Exro Technologies Inc.’s (EXRO-T) Cell Driver energy storage system has been certified by safety science company UL, and the Calgary-based company will open a subsidiary named Cellex Energy Inc. to commercialize the product.

"This important milestone is the result of years of dedication and hard work from our team,” Exro’s CEO Sue Ozdemir said in a release. “The process presented many challenges for both Exro and the UL certifier team as we worked to certify an innovative technology with capabilities that exceeded existing UL testing standards.”

Cell Driver is a 90 kilowatt or 192 kilowatt-hour battery energy storage system designed for efficient energy use, protection against outages and the ability to isolate defective cells. Exro has the aim of seeing Cell Driver used in commercial and office buildings, retail centers, hotels, restaurants, schools and hospitals.

UL certification is needed for use in Canada and the U.S., the company says.

To push Cell Driver into the market, Cellex will allow Exro to focus on the technology and pilots, it adds.

Getting UL certification

Ozdemir emphasized the importance of UL certification in an interview with Sustainable Biz Canada and public releases. In February, she said Cell Driver requires UL certification for Exro to deliver the first units.

The company had spent over two years on development and testing to attain the UL certification. The expectation was for UL certification to be received in Q2.

Certifications of Cell Driver cover several standards for the system, subcomponents and the manufacturing process which will be done by Exro's contract manufacturing partner Re:Build Manufacturing.

A Cell Driver demonstration unit has been installed at Exro’s Calgary facility for over a year.

Cellex for commercializing Cell Driver

Cellex will allow Exro to concentrate on the technology, business operations, market response and customer and stakeholder engagement as it looks to commercialize Cell Driver, the release adds.

Exro is planning to launch in-field pilots, having built a network of partners in North America in the solar, energy storage, electric vehicle charging and building energy management industries during the certification phase. The goal is to develop a pipeline of sales opportunities.

Additionally, Exro is continuing to cut costs since its acquisition of SEA Electric in April, it announced. Steps include reducing business restructuring, shedding non-core assets and increasing production for blue-chip manufacturing customers.

Exro has saved approximately $7.5 million US since April 5, targeting an annual reduction of up to $10 million US in general and administrative expenses in 2024.

More reductions are planned through “facilities rationalization, a focus on execution, and continued operational optimization,” the company states.