⚡ Paladin Power, eliminating grid dependency

This Sunday, we’re excited to share a Q&A we recently did with Ted Thomas, the founder and CEO of Paladin Power. It’s a company that we wanted to put on the radar of STR owners, as they are doing big things with off-grid power for your home or rental property.

With weather and other related disruptions/outages unfortunately becoming too common, their tech is highly sought after.

What are the main factors driving demand for home energy storage systems right now?

The reality is pretty stark. California's dealing with planned blackouts due to landslides and wildfires, Florida keeps getting hit with devastating hurricanes – over a million people lost power in their last major storm – and we're all running our 21st-century lives on a 140-year-old grid. Think about it - every new EV, every AI server farm, every smart home device is putting more strain on an already struggling, decrepit system.

Meanwhile, utility rates are increasing by 6-11% annually. The combination of these things is creating unprecedented demand for solutions like ours that reduce or eliminate grid dependency.

How does your off-grid power product actually work?

The Paladin system is a revolutionary new design and power solution integrating advanced power electronics with a safe, long-lasting LiFePo4 battery. This plug-and-play system is pre-wired, pre-programmed and connects directly to a homeowner's existing panel or a subpanel, making setup quick and easy. In the event of a power outage, the transition is so smooth that it becomes a “non-event” - the homeowner won’t even notice a disruption. Every circuit, including security systems, lights, refrigeration, computers, medical devices, pool pumps, air conditioning, and heating, stays fully operational.

We size each battery system to meet the homeowner’s typical daily energy needs. This ensures that, when paired with solar, the battery can power the home for a full day and recharge the following day as solar regenerates. This mode of operation allows the home to function as a self-sustaining “energy island,” autonomous of the grid.

In the case of a major outage, whether due to weather or other events, power will stay on continuously if solar is available. Without solar, you still get long-term backup power without the hassles of generators - no noise, no fuel storage, no maintenance headaches.

Beyond backup power, what practical benefits do homeowners get from your system?

Let’s start with the financial benefits. As utility rates keep climbing, our customers see immediate savings by reducing or completely eliminating their reliance on the grid. Not paying those ever-increasing utility bills means the savings add up quickly.

Then, there’s the EV charging advantage. Public charging stations are often scarce and unreliable, so home charging has become essential. Our system allows you to charge your EV at maximum speed - anytime, whether the grid is up or down - without the usual spike in your electric bill. In fact, we’ve seen STR owners use this as a premium amenity in their listings, especially in areas where reliable EV charging is hard to find.

What’s the backstory of the company? When did you launch and how much traction have you been getting?

I've spent nearly two decades in the energy industry in Southern California. Early in my career, I saw a major gap in the market - nothing available could safely and reliably power an entire home. So, I designed and deployed one of the region's first all-in-one energy storage systems well before Tesla or anyone else entered the space. My mission was pretty simple: create something fundamentally better than what existed.

Today's Paladin system represents a breakthrough in power electronics. We've assembled an elite team of engineers who've pushed the boundaries of what's possible in energy storage - from system capabilities to performance optimization. Since launching our flagship system in 2022, we've hit $5.17 million in sales. This year, we've seen exceptional growth - over $2 million through September alone, marking a 500% increase year-over-year. You can see our full growth story on our Wefunder page.

Who are your competitors, and what positions you to be uniquely successful compared to others in this space?

Tesla and Franklin are among the well-known players, but their approach is outdated and obsolete, as I have referenced above. They stack multiple units to power a home while we deliver the same output with just one system. We're talking 87.5 amps at 240 volts - triple what a Tesla Powerwall 3 puts out - from a unit that's 80% smaller and installs in just one day.

We back this performance with a 20-year warranty and have the lowest cost per kilowatt in the market, giving our customers the fastest return on investment in the industry.

What's your manufacturing and scaling strategy to meet this demand?

We've secured some critical partnerships to ensure we can scale effectively. Jabil, a Fortune 500 manufacturer, is producing components for our next-gen systems in Salt Lake City. We’ve also secured a $9 million credit line to support production, and we’re setting up inverter manufacturing in California.

Unlike our competitors who rely primarily on overseas manufacturing, we're committed to building right here in the U.S. California's reporting an 80% increase in home battery installations this year, and we're ready to meet that demand. We're also moving into new markets where power reliability directly impacts revenue, such as gas stations, convenience stores, gated communities, apartment buildings, and hotels.

Can readers of The Offer Sheet become customers and/or investors? Any perks for our readers?

Yes - and we've structured meaningful incentives for both. Through our current raise on Wefunder, we've created a tiered structure that offers direct discounts on Paladin systems based on investment:

• Invest $2,500 → 10% off Paladin system

• Invest $5,000 → 15% off Paladin system
  Invest $10,000 → 20% off Paladin system

• Invest $25,000 → 30% off Paladin system

For our community, current investors receive an additional 5% discount, and existing customers receive an extra 10%. These discounts stack with the investment tiers above.

For a very limited time, we’re also offering a 20% early-bird discount on shares, but those are going fast! Last I checked, our allotment is 70% sold out. You can check current availability HERE. 

What's the vision for Paladin Power by 2030?

As mentioned, I believe its my purpose to disrupt the energy market. The storage giants stopped innovating years ago. As a smaller, more nimble company, we're proving that breakthrough technology can still come from innovators willing to challenge the status quo.

By 2030, we’ll be powering everything from apartment complexes to commercial buildings. We’re already developing next-gen systems with AI-driven energy management and electromagnetic pulse (EMP) protection, but our broader vision is to make energy independence as universal as internet access. Remember when having internet at home was a luxury? That's where energy independence is today. We're going to change that.

The world is moving toward decentralized solutions in finance, computing, and now energy. At Paladin, we’re building disruptive technology to power the future.