Innovation

Enpal offers solar systems, energy storage, charging station for e-cars and air source heat pumps from a single hand. In that way the customer doesn't have to deal with different suppliers, tradesmen, and contracts. Enpal takes care of everything, from planning (for example, how many solar modules will fit on the roof) to filling out grid operator contracts and installing the solar modules by its own technicians. The special thing about Enpal is that you can rent the solar modules, so you do not have high purchase costs as usual for a solar system but pay monthly only the rent for the system on the roof. The contracts are designed that after 20 years you can buy the system for a symbolic price of 1€. During that time the system on the roof insured and if something should be broken it will be taken care of quickly. The rental model makes it possible for anyone to generate solar energy.

“We dream that our children can grow up on the same beautiful planet as we do”, is written on their website. To achieve this dream, climate change needs to be stopped. Green energy is one way to fight it - and Enpal is doing everything it can to ensure that as many roofs as possible are covered with solar panels in the near future, so that we no longer have to depend on gas or nuclear power plants. With this action, you can say that unofficially the closest thing to SDG #7 is being pursued - "Affordable and green energy".

Inspiration

The founder of Enpal - Mario Kohle - has already started his second company with Enpal. After the exit from the first company in 2015, he has intensively studied climate change for the first time, talked to scientists about consequences and impacts, and after that he talked about a "shock moment" - It can't go on like this. He also talks about his "Greta Thunberg moment." The irony was that the technology to live climate neutral already existed in 2015. So he went straight to founding a new company focused on renewable energy for all.

Overall impact

Enpal was the clear pioneer with this business idea and was the first to think about how to offer solar modules so cheaply that it is almost a no-brainer to enter the offer. A concrete impact on the business is, among other things, to scare classic big players in the energy industry, because Enpal calculates for the customer how quickly the solar system on the

roof in the rental model pays off compared to the classic electricity provider - in most cases already after one year. That this doesn't sound too good to be true is proven by the fact that there are already the first imitators on the German market who are trying to make life difficult for the energy giants with very similar models.

Business benefit

Enpal was the clear pioneer with this business idea and was the first to think about how to offer solar modules so cheaply that it is almost a no-brainer to enter the offer. A concrete impact on the business is, among other things, to scare classic big players in the energy industry, because Enpal calculates for the customer how quickly the solar system on the roof in the rental model pays off compared to the classic electricity provider - in most cases already after one year. That this doesn't sound too good to be true is proven by the fact that there are already the first imitators on the German market who are trying to make life difficult for the energy giants with very similar models.

Social and environmental benefit

Earlier it was described that Enpal installs the modules with its own technicians. The company therefore has its own craftsmen who install solar modules on a daily basis. Unfortunately, craftsmen are currently very hard to find in Germany, which is why Enpal has decided to establish its own "Academy", located in the south of Berlin. There, prospective craftsmen are trained to install solar modules. Two weeks of training are followed by several weeks of working together with an experienced employee. Enpal thus trains its own employees, solving its problem of a shortage of craftsmen and with that giving a real possibility to the society.

Another, perhaps much more important point is that so far solar panels on the roof, and thus the generation of green energy, is associated with very high initial costs. A large part of society cannot afford or does not want to afford such a thing. With Enpal, the access to this energy generation is now simplified and everyone who really wants to work for the climate gets the chance.

Sustainability is clear, due to a simplified and cheaper accessibility to solar power, more people decide to install a solar system on the roof. This leads to their own clean electricity production and to less emissions. In addition, Enpal promotes switching to an e-car, because with the solar modules the car would be drive 100% without emissions. n addition, such a system on the roof makes you even more ambitious in your commitment to the climate. For example, you see that in a first step you cover all your electricity needs, then you see that you can move your car with the power of the sun, and then in a further step you decide to heat your house with the heat pump. Enpal thus also acts as an initiator and inspires the customer to save energy.

Enpal has a clear goal: to make clean energy accessible to everyone. Everything is geared toward that. With expansion goals, such as now into the Italian market, growth is also strongly encouraged. Furthermore, Enpal attaches great importance to employing people who have the inner will to tackle things, to change things and, of course, to drive sustainability.

In an interview, founder Mario Kohle quoted his young daughter, who asked him, "Dad, what is a gas station?". This shows exactly the direction in which it should go, and which drives Enpal every day. Gas stations, nuclear power plants and internal combustion engines belong in the history books. Children are now growing up with e-cars, charging stations, solar systems!

Interview

Leon May, Business Analyst - Strategic Projects