Blue Whale Energy, a leading developer of virtual power plants in Southeast Asia, has partnered with UNIGRID, Inc. to roll out new commercial and industrial battery energy storage systems (BESS) for use in crowded urban environments. The collaboration aims to help solve one of the region’s most pressing energy challenges—how to store solar energy safely and effectively in areas with limited space.
Solving solar energy’s biggest urban problem
As more homes and businesses turn to solar energy, power grids struggle to handle the mismatch between solar generation and peak electricity demand. Solar panels often produce the most power when it’s unnecessary, while demand peaks in the evening. To fix this, many regions combine solar energy storage systems—but space is tight in densely populated cities, and safety rules are strict.
That’s where Blue Whale Energy’s new plan comes in. The company installs small, modular battery units directly underneath rooftop solar panels. While lithium-ion batteries are widely used, they pose fire risks and need complex cooling systems and enclosures—making them unsuitable for close-quarters rooftop use in urban areas.
UNIGRID’s advanced sodium-ion battery technology offers a safer alternative. These batteries operate efficiently across a wide temperature range and don’t require active cooling or protective housings. This makes them perfect for placing in tight city spaces where safety and simplicity matter.
Safer, smaller, and smarter storage
Gabriel Lim, the founder and CEO of Blue Whale Energy, believes this approach could change the game. “With UNIGRID’s sodium-ion platform, we can finally place storage exactly where it’s needed—on the rooftops of commercial and industrial buildings in cities,” he said. “Every rooftop becomes a grid-ready energy source.”
Darren H. S. Tan, CEO of UNIGRID, agrees. “We’re proud to support Blue Whale in building Southeast Asia’s virtual power plant network. By using safe and scalable storage, we can reach untapped markets previously out of reach for traditional systems.”
UNIGRID’s technology is well suited for rooftop use in urban areas, where larger systems wouldn’t fit, and cooling systems would be impractical. Because the batteries are modular, they can be installed in phases, allowing for flexible upgrades based on demand and budget.
Regional rollout set to begin
By the end of 2025, Blue Whale Energy plans to install an initial 8 megawatt-hours (MWh) of solar-plus-storage systems using UNIGRID’s sodium-ion batteries. This early deployment will act as a proof of concept, showing how well the system performs in real-world urban settings.
The partnership will begin expanding across Southeast Asia from 2026 onwards. The goal is to offer a scalable, fire-safe model for clean energy storage in cities with tight space and growing power needs. The project also supports the region’s broader goals of building a more resilient and sustainable energy future.
This collaboration marks a big step in urban renewable energy development. By combining smart battery technology with rooftop solar power, Blue Whale Energy and UNIGRID are working to transform how cities across Southeast Asia generate, store, and use electricity.
