Munich, December 8, 2025 – gridX, Europe’s leading smart energy company, has published its first Retrofit Report, which highlights retrofitting’s growing importance for Europe’s energy transition. The report also presents practical ways for manufacturers (OEMs), energy suppliers and installers to tap into new revenue and upselling potential, as well as the savings potential for households in Germany, Spain, the Netherlands and the UK, that add energy management and additional energy assets.
Intelligent, cost-efficient energy with ‘Retro-connect’ and ‘Retro-expand’
For retrofitting, gridX distinguishes between two scenarios. Retro-connect involves connecting an already-installed energy asset to a home energy management system (HEMS), with either a hybrid HEMS, consisting of a local gateway (gridBox) and cloud platform (XENON), or via an entirely digital cloud-to-cloud connection. If an existing installation is enhanced not only with a hybrid HEMS but also with new hardware – for example, a home battery – this is referred to as retro-expand.
Four out of five end users interested in retrofitting via HEMS
As more ‘analog’ distributed energy resources are integrated into the power grid – without their flexibility being intelligently optimized by a HEMS – the more unstable the grid becomes. In the UK, for example, the number of wallboxes is expected to increase almost 16-fold by 2030 and the number of heat pumps to almost 8-fold by then.
In light of this trend, gridX asked 265 respondents in Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK, all of whom already have at least one energy asset in the home, about their willingness to retrofit. Overall, two-thirds (66%) of respondents planned to purchase at least one additional asset in the next two years. Of those with only a rooftop solar PV system installed, 44% claimed that they wanted to add a home battery in the next two years. 88% considered the compatibility of their existing asset(s) with a potential new asset to be rather or very important, and 81% of respondents said they were rather or very interested in integrating their asset(s) into a HEMS.
The survey highlights the importance of financial factors in HEMS adoption: while 45% saw savings potential as the main advantage of a HEMS, just over half of participants (52%) were concerned about potential high purchase costs. This suggests a willingness to invest, provided the financial benefits are proven. Specifically, respondents have high expectations for the return on investment: 78% would like to see the investment in a HEMS pay for itself within five years. gridX confirms that such a break-even point well before this is realistic with XENON.
Savings potential increases with type and number of assets
According to calculations by gridX, an average three-person household in Spain with an analog rooftop solar PV system (6 kWp) can reduce its energy costs by €467 per year if it adds a home battery (8 kWh), a HEMS and a dynamic tariff to this energy-generating system.
Comparable households that instead build on energy-consuming systems, can save even more. For example, if a Dutch household with an electric car adds a rooftop solar PV system (6 kWp), a home battery (7 kWh), a HEMS and a dynamic tariff, it can save €970 per year. Starting with a heat pump, UK residents can save £1,492 by retrofitting a rooftop solar PV system (6 kWp), a home battery (10 kWh), a HEMS and a dynamic tariff.
Collaboration and transparency as success drivers
Retrofitting only succeeds when every part of the energy ecosystem works seamlessly together. With close OEM relationships and different connectivity models – either with a local gateway or cloud-to-cloud connectivity – gridX ensures seamless communication between assets of varying brand, protocol and age. By aligning standards, simplifying integration and enabling secure data exchange through a HEMS, gridX and its partners can turn disconnected assets into a coordinated, flexible ecosystem. This collective effort unlocks new services, improves grid stability and ensures end customers get the reliable, future-proof energy experience they expect.
Anne Bicking, CEO of gridX, summarizes: “gridX already offers the simplicity, transparency and savings that end users desire from an energy management system. Now we need to work with stakeholders across the value chain to ensure that these plug-and-play retrofit solutions are rolled out en masse. Our multiple connectivity approaches, extensive partnerships and cutting-edge technology ensure that every household – including those with existing energy assets – can minimize their costs, while contributing to a cleaner, smarter energy system.”
Editorial note
The report is available for download here.
The sources for the external figures and percentages used in this press release and not surveyed or calculated by gridX are listed on page 19 of the report.
gridX is Europe's leading smart energy company based in Aachen and Munich. With its modular EMS XENON, gridX enables manufacturer-independent optimization and management of distributed energy resources. With XENON, partners can build, scale and adapt energy management solutions faster and more efficiently than ever before, always meeting evolving market demands. E-mobility partners can install more and higher power charge points at sites without the need for costly grid extensions. Partners in home energy management minimize costs and complexity by offering end customers holistic smart energy management built for the future.
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