CES 2024: EcoFlow launches first whole-house battery

Portable power stations were all the rage in South Africa last week, with brands like EcoFlow, Anker and Geewiz coming up with options for almost any need. Almost. 

In most cases, these devices provided emergency backup, filling crucial loadshedding gaps, and preventing the likes of sudden shutdowns or power surges.

At the CES tech expo in Las Vegas this week, a new category arrived. The EcoFlow Delta Pro Ultra was one of the stars of the show as it demonstrated a “whole house” solution for the first time.

The Delta Pro Ultra is described as “a residential power backup system designed for both extended outages and daily use”. Its single-unit capacity of 6kWh, with 7200W output and 5.6kW of solar input, means it can run an entire home, and overcome most loadshedding scenarios when used in conjunction with solar panels. It has a stackable design, which allows for quick expansion of both storage and output.

It has been launched in tandem with the Smart Home Panel 2, which integrates the Delta Pro Ultra with a home for grid-to-backup transition – including auto switch-over. 

Through intelligent analysis and smart solar utilisation, the Panel optimises energy use. In combination, the system can be scaled up to 21.6kW of output.

“In the face of increasing energy insecurity due to grid failures and extreme weather, we have developed Delta Pro Ultra along with Smart Home Panel 2 to address these challenges,” says Brian Essenmacher, EcoFlow’s head of North American business development. “We aim to empower individuals with the freedom to choose the best power solutions in daily use for their households and give them peace of mind during power outages.”

The Delta Pro Ultra can be charged via AC power and solar panels, as well as traditional petrol generators, for those looking to cover all bases.

Safety and longevity is promised by EcoFLow via a robust battery management system, using X-Cooling technology, a heat-dissipating system that increases efficiency, reduces noise and extends component lifespan. Its LFP battery chemistry is claimed to be EV-grade – good enough for electric vehicles – and offers more than 10 years of daily use, with 3,500 discharge cycles before reaching 80% of original capacity.

EcoFlow says that, looking ahead, these technologies will converge to deliver a fully integrated, cloud-enabled energy experience.

* The Delta Pro Ultra is available on the EcoFlow US website for $4,999. The Smart Home Panel 2 is available for $1,599, or as a bundled package with the Delta Pro Ultra for $6,399 until 9 February.