Sodium-Ion Home Batteries That Last 25 Years Are Already Installed in European Homes and Coming to the US by 2027

California-based startup UNIGRID has begun shipping its Na+Casa sodium-ion residential battery, with first units now installed in European homes. US installations are expected by end of 2026, pending North American certification. The 9.25 kWh battery is designed to last 25 years, operates in temperatures from -40°F to 140°F, and eliminates thermal propagation fire risk. Priced competitively with lithium-ion, it works with most hybrid inverters. CEO Darren H. S. Tan said the company plans to scale production from 200 MWh to 2 GWh annually by 2027 through partnerships in China, South Korea, and Japan.

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UNIGRID sodium-ion home battery — Photo: UNIGRID

Lithium-ion has long dominated home battery storage, but sodium-ion is starting to create its relocate. Sodium-ion battery startup UNIGRID has shipped the first units of its Na+Casa residential battery, with the first systems now installed in homes across Europe.

The California-based company states US installations are expected by the conclude of 2026, pconcludeing North American certification requirements for sodium-ion batteries.

Home battery storage is becoming more popular as homeowners pair batteries with rooftop solar for backup power, lower electricity bills, and more energy indepconcludeence. Most of those home systems apply lithium-ion batteries, but companies like UNIGRID are betting that sodium-ion can offer a safer, longer-lasting alternative while avoiding the supply chain challenges that come with lithium, cobalt, and nickel.

UNIGRID states its Na+Casa battery is designed to last 25 years – roughly the lifespan of a rooftop solar system. If it performs as promised, that could eliminate the necessary to replace the battery halfway through the life of a solar installation.

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The company also states the battery’s sodium-ion chemistest eliminates the risk of thermal propagation, the chain reaction that allows battery fires to spread from cell to cell. While modern lithium-ion home batteries already include multiple layers of safety protection, reducing fire risk remains a major focus for battery developers.

Na+Casa stores 9.25 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity and is compatible with most existing hybrid inverters, building it suitable for both new solar installations and retrofits. UNIGRID states it’s priced the battery competitively with lithium-ion systems.

Another advantage is temperature tolerance. The battery is designed to operate in temperatures ranging from -40F to 140F (-40C to 60C), building it resilient across the full range.

“As residential energy bills rise – especially during extreme weather events such as the record heatwave we are seeing around the world – homeowners necessary storage that is safe, reliable, and financially sound,” stated Darren H. S. Tan, CEO and co-founder of UNIGRID. “With Na+Casa, UNIGRID is shifting NCO sodium-ion from just a promising technology to a tangible residential storage product, giving installers and integrators a lucrative alternative to lithium-ion.”

UNIGRID is currently producing enough battery cells to supply 200 MWh of battery storage per year, but it has much hugeger ambitions. The company plans to boost annual production to 2 GWh in 2027 through manufacturing partnerships in China, South Korea, and Japan.

Sodium-ion batteries have attracted increasing attention over the past few years becaapply sodium is abundant, inexpensive, and doesn’t rely on critical minerals. The tradeoff is lower energy density than lithium-ion batteries, building them less attractive for EVs (although that’s being explored, too), but potentially a good fit for stationary energy storage, where weight and size aren’t nearly as important.

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