Avant Power expands operations: OptiGrid™ microgrid revolutionizes energy and charging solutions

The Finnish technology company Avant Power announces a new energy system, OptiGrid™, and launches a research project related to microgrids, which will open up new jobs for top experts. Business Finland, which is funding the project with EUR 3.5 million, believes that Avant Power can become one of the leading players in its field in Finland and the EU.

Ylöjärvi, Finland – OptiGrid™, the new energy system by the Finnish technology company Avant Power, is a modular and scalable microgrid system. It combines renewable energy production, consumption and storage, intelligent charging of work machines and electric transport, and advanced heat recovery into one seamless whole.

The OptiGrid™ energy system, which is largely self-sufficient and brings versatile added value to its users, is designed to serve electricity-intensive environments, such as charging stations, residential areas, urban or shopping centers, industrial environments or even data centers. The end-to-end solution responds to the challenges of an electrifying world by providing an efficient, smart and environmentally friendly way to manage and distribute energy.

Project studying immersion cooling opens new jobs

Avant Power is now starting a research project focusing on the intelligent control of the OptiGrid™ system and utilizing Avant Power’s own immersion cooling technology in EV charging systems, energy storage and waste heat utilization.

”We have been researching and investigating the excellence of microgrids for a long time, and now we are going to the market with full force. As a battery manufacturer, we have experience in immersion cooling technology, which is also a perfect fit for the OptiGrid™ microgrid. With it, the waste heat generated during the charging of electric vehicles can be utilized by the grid owner, and if necessary, it can be sold to the district heating network. Immersion cooling technology and efficient optimization of the system will significantly increase the overall efficiency of the microgrid,” says Mikko Piepponen, Chief Operating Officer of Avant Power.

As the project starts, Avant Power will soon recruit several top experts in the fields of software development, artificial intelligence and cloud systems to Ylöjärvi, Finland.

Business Finland finances Avant Power’s growth story

Avant Power develops new, radical innovations to build a greener and smarter world. The company is known for the world’s safest OptiTemp® batteries, which are 100% designed and manufactured in Finland.

Business Finland (the Finnish government organization for innovation funding) is involved in funding Avant Power’s research project with as much as EUR 3.5 million, as it believes in the company’s growth.

”Avant Power strengthens the electrification of transport, which includes mines, the battery industry, electric machinery and charging systems needed by transport, for example. Avant Power brings much-needed higher value-added business to the ecosystem which has started to grow strongly in Finland. At Business Finland, we believe that Avant Power can become one of the leading players in its field in Finland and the EU,” says Reino Pesonen, Finance Specialist at Business Finland.

Electric future reflected in Avant’s goals

Operating in Ylöjärvi, Finland, Avant Power is part of the Avant Group, which has a turnover of EUR 230 million and 483 employees. Avant Power’s turnover is EUR 4 million and it has 15 employees.

The Group also includes Avant Tecno, which manufactures Avant compact loaders, and Leguan Lifts, which manufactures spider lifts. About 90% of the products are exported, and there are more than 70 export countries. Avant Tecno is the global market leader in compact loaders and manufactured the first electric compact loader back in 2017.

In 2030, Avant Group aims for a turnover of EUR 600 million, and the share of electric machines is expected to be 50 percent.

Avant Power has already developed the world’s safest high-capacity battery for Avant loaders, and in the future, the company will offer smart energy management solutions globally.

”Avant Power sees great potential in microgrids and is ready to invest heavily in research. OptiGrid™ is a significant step on the way to a more energy-efficient and sustainable future, as it offers concrete solutions to promote the green transition and creates added value for end customers. Both can be achieved at the same time,” says Mikko Kettunen, Chief Business Development Director at Avant Power.

OptiGrid™ is a smart solution for future energy needs

• The OptiGrid™ microgrid is an energy system in miniature. The cost-effective and largely energy-self-sufficient entity includes its own electricity production and consumption as well as the electricity network.
• The microgrid is also connected to the national electricity grid. The electricity produced in the microgrid is primarily used in the owner’s grid, and the excess capacity can be used to support the national electricity grid by participating in the electricity market.
• The system ensures the supply of electricity and security of supply to critical sites.
• Microgrids utilize renewable energy. They support the energy transition and regional self-sufficiency in electricity production.

Key features of the OptiGrid™ system

• Intelligent total system: The microgrid is offered as a total service, which makes installation and operation easy. The equipment is designed to take up as little space as possible.
• Efficient optimization: The DC microgrid system optimizes power utilization and utilizes waste heat efficiently through unique immersion cooling and heat recovery technology. Optimization improves energy efficiency.
• Safety and security of supply: Energy storage units can also be located underground, which protects them from extreme weather events and vandalism. This also ensures an optimal operating temperature, a long life cycle, and safe operation of the equipment.
• Scalability and intelligent management: Intelligent management and optimization based on cloud computing enable learning forecasting and “fleet management” between microgrids. It supports proactive knowledge-based management and increases overall benefits.