Local green electricity without a photovoltaic system on the roof — is that possible? Yes, says the Munich startup Pioneering powerWe wanted to know exactly how from the two founders, Andy Eberhardt and Nicolas Schwaab.
Munich Startup: Who are you and what do you do? Please introduce yourselves briefly!
Andy: I've been working in my parents' photovoltaic business since I was 14. There, I quickly realized the potential of unused roof space that we were unfortunately unable to realize because there was no way, either technically or regulatory-wise, to share renewable energy with other households. When I had the opportunity, as part of my electrical engineering studies, to work on a solution to make renewable energy accessible to people without their own generation system, the idea for our energy sharing solution was born.
Nico: I met Andy at a startup event at Munich University of Applied Sciences. We quickly realized that we complemented each other perfectly, both professionally and personally. With the necessary technical and business expertise, as well as an innovative business idea, nothing stood in the way of a successful start-up.
Peer-to-peer electricity trading of self-generated energy
Andy: What's special about our solution is that, with a new, innovative solution combining hardware, software, and services, we enable, for the first time, economical, legally compliant, and operator-friendly peer-to-peer electricity trading of self-generated energy between citizens and/or businesses. This increases the proportion of energy consumed locally, provides more people with access to affordable, renewable energy, and makes existing and newly installed photovoltaic systems more efficient and profitable.
Munich Startup: But that's been around for a long time!
Andy: Yes, there are already energy-sharing solutions on the market. Our advantage over these is that we can actually share local electricity, and not just virtually or through balancing. Instead of gray or mixed power, our electricity community shares real renewable energy. And it's significantly more financially attractive than our competitors. Thus, our business model benefits not only homeowners with photovoltaic systems, but also less well-off people without their own home or their own generation system from affordable and truly green electricity.
Munich Startup: What has been your biggest challenge so far?
Nico: The time when we were bootstrapped, or self-financed, was a huge challenge. Building a team, making investments, and further developing our hardware with limited resources and without financial security was a huge risk for both of us and cost us a lot of nerves. Looking back, it was the right decision to go down this path and a very educational time for us.
Munich Startup: Let’s get to the point: How is business going?
Andy: Business is going very well. Our financing is on solid footing, we will soon be conducting the first pilot tests under real-world conditions, and we're seeing increasing demand for our solution from industry and customers. We've also just moved into our new office in the Munich Technology Center and are continuing to expand our excellent team, of which we're very proud.
Munich Startup: What does Munich mean to you?
Nico: Andy is from Nördlingen, and I'm from Freiburg. So we're both "Zuagroaste," but we feel very comfortable in Munich. Firstly, the quality of life here is very high, and secondly, the conditions for founding a startup are excellent. We have benefited greatly in the past from the local university landscape with its offerings and funding. Furthermore, the Munich region is an excellent location for founding an innovative greentech startup due to the large network of companies, organizations, and potential customers for whom sustainability is becoming increasingly important.
Companies with impact
Munich Startup: How can your startup become the next unicorn? Or will we see you soon at Epic Fail Night?
Andy: We are continuously working on ourselves, our product, and our business model. Therefore, we are currently creating the best conditions for continued growth. Our product also perfectly captures the spirit of the times. More and more people want to actively support the energy transition, decentralized energy solutions are becoming increasingly important, and the need to provide people with affordable and clean energy is one of the greatest socio-political challenges of our time. Whether "unicorn" or not, we are convinced that we are on the right path and will become a successful company with a lasting impact on the energy transition.
Munich Startup: Isar or English Garden?
Nico: Definitely the Isar. We both live near the Flaucher and love meeting up for a jog along the Isar. But we also spend a lot of time with family and friends in one of Munich's most beautiful spots.
