Lunar Energy Boosts Quality and Efficiency with NI Connected Manufacturing Intelligence Software

​​Powering a Sustainable Future 

​Lunar Energy is an innovative clean-tech company on a mission to redefine home energy solutions. Lunar Energy’s flagship product, the Lunar System, is a modular, next-generation battery system designed to store solar energy for use during peak hours, outages, or nighttime. Paired with an AI-powered app, the Lunar System optimizes energy usage and drives energy efficiency, creating a seamless experience for homeowners. 

​The Lunar Energy mission goes beyond technology. The goal is bold yet simple: connect communities so no one runs out of power and create brilliantly designed products that enable a sustainable future.  

​The complexity of the Lunar System and a deep commitment to exceeding customer quality expectations led Lunar Energy to partner with NI to ensure traceability, real-time data visibility, and operational excellence across global manufacturing operations.  

​Outpacing the Infrastructure 

​Lunar Energy experienced rapid growth, which introduced complexity. They scaled production across several contract manufacturers (CMs) in the US and Mexico, managing thousands of electronic and mechanical components flowing through distributed facilities. The stakes were high: 

• ​Any lapse could jeopardize yield, inflate costs, and erode customer trust. 
• ​Supplier accountability and transparency were non-negotiable. 
• ​Internal equipment needed rigorous oversight to prevent downtime and costly failures. 

​Manual processes and fragmented systems would not suffice. Lunar needed a unified, scalable solution to integrate data from diverse sources, streamline operations, and enable proactive decision-making across a distributed network of partners, while ensuring risks are mitigated early and problems are contained before they impact production or customers. 

​A Data-Driven Foundation 

​As a fast-growing startup, Lunar Energy faced a critical challenge: scaling production while maintaining quality and transparency, without the luxury of extensive internal resources. They needed a solution that was proven, off-the-shelf, and resource-efficient. After evaluating multiple options, Lunar Energy chose the NI platform for its proven reputation and robust, integrated solutions.  

​From the start, Lunar Energy prioritized close access to all data and transparent transactions with its CM. With a “trust but verify” philosophy, the Lunar Energy team required unadulterated data for every step. To address security concerns, Lunar invested in custom infrastructure for secure data storage and processing for all CMs. 

​With the infrastructure in place, the team used SystemLink software to collect and unify test and equipment data across the ecosystem. This choice enabled Lunar Energy to monitor station health and ensure every station was in peak condition. 

Figure 1. The Lunar Energy team connects data from across processes and facilities, and through the value chain to deliver high-quality, safe products at scale.

​Next, NI OptimalPlus was deployed, delivering an end-to-end connected view of parts, processes, and tests for complete traceability across the product lifecycle. With this enhanced context, teams could identify and resolve issues faster, while dashboards and automated rules monitored performance and caught anomalies—like measurement drift—before they impacted production. OptimalPlus also empowers Lunar Energy to standardize processes for future CMs, ensuring scalability and consistent quality. 

​The implementation wasn’t without challenges. Lunar Energy had to wait for CMs to generate MES data in the required formats. After the data began flowing, the OptimalPlus unified data model transformed disparate sources into a transparent, connected ecosystem. Today, Lunar Energy operates with real-time dashboards, giving them the power to make fast, informed decisions and truly become data-driven. By combining SystemLink system monitoring with OptimalPlus quality intelligence, Lunar Energy has ecosystem-wide visibility, enabling them to scale confidently while maintaining the highest standards of quality and efficiency. 

Results

​The partnership with Lunar Energy and NI has transformed operations: 

• ​83,000+ sub-systems or iterations and logged with complete traceability. 
• ​Shared dashboards between Lunar Energy and its CMs streamlined collaboration, transparency, and accountability across all parties.  
• ​The connected ecosystem has enabled Lunar to trace defects and quickly root-cause quality issues, monitor systems to prevent downtime, and maintain rigorous standards for product quality.  

​With high-quality standards and robust technology and process, Lunar Energy delivers reliable products that delight their customers. Connected, visible data and powerful production rules that NI software provides drives tighter collaboration with their manufacturing ecosystem to meet tight timelines and new customer demand.

Figure 2. With deployments in homes and businesses, Lunar Energy customers expect seamless operations.

​Through this scaling journey, Lunar Energy customers report high satisfaction, highlighting the seamless performance of Lunar’s systems during power outages, reinforcing the company’s reputation for reliability and innovation.

​The scalable nature of NI solutions and actionable insights provided position Lunar Energy for continued success as they ramp up production and introduce new products.

​Future Vision

As Lunar Energy scales to new products and production lines, NI software will ensure traceability, optimize production workflows, and support innovation.

​The Lunar Energy journey with NI highlights the transformative potential of connected intelligent test systems in modern manufacturing. By prioritizing data-driven decisions and operational excellence, Lunar Energy has streamlined its processes and set a new benchmark for quality and customer satisfaction in the energy storage market.