Octopus Energy joins up with CATL and Ampace for ‘next gen’ home batteries David Nield | usagoldmines.com

• Octopus Energy, Ampace, and CATL are joining forces
• They’re promising to ‘transform’ the smart home battery landscape
• We’re expecting next-gen tech like sodium-ion batteries

It’s a boom time for home energy solutions — from DIY solar kits to smart home batteries — and three of the biggest names in the industry are joining forces to build the next generation of home energy storage solutions.

Energy supplier Octopus and battery manufacturers CATL and Ampace have announced a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ (MoU) to work together to produce the best possible combinations of hardware engineering and software intelligence.

Octopus will bring tech such as the smart tariff, mobile app, and customer ecosystem platforms, while CATL and Ampace supply the battery chemistry and hardware nous. Initially, the initiative will be focused on European markets.

At this early stage we don’t have details of any actual products, but expect advances in cutting-edge tech like sodium-ion batteries, high-density cell designs, and long battery lifecycles — all of which should benefit customers and reduce electricity bills.

Looking to the future

According to Octopus founder and CEO Greg Jackson, combining the efforts of the three companies will “transform home energy storage”, and offer “next-generation batteries where hardware and software work in complete harmony”.

Jason Zhu, the President of Energy Storage Systems at Ampace, is equally enthusiastic: the partnership will “fundamentally reshape how energy is delivered and consumed” as systems become “smarter, more connected, and more accessible”.

Of course we’ll have to reserve judgment until actual products and offers arrive, but Octopus Energy, CATL, and Ampace all have strong track records. The products that we’ve seen from these companies, we’ve liked.

The joint press release emphasized the ability for home batteries to charge up during off-peak times and share power back to the grid at times of highest demand, which should mean significant savings for customers — something everyone can support.