Active Power

About Active Power

Active Power designs and manufactures flywheel-based uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems, an alternative to traditional battery-based products. The company was established in 1992 by Joseph Pinkerton as Magnetic Bearing Technologies, Inc., initially producing magnetic bearings. It pivoted in 1995 to develop flywheel energy systems for the backup power market, rebranding as Active Power in 1996 and going public in 2000. In November 2016, the business was acquired by Piller Power Systems, a subsidiary of the UK-based engineering group Langley Holdings plc. The original public entity, Active Power, Inc., changed its name to P10 Industries, Inc. following the sale.

The company's core business revolves around providing power solutions for mission-critical applications across various sectors, including data centers, healthcare, industrial manufacturing, transportation, and military and defense. Its revenue is generated from the sale of these systems and related services. Active Power's main offering is its CLEANSOURCE® flywheel UPS technology, which stores kinetic energy in a spinning cylinder to provide short-term backup power during outages, bridging the gap until generators take over. This technology is promoted as being more reliable, efficient, and sustainable than conventional chemical batteries. Key benefits highlighted include a smaller physical footprint, lower maintenance requirements, a 20-year design life, and the ability to operate in a wider range of temperatures without dedicated cooling. The products are designed and manufactured at its facility in Austin, Texas.

Significant milestones for the company include introducing its first flywheel DC product in 1997 and its first integrated flywheel UPS in 1999. By 2011, the company had shipped its 3,000th flywheel. A major development occurred in 2016 when Piller Power Systems, a producer of large rotary UPS systems, acquired Active Power's business and assets. This acquisition was seen as a strategic move to combine complementary products and strengthen Piller's position in the kinetic energy UPS market. Post-acquisition, Active Power continues to operate under its own name as part of the Piller group, with Jack Pearce appointed as CEO in July 2021.