Engine manufacturer Briggs & Stratton has acquired SimpliPhi Power, a California-based battery manufacturer whose technology can be found in many microgrids.
Wisconsin-based Briggs & Stratton, which describes itself as the largest producer of gasoline engines for outdoor power equipment, plans to speed its growth into the energy storage market through the acquisition.
SimpliPhi manufactures ferrous phosphate batteries, management technology systems and plug-and-play power packs for residential, commercial and industrial customers.
The purchase was announced Sept. 7.
“The SimpliPhi Power team brings deep application expertise, strong technical support and proven, successful products to the Briggs & Stratton portfolio of products and solutions,” said Steve Andrews, president and CEO of Briggs & Stratton.
SimpliPhi Power started in the movie business, making battery packs and lights. The company found that experiments with various batteries revealed that using lithium phosphate (LFP) technology battery systems was safer than other systems (such as cadmium). SimpliPhi Power also identified a need to make the battery components in different sizes.
Catherine Von Burg, CEO of SimpliPhi Power and a biomedical engineer, focuses heavily on battery safety and bringing electricity to the many millions who have no access to power and light. Since its founding, SimpliPhi has donated 1% of its annual revenue to people and communities in need of access to energy.
SimpliPhi’s humanitarian projects include an orphanage in Haiti and a Covid response center in Myanmar, which it donated energy storage systems to. More recently, SimpliPhi joined Footprint Project to deliver mobile emergency storage+solar systems for first responders and communities on the Gulf Coast following Hurricane Ida.
Watch this video from Microgrid 2021 that features SimpliPhi’s “Rolling Out Microgrids to 760 Communities in Cameroon”
“Combining forces with Briggs & Stratton will provide SimpliPhi Power with new growth opportunities and resources to lead the energy storage system market. Briggs & Stratton’s commitment to innovation will accelerate our growth and our mission of providing resilient energy storage systems that create universal access to safe, reliable and affordable energy to empower people, communities and enterprises globally,” said Von Burg.
Join Microgrid Knowledge for Microgrid California, a one-day educational event on October 5 in Foster City, California.
