Services
Honor Grid Solutions provides four core services covering the compliance lifecycle of a California BESS project, from pre-application through commissioning observation. Every engagement is scoped in writing, worked to an agreed schedule, and documented with the audit trail required for AHJ submittal and internal records.
NFPA 855 HMA Independent Review
A documented, defensible HMA is the technical heart of a compliant large-scale BESS installation. An independent check on that HMA is what gives an AHJ, an insurer, and a financing partner confidence it holds up. We review the HMA against NFPA 855 methodology. The review covers exposure analysis, separation distances, UL 9540A data integration, deflagration and containment strategy, and egress protection. The result is a traceable record of where the analysis conforms and where it needs attention, and it has value whether or not it finds gaps: a clean result is documented assurance.
What you get
Independent conformance review report structured to the AHJ's submittal expectations, each applicable NFPA 855 requirement marked met, not met, or needs clarification, with the governing code citation. UL 9540A test-data reconciliation against your installed configuration. Findings-and-options memo documenting any deficiency with remediation pathways where applicable. Reliance-limitation statement protecting both HGS and the developer. One round of revision support after AHJ feedback.
Scope boundary
We document, analyze, and recommend. Design decisions and engineering of record responsibilities remain with the developer's licensed engineer. This is consulting scope, not engineering scope.
SB 283 Pre-Application Fire Authority Consultation
SB 283 requires a fire authority consultation before permit application for locally permitted BESS projects of 10 MWh or greater filing on or after January 1, 2026. The meeting is the input. The documented record of that meeting, and how its outcomes are carried into the permit package, is the output. We prepare that record and support the project through the consultation.
What you get
Pre-application package review against the applicable code pathway, covering the project narrative, site plan, BESS specifications, proposed installation standard, and fire suppression and detection approach. Coordination with the fire authority ahead of the meeting. Attendance in a technical advisory capacity. Written meeting summary and findings log. A documented record of fire authority input and where it applies in the permit application.
Who this is for
BESS developers facing their first SB 283 consultation, or developers who want the documentation load handled outside their internal permitting team.
BESS Commissioning Observation & Documentation
Commissioning is where designed compliance meets installed reality. We observe commissioning against the HMA and permit package, and document whether the fire safety systems, monitoring, disconnect functionality, and emergency response provisions installed at the site match what was approved.
What you get
Commissioning witness at agreed-upon milestones. Checklist-driven comparison against HMA commitments. Discrepancy reporting with photographic documentation. Final commissioning memo usable as AHJ closeout attachment. Post-commissioning emergency response plan review.
AHJ Liaison
On large projects or in unfamiliar jurisdictions, a single technical point of contact with the fire authority keeps the compliance record consolidated and the correspondence traceable. We serve as the project team's technical point of contact for that correspondence, on a documented and code-referenced footing.
What you get
Designated technical contact for fire authority correspondence, at the project team's direction. Status tracking and documentation of all fire-authority correspondence. Support preparing responses when the AHJ requests clarification or additional information. Timeline tracking with flagging as review milestones approach.
How we price
We price each engagement individually, in one of three structures.
We provide a written scope of work and fee estimate, typically within three business days of an initial consultation. We do not require engagement letters or payment until scope is agreed in writing.
Fixed-fee deliverable
For defined scopes such as an HMA independent review or an SB 283 pre-application package, priced on the complexity of the installation and the AHJ involved.
Milestone-based project fee
For full-lifecycle engagements spanning pre-application through commissioning.
Time-and-materials retainer
For ongoing support once an engagement is underway: AHJ liaison through plan review, or commissioning observation on an active project. Billed hourly, for established scopes where the work is continuous rather than fixed.
How we approach a project.
Verify against primary source.
Every statutory and regulatory reference is checked against the actual code text, never cited from memory.
Define the deliverable.
Each engagement produces a specific, named work product with clear boundaries, so you know exactly what you're getting.
Stay in lane.
We document, analyze, and recommend. Design decisions and professional stamps remain with your licensed engineer of record.
Document for audit.
Every recommendation is traceable, so the project record holds up under AHJ scrutiny.
Ready to scope a project? Book a 30-minute consultation. No commitment.