS container's checks, repairs and records on one system

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