The Photovoltaic Pioneer Sonnenkraft
An innovative spirit and a love of nature – this is what has been driving Sonnenkraft GmbH to help customers throughout Europe source clean energy for more than 30 years. Together with strong partners in construction and installation.
As a pioneer in photovoltaics, Sonnenkraft GmbH is aptly based in the technology and industrial park in the sunny city of St. Veit. Managing Director Peter Prasser is well aware of the advantages of his location in the heart of the Europe and the energy created in teamwork with reliable partners from the sustainable building planning sector. Be it innovative new building projects or energy retrofits for existing buildings – smart modules made in Carinthia are a worldwide beacon in the field of efficient energy supply.
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Who are Sonnenkraft and who is the CEO Peter Prasser?
Prasser: Welcome to the sunny city of St. Veit, where we have been working in solar power for more than 30 years. I began as a young lad and simply wanted to use the sun as a source of energy. For the first ten or twelve years we had solar thermal collectors. Then we got into photovoltaics, where we have the mega boom today. People want clean energy; cheap energy and they want to use solar energy. We help our customers to do that. I grew up on a farm in a small village in Kappel am Krappfeld. Nature and the environment have always played a significant role in my life. I’m also an organic farmer and have been influenced by my parents for more than 50 years and it was they who gave me this interest in clean energy.
Looking at the company’s key data, what is there to say?
Prasser: Approximately 100 million turnover per year with 200 employees and some 800 partner firms who organise the local workmen for us throughout Europe. They are independent but work very closely with us. If you want to put it simply: We produce 3,000 modules per day. That can supply 200 households with energy for a lifetime. With these systems you can harvest most of the electricity you need yourself for roughly 30 to 40 years.
In your opinion as a managing director and as a founding member: Is Carinthia as a location a guarantee for success in itself?
Prasser: Nowadays the location is a key factor. For a start, it is a huge advantage if you can work where you live. We have a splendid environment. A Carinthia with an excellent quality of life where we also organise our business. We also have easy access to our markets in Central Europe from here. This central location is ideal. We are able recruit highly-skilled employees who appreciate the advantages and quality of life here compared to the big city. The location as a whole is very attractive.
A question about the technology and industrial park St. Veit: New developments and “reinventions” are routine here. Can you tell us about some of the special solutions that Sonnenkraft excels with on international markets?
Prasser: We are seeing very strong demand for smart modules. For example, these panels no longer have to be mounted in a perfectly south-facing direction. Shading also no longer plays a role, so we can integrate more panels into the building shell without having to take exposure to sunlight into consideration. On the other hand, we are trying to adapt the appearance of our modules to the building and are working with different shades of colour. We can increase the value of the modules if we give them an aesthetic function as well. Customers are willing to pay for a stone facade that costs money or for a photovoltaic facade that not only generates power but also has an appealing design and is available in a range of colours. And we see that as the challenge; to enlarge the niche in electricity use so that every building becomes a power plant.
Peter Prasser
“We are able recruit highly-skilled employees who appreciate the advantages and quality of life here compared to the big city. The location is […] very attractive.“
What is St. Veit like as a location and is there something special about St. Veit?
Prasser: The location is developing. Our good fortune has been that we have always had partnerships with other companies. One specialised in production, the other on marketing. HSH is a partner of ours in the St. Veit district that has trained tradespeople for more than 100 companies in Austria and also does the marketing for those businesses that focus on renewable energy.
Talking of Carinthian partnerships, I read somewhere that you also have a partnership with the Villach-based company STO. What advantages do potential partners offer the partner network in Carinthia and what advantages in particular does this offer the company?
Prasser: STO in Villach contributes its experience in building shells. The company knows the planners, the architects and above all the tradesmen who are to install the systems. If these specialists are perfectly trained, solutions are sold more often. It also makes it possible to achieve the energy targets more quickly. In Austria, we want to generate 100% of our electricity from renewable sources by 2030. This can only be done if professionals from the roof wall industry – and STO is at the forefront here – accelerate the whole process. STO’s Eastern European headquarters just happens to be in Villach and that of course makes for great partnerships.
The location marketing service of course makes sure that the location appeals to entrepreneurs, developers, researchers and company founders. If a potential entrepreneur is interested in solar power, what does he or she have to bring to the table?
Prasser: We are interested in energy planners for example or heat pump manufacturers. Companies that round off the package so the end customer can be supplied with as much “renewable” energy as possible. Of course, a glass manufacturer such as Petra Glas, which was established here 12 years ago, can also become one of our partners. Petra Glas does the glass finishing for us, because we need different glass formats and sizes as well as toughened glass. We are always interested in collaborations like this one or in other areas.
From the potential entrepreneurs who would like to get to know you, to the supply chain. Does Carinthia have advantages as a location? I mean in terms of the supply chain and logistics, for example the LCA logistics centre in Fürnitz or the planned Koralm Tunnel that will pass nearby?
Prasser: Oh yes, absolutely. We certainly don’t feel that we are at a disadvantage, we are here in the heart of Europe. With Koper in Slovenia, we have a port not far away that thanks to Fürnitz is even more accessible. The current North-South railway route is an excellent connection and will be even better once the Koralm Tunnel is finished. In terms of our supply chain, we are absolutely European – with glass from Germany to aluminium from Turkey. As I always say, the closer the better. So in this respect – come to Carinthia!
Thank you very much for your time Mr Prasser. Thank you for giving us your insights into the Sonnenkraft success story. We look forward to even more solar power.
Peter Prasser
Growing up on a farm in Kappel am Krappfeld, nature and the environment have always played a significant role in the life of the solar pioneer and entrepreneur. They formed the basis for his passion for clean energy.
