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EcoFlow Introduces New Home Battery to Aid in Disaster Preparedness

Extreme weather is getting more common in many states, but EcoFlow's new Ocean Pro is a home power backup designed for homeowners who want to be ready for disasters.

Headshot of Ajay Kumar
Headshot of Ajay Kumar
Ajay Kumar Editor
Ajay has worked in tech journalism for over a decade as a reporter, analyst, product reviewer, and editor. He got his start in consumer tech, breaking Android news at Newsweek before going to PCMag, where he reviewed hundreds of smartphones, battery packs, and chargers as a Mobile Analyst. He also worked at Lifewire, a Dotdash Meredith brand, as a Tech Commerce Editor, putting together tested best-of lists and assigning product reviews across categories including smart home, uninterruptible power supplies, generators, and automotive tech. Most recently, he was Section Editor, Mobile at Digital Trends, spearheading his team's coverage of breaking news, features, reviews, roundups, deals, and more across a variety of mobile products, including phones, wearables, VR headsets, batteries, and chargers. If you want Ajay's advice about anything tech, especially solar panels, UPS, batteries, EVs, and charging technology, you can reach him at ajkumar@cnet.com.
Expertise 13+ years of experience in consumer product reviews, buying guides, best lists, and tech news across a variety of tech categories. As a homeowner, Ajay is also familiar with the unique electrical issues that can crop up in a prewar apartment building.
Ajay Kumar
4 min read
The Ocean Pro battery in a garage charging an EV.

The EcoFlow Ocean Pro can be installed in your garage or other locations and its smart features are compatible with EV chargers and other home appliances.

EcoFlow

Extreme weather is only becoming more common, and some states are more vulnerable to natural disasters than others. Whether it's a risk of floods, hurricanes, wildfires or blackouts, homeowners in states like California, Texas and Florida are more prone to power outages. A whole-home battery backup can be a good solution to this problem, letting you charge the battery while the power is on and then kick in when the power goes out. EcoFlow is the latest to enter this market with the Ocean Pro, which the company says is the first "fully integrated, multi-source home energy system in the US." 

What that means in simpler terms, is that, unlike other whole-home backup systems like the Tesla Powerwall 3, the Ocean Pro has an "infinite backup supply." This system doesn't just rely on one energy source, like solar panels or the grid, to keep itself topped up. It can automatically pull power from a variety of sources, including solar panels, high-capacity batteries, portable generators and even gas standby generators. That means multiple layers of power backup options if one option fails. 

Technically, this isn't an unprecedented technology. Large portable power stations like the Anker Solix F3800 Plus can accept power from a gas generator, AC input and solar input, though you won't find the gas generator input on a fixed system like the Powerwall. 

"Ocean Pro isn't just backup power, it's complete energy independence made simple," said Jenny Zhang, President of North America Residential Energy Business at EcoFlow. "We're excited to bring a powerful solution like Ocean Pro to the US market and give families a smarter, stronger and more reliable energy system built for the challenges they face today."

Power and capabilities 

The Ocean Pro installed with a Delta Pro plugged in.

The Ocean Pro can be expanded to work with multiple batteries and inverters.

EcoFlow

EcoFlow is positioning the Ocean Pro to outperform competitors like Tesla's Powerwall 3, claiming twice the solar capacity, double the backup power and 67% more peak power. One Ocean Pro battery provides 10kWh. 

Need even more power? You can add a second inverter to double the system's output and storage capacity, which is expandable up to 80kWh. With 24kW of continuous output, EcoFlow says the Ocean Pro can support all of a home's appliances simultaneously, including up to two 5-ton HVAC systems, EV chargers, pool pumps and refrigerators. During an outage, the Ocean Pro has a switchover of 10 milliseconds.

It's also designed for durability, with a fire-prevention module, enhanced flood resistance up to 2.6 feet, IP67 waterproofing, UL 9540B safety certification and a 15-year warranty, which is five years longer than industry standards.

Energy savings

Man looking at EcoFlow app for the Ocean Pro energy scheduling.

The Ocean Pro can intelligently monitor energy prices to decide when the time is right to sell energy back to the grid or run your home off battery.

EcoFlow

Beyond just backup, EcoFlow is touting potential electricity bill savings. Through the EcoFlow app, users can monitor their energy usage in real time and use AI-powered forecasting to predict weather, pricing trends and energy consumption so it can take over running their homes during times of high peak demand. There's also smart home integration built in for thermostats, EV chargers, Apple Home, Google Nest and Alexa. EcoFlow says the Ocean Pro can give you savings of up to 118% a year on electricity costs.

Perhaps the biggest selling point for those keen on saving on energy bills is that the Ocean Pro can also operate in grid-tied mode across all markets, allowing homeowners to sell excess energy back to the grid once the battery is fully charged.

EcoFlow is also setting up its Virtual Power Plant network, which manages the energy you're selling back based on real-time grid conditions and electricity prices. By design, the Ocean Pro will discharge power during peak pricing peak grid demand, letting your system optimize battery use and earning you additional income even when solar generation is limited.  

All this makes the Ocean Pro a potentially very compelling alternative to the Powerwall, though more portable systems like EcoFlow's Delta Pro Ultra and the Anker Solix F3800 Plus can offer most of the same backup options, including solar panels and gas generators, without needing the same costly install. They also have smart chops if you use the compatible smart panel like the EcoFlow Smart Home Panel 2 and Anker Solix Home Power Panel.

Pricing and availability

Installer installing the EcoFlow Ocean Pro.

EcoFlow is working with 100 installation partners for the Ocean Pro.

EcoFlow

The Ocean Pro already has a counterpart in Europe, called the PowerOcean series, that has 17,000 installs. In the US, preorders for the EcoFlow Ocean Pro began on July 15. You can register on EcoFlow's official website to learn more and place your order through an authorized EcoFlow installation partner. Availability will be determined by the installer in your area. No reservation despoit is needed and the first 1,000 preorders placed before Sept. 10 will receive a free EcoFlow portable power station.

Each installation includes a free one-on-one energy consultation, app-based progress tracking and local support. Nearly 100 installation partners have signed up with EcoFlow ahead of the launch. 

The Ocean Pro is available in three finishes: aluminum, walnut wood and carbon fiber. Pricing will be provided during your energy consultation with the local installer and may vary according to area.