Solar watt

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Solar watt

logo
legal form GmbH
founding 1993
Seat Dresden GermanyGermanyGermany 
management Detlef Neuhaus, CEO
Sven Böhm, CFO
Number of employees 300
sales 65 million euros (2016)
Branch Photovoltaics
Website www.solarwatt.de

Solarwatt ( own spelling SOLARWATT ) is a German manufacturer and supplier of photovoltaic systems for private homes and small businesses. The company consistently pursues a strategy of the complete energetic system, which means it produces and sells all essential components for self-supply of households from solar power. This includes the energy generation of photovoltaic modules, energy management in the house and the local storage of the generated solar power for consumption in the evening and at night (power storage).

The internationally active company based in Dresden was founded in 1993 and is the market leader in the field of photovoltaic modules with glass-glass technology. The business magazine brand eins chose Solarwatt 2017 as one of the most innovative companies in Germany.

The MyReserve power storage system has won several awards, including the 'Top Power Storage 2016', 'Product of the Year 2017' and the ees Award 2017.

history

The company was founded in 1993 as Solarwatt Solar-Systeme GmbH by Lothar Schlegel and Frank Schneider. The focus was on concepts for supplying electrical consumers with electricity using photovoltaic modules. In 1995, the series production of impact-resistant small modules (using cast resin technology) for vending machines and emergency telephones began. In the following years, Solarwatt specialized in the series production of customer-specific solar modules and thanks to new production lines increased the module output to up to 220 Wp in 2002. In addition, the 100th employee was hired in that year.

In 2005 it was converted into a stock corporation (AG). Frank Schneider became CEO. In the same year, the 500,000 photovoltaic module rolled off the assembly line. The move into the new administration building (company headquarters to this day) and the expansion of the production capacity to 100 MWp could take place in 2007 after capital was raised through the IPO in 2006. In the following year, the production capacity was increased by an additional 150 MWp with a fully automated production line.

In 2010 the company started up Europe's most modern solar module production and a logistics center. A positive forecast for the company was given in the 2010 annual report, although there was already increasing competition from Asia for the German photovoltaic industry . There had already been critical voices when the company went public. DER SPIEGEL had written: "The solar boom of the past year is only likely to continue at a slow pace." A year later, Detlef Neuhaus, now CEO, was appointed to the company's sales director and in 2012 to its chairman. In the same year Carsten Bovenschen became the CFO of Solarwatt AG. The start of sales of the EasyIn solar modules as an alternative to conventional roof tiles also began in 2011.

In 2012 Solarwatt went through bankruptcy under self-administration . After successful restructuring measures and the judicial confirmation of the insolvency plan , the Dresden District Court lifted the insolvency proceedings in mid-October 2012.

On January 23, 2013, the company was converted into a GmbH , with Detlef Neuhaus and Carsten Bovenschen becoming the managing partners. That year began a cooperation with BMW in the field of 360 ° electrics (electric mobility), which continues to this day.

The upheaval was accompanied by the reorientation of the company from a pure module manufacturer to a system provider, as a result of which Solarwatt added all the components for a complete energetic system to its product portfolio.

In 2014 Solarwatt GmbH took over the Centrosolar sales companies in France and the Netherlands and integrated them into the company. In 2015 Centrosolar France was renamed Solarwatt Sarl and Centrosolar Benelux became Solarwatt Bv.

In 2016, Solarwatt cooperated with E.ON on the Aura power storage system. In addition, the company took over the former electric vehicle and battery manufacturer e-Wolf from Frechen and founded the Solarwatt Innovation technology center (notation: SOLARWATT INNOVATION). Furthermore, Solarwatt Technology Australia and Solarwatt Italia Srl were founded as further subsidiaries.

Solarwatt GmbH currently has locations in Dresden (headquarters), Frechen, France, Holland, Italy, Spain, Australia.

Product development

The company's product range initially included solar modules for the most self-sufficient energy supply for devices. Series production of impact-resistant small modules using cast resin technology for vending machines and emergency telephones began as early as 1995. The product divisions are divided into the company's three core competencies: generating energy, managing energy and storing energy.

In 1998 Solarwatt developed the first glass-glass module in the photovoltaic industry. In contrast to standard glass-film modules, both the front and the back are sealed with hardened special glass. This increases the resistance to physical and weather influences and protects the solar cells from the ingress of moisture and oxygen. The result is a longer service life with higher module performance at the same time. Solarwatt grants a 30 year performance and product guarantee on its glass-glass modules. This includes an assurance of 35% more performance compared to the market standard.

Since 2000, the series production of standard and customer-specific photovoltaic modules with an output of 120 Wp has been continuously expanded to include modules with an output of up to 320 Wp. By commissioning additional production lines, the production capacity could be expanded to a peak of 220 MWp. In 2016, this was around 85 MWp.

In 2014, the EnergyManager was presented for the first time as the central control unit for energy flows in a household. The EnergyManager switches on power-consuming household appliances when the photovoltaic system supplies sufficient power. In addition to small consumers, large consumers such as heat pumps or modern freezers can also be connected to the EnergyManager. The consumption data is made visible via the EnergyManager portal. The transmission takes place via the Internet (SSL encryption according to the online banking standard) on tablets, smartphones or PCs. The portal offers options for optimizing self-consumption or for monitoring the solar system.

The MyReserve 500 power storage system came onto the market in 2015 as the first economical home storage system. The expansion in the form of the MyReserve 800 (suitable for photovoltaic systems with 14 to 18 modules) followed in 2016. MyReserve is an electricity storage system for different applications. Depending on the configuration, the memory can be used in a single family home or in industry. The MyReserve Matrix, presented in 2017, is suitable for all areas due to the modularity of the system. Based on two components, the MyReserve Command battery management system and the MyReserve Pack battery modules, it can be scaled up to 2 MW. offered.

In 2017, Solarwatt launched solutions with which the capacity and performance of the MyReserve models can be adapted to all requirements in a private household and in the commercial sector. In March 2017, the company presented the MyReserve Matrix, the first fully modular power storage system, in a stage show in the Admiralspalast Berlin.

Solarwatt also sells system components from various manufacturers. These include inverters from Steca and Fronius for converting direct current into alternating current, fastening systems such as B. On-roof quick mounting systems and heat pumps. The products are sold in Germany exclusively through certified installers.

Management and staff

Detlef Neuhaus has been CEO and managing partner of Solarwatt GmbH since 2012. Carsten Bovenschen was CFO from 2012 to 2017, and Sven Böhm has been the company's managing director since 2018.

The Board of Directors is made up of Johannes Fritz (Chairman), Stefan Quandt , Hans-Peter Villis and Felix Ackermann.

The managing directors of Solarwatt Innovation GmbH in Frechen are Olaf Wollersheim and Walter Bornscheuer.

There are currently more than 350 employees in the entire Solarwatt Group. The company had 300 employees in Germany (as of the end of 2017).

Awards

  • In 2017, the power storage was again awarded the EES Award .
  • The Manager magazine drew the power storage MyReserve entitled Top power storage 2017 from.
  • The Solarwatt MyReserve power storage system was awarded the Top Power Storage 2016 seal by Wirtschaftswoche in cooperation with the German Clean Tech Institute .
  • For the MyReserve, Solarwatt GmbH received the German Design Award 2016 from the German Design Council in 2015 .
  • In 2015, the power storage system received the EES Award . This is awarded annually at ees Europe, the leading trade fair for batteries and energy storage, for outstanding and innovative solutions.
  • SOLARWATT GmbH was recognized as a Top Brand PV by the independent market and opinion researcher EuPD Research. The company received top marks in customer and installer surveys.
  • The SOLARWATT EnergyManager Portal was awarded the Saxon State Prize for Design in 2014.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Company website solarwatt.de Solarwatt website on the company's history, accessed on March 27, 2017
  2. ↑ SOLARWATT press kit accessed on March 27, 2017 .
  3. ↑ http://www.bild.de/regional/dresden/solar-energie/milliardaer-hat-unsere-firma-gerettet-46110430.bild.html , article from June 3, 2016.
  4. ↑ https://www.solarwatt.de/ueber-uns/presse/pressemmeldung/2017/solarwatt-inovator-2017 , press release from June 9, 2017
  5. ↑ SOLARWATT MyReserve named "TOP Stromspeicher 2016" by Wirtschaftswoche. In: presseportal.de. June 17, 2016, accessed May 15, 2020 .
  6. ↑ https://www.elektroboerse-smarthouse.de/betrieb/betriebsfuehrung/?gid=6796&_aid=140899&cp=1 , Smarthouse electronics exchange
  7. ↑ https://www.solarwatt.de/ueber-uns/presse/pressemmeldung/2017/ees-award-2017 , press release from May 31, 2017
  8. ↑ Electronic Federal Gazette, accessed on April 28, 2010.
  9. ↑ Solarwatt Dresden | Seidel + Architects. Retrieved January 10, 2018 .
  10. ↑ Annual report 2010 - Solarwatt
  11. ↑ IPOs in 2006: Good times for the next generation. In: Spiegel Online . January 5, 2006, accessed May 15, 2020 .
  12. ↑ Solarwatt AG: Solarwatt AG completely restructured - insolvency proceedings canceled ( Memento from January 20, 2017 in the Internet Archive ), press release from October 17, 2012.
  13. ↑ Solarwatt AG completely restructured: Insolvency proceedings canceled . Solar watt. October 17, 2012. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
  14. ↑ Solarwatt GmbH: Conversion into GmbH completed - management acquires company shares , press release of January 23, 2013.
  15. ↑ Solarwatt GmbH: Centrosolar takeover in France completed , press release of March 18, 2015
  16. ↑ Solarwatt Innovation, accessed on April 18, 2016.
  17. ↑ Solarwatt website, accessed on January 9, 2017
  18. ↑ Solarwatt website, accessed on January 9, 2017
  19. ↑ Solarwatt website, accessed on January 9, 2017
  20. ↑ Press release on the MyReserve Matrix of March 21, 2017, accessed on March 27, 2017 .
  21. ↑ MDR report on product presentation of the MyReserve Matrix in Berlin, accessed on March 27, 2017 ( Memento of March 28, 2017 in the Internet Archive ).
  22. ↑ Report on the MyReserve Matrix power storage system in Berlin in PV Magazine accessed on March 27, 2017 .
  23. ↑ CFO Carsten Bovenschen is leaving Solarwatt . ( finance-magazin.de [accessed on May 10, 2018]).
  24. ^ Solarwatt Innovation GmbH - Managing Director: Walter Bornscheuer · No longer Managing Director: Andreas Gutsch. Retrieved May 10, 2018 .
  25. ↑ Interesting facts about SOLARWATT GmbH. Retrieved on May 10, 2018 (German).
  26. ↑ https://www.sunwindenergy.com/photovoltaics/winners-ees-award-2017-chosen , EES website, accessed on June 23, 2017
  27. ↑ https://www.solarwatt.de/ueber-uns/presse/pressemommunikations/2017/manager-magazin-top-stromspeicher-2017 , Solarwatt press release from April 27, 2017
  28. ↑ http://www.presseportal.de/pm/71596/3355448 , press release from June 17, 2016.
  29. ↑ German Design Award Website, accessed on January 9, 2017 ( Memento from January 18, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
  30. ↑ EES Award website, accessed on January 9, 2017 ( Memento from January 18, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
  31. ↑ Solarwatt website, accessed on January 9, 2017
  32. ↑ Saxon State Prize for Design, accessed on January 9, 2017 ( Memento from January 18, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
  33. ↑ EnergyManager Portal, accessed on January 11, 2017