VACON® inverters and sine-wave filters enable Cactos to grow in Finland and scale to international markets

FINLAND: Cactos Oy, a Muhos-based startup established in 2021, builds smart energy storage systems. Locally, energy storage systems secure critical power supply and, globally, they enable the efficient use of renewable energy. 

Cactos’ energy storage systems are built in Muhos and the storage units are used throughout Finland. In order to operate, energy storage systems require a power converter, which supplies energy to the batteries when electricity is cheap. Conversely, when electricity prices rise, energy can be withdrawn from the batteries. Energy prices will most likely continue to fluctuate in the future, which is why there is demand for Cactos’ smart energy storage systems. 

In an ever-changing world, more and more solutions are needed to enable the economical use of renewable energy sources. Cactos produces energy storage units from electric car batteries, among other things. Energy storage units are connected to each other via a cloud service, allowing energy to be stored and withdrawn as usage and price change. All of Cactos’ energy storage units also participate together in the reserve market, balancing the gap between supply and demand in the main grid. 

Due to the holistic nature of Cactos’ service, reliability and predictability are key requirements for suppliers, designers, and subcontractors. Energy storage systems are complex and large devices. The uniqueness of each system means that it is vital to be willing to experiment, have the courage to make mistakes, and learn from them. At the same time, the additional challenges brought by the component shortage in summer 2022 have given us something to consider. Together, Cactos and Danfoss want to ensure that customer wishes and delivery times can be met, despite the challenges. 

Besides flexibility and a willingness to experiment, the high degree of involvement of Danfoss in the Finnish market and its factory location nearby were important factors in Cactos’ decision to enter into partnership with them. Thanks to the collaboration, Cactos has been able to conduct product development at an exceptionally fast pace and the transition to production has been smooth: the shared journey began in early 2022 and the products were already in production by the end of June. 

Using VACON® NXI inverters and VACON® sine-wave filters, Cactos has been able to help its customers smooth out peaks in demand and make more efficient use of renewable energy sources. Power converters are used in both Cactos energy storage models and form the core of the whole product. Certain VACON® inverters are also compatible with international standards, supporting Cactos’ growth ambitions in global markets. 

Cactos has supplied its customers with numerous energy storage units using VACON® inverters and sine-wave filters. All of these storage units are currently in use, and the order volume is growing steadily. Cactos's production has doubled since the collaboration began. 

Veli-Erkki Ruotsalainen, Cactos’ Chief Operating Officer, reports that the collaboration with Danfoss has been rewarding and educational. “Danfoss always responds quickly to our enquiries. Our collaboration has been dynamic and it is easy to generate ideas together when both parties know each other’s products well. We will continue to work together in the future, and we are ready for new challenges,” said Ruotsalainen. 

Mika Matila, Key Account Manager at Danfoss, says that it has been rewarding to support Cactos on the road to success. “Our collaboration has worked well and we have been able to meet delivery times, even though the global component shortage has caused problems. When you believe in the customer’s process and products, you also want to help. As a Danfoss organization, we are committed to the customer’s technical development projects,” says Matila.