“We are in for a positive surprise”, says Philipp Schroeder of Sonnen

06/01/2018 | Print view

Philipp Schroeder, CEO of Sonnen from Wildpoldsried. - © Sonnen — © Sonnen

Philipp Schroeder, CEO of Sonnen from Wildpoldsried.

Sonnen has got another 60 million euros for venture capital from investors like Shell. The company leads the international markets for solar energy home storage. CEO Philipp Schroeder gives some insights in this success story.

When it comes to sales, you closely collaborate with your technician partners. How do these partners profit from this collaboration?

Philipp Schroeder: For example, it was together with our partners that we set up the online portal Solarplanung, through which we collect leads from storage customers. Our key sales partners take over our leads directly into their system. Our leads generating department and the customer support are located in Berlin. We have also trained and certified about 300 sales representatives. After all, advising the customers is a major contributor to successful sales. Get that right and you are halfway there.

How many systems have you so far sold via this route?

About 2,200. When you consider that every lead results in total commissions for the technician on the order of 24,000 euros, we are talking about 52 million euros worth of total sales for our partners, and that includes solar panels, inverters, storage units and so on. These kinds of leads usually cost a lot of money: 300 euros from Kaeuferportal.de or even 400 euros from other providers. Our partners who are part of the Sonnen Elite Programme are certified by the Sonnen Academy and are given access to these leads free of charge.

How are you assessing the development of the German market this year?

We are in for a really positive surprise, I am sure. We have established a strong flow of leads. From first contact via initial consultation to installation, a commission usually takes between six and 18 months. The economy is booming, so onwards and upwards from here.

Are there new markets that you are considering?

Yes, for example, we just sold the first 100 storage systems in Spain. Sweden also gives me cause for optimism, albeit at a small scale. These are opportunistic markets that we are happy to serve as well. The same goes for France. But this year, our focus is clearly on the German-speaking countries, Italy, the US and Australia.

What role does the Sonnen Flat play for your sales?

Between 80 and 90 percent of the storage units we sell in Germany are combined with a flat-rate tariff. That is a truly innovative tariff, which even requires the installation of a separate metre. In February, we presented the new Sonnen charger in Berlin. This charging station is worth about 1,400 euros. Customers that buy a Sonnenbattery with the 8,000 flat rate plan will get it for free.

Is electric mobility now also coming into play?

Without a doubt. And you have to go about it in a smart way. Our Sonnen charger can be operated either optimised for self-generated electricity or grid power, as the customer wants it. It is controlled by an app that links the EV with its mobile battery to the stationary battery in the house. After all, the solar battery is usually seen as being in competition with the car battery. So, it is important to offer the best use case to the customer.

A word on customer service: How significant is it for sales?

Clearly, the quality of the products is decisive. Nevertheless, installing companies and customers will have questions that need a fast and precise answer. Our Sonnen Eco 7 was highly developed from a technological point of view. The Eco 8 had to go through a learning curve, but in the meantime the hardware produces excellent results. Installing companies have gotten used to it and have gathered extensive experience. Most customer service queries do not have anything to do with the batteries but with the Sonnen Flat.

How is the customer service organised?

Our level one and two customer service teams – 35 staff in total – are located in Berlin. Level one usually deals with queries concerning the Sonnen Flat. Our agents are available around the clock. Level two has five or six agents handling hardware questions more difficult issues to do with the flat rate, where customers have no time to lose. The level three service is associated with the development department in Wildpoldsried and handles the very intricate technical details.

The interview was conducted by Heiko Schwarzburger.

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