ThaiNGO

TITLE:                          Technical Advisory Support for BESS Standards and Regulatory Development (Thailand)

CONTRACT TYPE:     Fixed Price Contract

DURATION:                 March 2 – October 31, 2026

The Asia Foundation is seeking an experienced and qualified organization or consulting firm (the Contractor) to provide technical advisory support on Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) standards, regulatory practices, and international benchmarking to support Thailand’s energy transition.

BACKGROUND

In 2021, the Guidelines for Developing Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Technical Standards in Thailand, were developed under the funding from United States Agency for International Development, providing an important technical foundation at an early stage of BESS development. Since then, BESS technologies, deployment models, safety practices, and international standards have evolved significantly. 

TAF is implementing a technical assistance program to support Office of the Energy Regulatory Commission (OERC) in reviewing existing frameworks, conducting stakeholder consultations, and developing technical recommendations and regulatory pathways for BESS in Thailand. The Contractor’s role under this Scope of Work is to provide international technical expertise to update the 2021 guideline and conduct targeted international benchmarking to inform evidence-based regulatory development.

OBJECTIVES

• To support OERC’s regulatory development process, gap analysis synthesis, technical recommendations, and regulatory pathways for BESS, which include the following:
  • Update the Guidelines for Developing BESS Technical Standards in Thailand (2021) to reflect updates/developments through 2025
  • Assess global BESS deployment trends, representative use cases, and lessons learned
  • Conduct international benchmarking of BESS technical standards and regulatory practices, with a focus on the United States, Australia, and China, to support comparative analysis against Thailand’s current baseline.
• To provide technical expertise in knowledge sharing through workshops and/or training sessions for Thai regulators and relevant stakeholders.

SCOPE OF WORK

The Contractor will provide technical expertise to support Thailand’s development of BESS technical standards and regulatory frameworks. Working with The Asia Foundation and Thai regulatory stakeholders, The Contractor will contribute international experience, analytical insights, and knowledge sharing to inform evidence-based energy storage regulation.

Key responsibilities include:

1. Update of BESS Technical Guidelines

• Review and update the Guidelines for Developing BESS Technical Standards in Thailand (originally developed in 2021) to reflect the latest international standards, codes, and best practices through 2025. This includes updates on safety, performance, testing, grid integration, and operational considerations.

2. Global BESS Trends and Use Cases

•  Review global trends in BESS deployment, including growth trajectories, application types, and integration with renewable energy systems
•  Compile representative international use cases illustrating different BESS applications (e.g. renewable integration, peak management, ancillary services, microgrids, resilience applications)
•  Summarize implications of these trends and use cases for regulatory design and system integration considerations, with relevance to Thailand’s context

3. Lessons Learned from BESS Deployments

•  Review publicly documented experiences from recent BESS deployments, including reported safety incidents, operational challenges, and regulatory responses
•  Identify common risk factors and mitigation measures related to system design, siting, fire safety, and operations
•  Summarize key lessons learned that may be relevant to Thailand’s climatic conditions, grid characteristics, and institutional environment

4. International Benchmarking of BESS Standards and Regulations

• Review and summarize key technical standards and regulatory approaches applicable to BESS in the selected jurisdictions (United States, Australia, and China)
• Highlight similarities, differences, and notable features of regulatory frameworks, particularly related to safety, grid interconnection, certification, and large-scale deployment
• Identify practices that may be informative or adaptable to Thailand’s regulatory and institutional context

5. Knowledge Sharing and Capacity Building

• Prepare and deliver technical presentations, briefings, and/or training modules for workshops or seminars organized by TAF for Thai regulators and relevant stakeholders, either in-person or virtually
• Present and explain key analytical outputs developed under this Scope of Work, including updates to the BESS technical guideline, international benchmarking findings, global deployment trends, and lessons learned from recent BESS deployments
• Provide expert-level technical input on the applicability of international standards and regulatory practices to Thailand’s legal, institutional, climatic, and power system context

DELIVERABLES, TIMELINE, PAYMENTS

Indicative budget: USD 50,000, inclusive of professional fees and allowable reimbursable expenses.

Submission requirement:

Interested contractors must submit a letter of interest, company profile, and brief proposal by 20 February 2026. Please submit all application documents to: nuttawut.chuenarom@asiafoundation.org Email subject line: Application – BESS Standards & Regulatory Advisory (Thailand).