From Humble Beginnings to Battery Innovation
Twenty-five years ago, Gavin Wang founded Etica with just three people and a vision. At the time, lithium batteries were gaining popularity, but large-scale production was beyond reach for a small startup. Instead, Etica focused on niche applications like scanner and ruggedized batteries, gradually building expertise in battery module design.
As the company grew, so did its ambitions. About six years ago, Etica took its experience in battery technology and set its sights on Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). It was a customer request that set everything in motion. Could Etica design a battery module that would prevent fire propagation?
The Breakthrough: Anti-Fire Propagation Technology
At the time, fire safety in battery storage was an unsolved challenge. There were general precautions, but no true solution to prevent fires from spreading between cells. The engineering team at Etica took on the challenge, iterating through countless designs and tests. After many failures, they finally succeeded in developing a technology that stopped fire from propagating within a battery module. This breakthrough was more than just a technological achievement, it was a fundamental shift in how BESS safety was approached.
Pioneering Immersion Cooling for BESS
With the success of anti-propagation technology, Gavin pushed his team to think even further. The ultimate goal wasn’t just to slow fire, it was to prevent it entirely. That’s when the idea of immersion cooling emerged.
The team explored various cooling solutions, testing different liquids and chemical compositions to find the best method for thermal management. They realized that the best way to prevent fire was to keep battery cells submerged in a special fluid that could immediately dissipate heat. This concept wasn’t new, immersion cooling had been used in transformers for over a century, but applying it to battery storage was groundbreaking.
By combining anti-propagation technology with immersion cooling, Etica developed the safest approach to BESS thermal management. This innovation not only prevents battery fires but also protects million-dollar energy storage investments from catastrophic failures.
Bringing Etica’s Technology to the U.S.
For Gavin, the next step was clear: take Etica’s technology to the global stage, starting with the United States. Taiwan, while an important hub for innovation, is a small island. The U.S. offers the scale, market demand, and industrial support necessary to accelerate adoption.
With the formation of EticaAG, the company is expanding into commercial and military applications, ensuring that BESS is not just safer but also widely accepted. In many regions, including Taiwan, communities resist BESS installations due to safety concerns. By introducing Etica’s fire-prevention technology to North America, Gavin hopes to change the perception of battery energy storage, making it a trusted, essential part of the energy transition.
With a mission to protect both people and infrastructure, Etica’s innovations are paving the way for a safer and more reliable energy future.
