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Global demand for batteries is projected to reach nearly 4.7 TWh by 2030, up from around 700 GWh in 2022, a nearly sevenfold increase in less than a decade. As the world accelerates its transition to sustainable energy, battery technology companies face mounting pressure to scale production while maintaining cost efficiency and regulatory compliance.
For one sustainable energy innovator, the challenge was to develop the world’s greenest battery cells at a cost structure that could compete in the rapidly expanding alternative energy market. In a market projected to grow by more than 400 GWh by 2030, the company faced a critical crossroads: reduce per-unit costs dramatically, or risk falling behind. The answer: to migrate from Linux-based systems to the Zephyr real-time operating system (RTOS). In migrating operating systems, the company could reduce production costs by more than 80%. But the move introduced a new complication: the existing OTA update infrastructure was proven for Linux, and the company needed to maintain the same secure, scalable update process for Zephyr.
The challenge: Maintaining OTA capabilities for multiple operating systems
Developing and deploying battery energy systems requires the ability to manage distributed, software-defined devices with reliable software management. Updates had to be tested, deployed, and maintained without disruption. With regulations such as the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) coming into force, secure OTA updates were a requirement, not a nice-to-have. Additionally, operating costs tied to data consumption were growing, and managing updates across a fleet with multiple OS versions added new complexity.
The company’s existing OTA update setup worked effectively for Linux-based systems; however, the migration to the real-time operating system (RTOS) Zephyr broke that continuity. Without a compatible solution, they faced risks on multiple fronts: maintaining compliance, controlling costs, managing a more complex, multi-OS fleet at scale.
Securing device management at scale
In energy system development, security and control are determined whether systems can be trusted to operate reliably. A compromised system can lead to grid disruptions, safety risks, and significant financial penalties. Secure device management is, therefore, foundational to the company’s mission of building sustainable, reliable energy solutions.
For this company every update needed to be encrypted, authenticated, and deployed only by authorized personnel to prevent tampering and ensure trust in the update process. Granular access controls and robust audit logs provided the oversight needed to satisfy regulatory requirements, while rollback support minimized downtime if an update failed, helping maintain both reliability and customer confidence. Maintaining high uptime while pushing updates at scale was equally important to managing their growing fleet of energy systems.
The company considered two alternatives: developing an OTA update solution in-house or adopting separate third-party tools for Linux and Zephyr. Building an in-house solution would have diverted scarce development resources away from their core mission of battery innovation and added significant development costs. Using separate OTA systems for Linux and Zephyr products would create operational inefficiencies, negating their cost reduction objectives.
Partnering with Mender: Unified OTA updates across Linux and Zephyr platforms
Having already validated Mender on their Linux-based systems, the company turned to Northern.tech to extend the same OTA benefits to Zephyr RTOS. This collaboration gave the company a unified OTA update solution across platforms. Delta updates reduced data consumption, which was the company’s biggest cost driver, while the Mender Gateway enabled fleet-wide updates without costly manual interventions. Built-in compliance features ensured alignment with the EU CRA and other industry standards. A company representative emphasized how important this was in practice, noting that they had been able to “resolve critical issues in the field remotely with OTA updates, avoiding costly travel, service disruptions, and penalties for systems being down.” He added that “Mender has saved us from many potential customer service challenges.”
The impact: Transforming cost structure without compromising capabilities
By transitioning to Zephyr while maintaining proven OTA update capabilities, the company reduced production costs by more than 80% and strengthened compliance with strict European regulations such as the Cyber Resilience Act. With scalable update management, they were able to expand their fleet with confidence while keeping operating costs manageable.
As their Fleet Director explained, Mender made it possible to “move to a more cost-efficient solution by enabling delta updates and by opening the embedded space for us.” With the partnership, he added, the company can “deliver a more integrated, secure, cost-efficient solution to customers.”
The future of sustainable energy development
Energy storage systems operate in demanding environments where reliability is non-negotiable. Without secure and scalable OTA update capabilities, companies face higher risks of downtime, compliance gaps, and security breaches.
As battery technology advances and demand accelerates, the supporting infrastructure must evolve alongside it. Companies that can manage updates securely, efficiently, and at scale will be best positioned to lead the energy transition.
With Mender, this sustainable energy innovator gained the ability to innovate faster, maintain compliance, and reduce costs by over 80%. More importantly, they established a foundation that allows it to scale with confidence as new technologies, regulations, and customer needs emerge.
Looking ahead, robust OTA update capabilities will be essential for every energy company aiming to deliver sustainable growth and stay competitive in a rapidly decarbonizing world.
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