SunSniffer

What SunSniffer does

SunSniffer GmbH & Co. KG is a privately held German company headquartered in Nürnberg that sells a module-level photovoltaic (PV) monitoring platform combining proprietary hardware (junction-box-integrated sensors, string readers, gateways, retrofit boxes) with a cloud webportal and AI-powered analytics. The sensor measures voltage and temperature at sub-1% precision every 30 seconds and communicates over existing DC cabling via powerline communication, eliminating additional wiring. Data is aggregated by string readers and gateways, then analyzed in the webportal using machine and deep learning to detect faults (PID, diode failures, hot spots, micro-cracks, soiling, hail damage, shading) and to produce automated ROI and maintenance recommendations.

The business model is a hybrid of one-time hardware sales (priced below 1 cent per Watt peak) and recurring webportal subscriptions priced at parity with inverter portal charges. Go-to-market is sales-led and direct, with demo requests, test packs, and a published login portal for existing customers; horizontal segmentation targets commercial/utility-scale PV operators and asset managers as the primary segment, with secondary segments in residential owners, scientists/researchers, and new-plant commissioning. The company holds globally granted patents (2013), is registered as a SunSniffer® trademark, and maintains research collaborations with Fraunhofer CSP, ZAE Bayern, DLR, NEXT ENERGY, Bielefeld University, ASU, University of Cyprus, Aalborg University, and SERIS, lending third-party validation to its fault-detection claims (including comparisons to IR drone flyovers).

Management is led by Managing Director (Geschäftsführer) Ingmar Kruse; no parent company, subsidiaries, external investors, or funding rounds are disclosed in the source material. Recognition includes the 2010 Bad Staffelstein 2nd Innovation Award, 2016 Electrolux Innovation and Sustainability Awards via licensee AEG Industrial Solar, and the 2017 SunRISE TechBridge Challenge II win. Product launches from 2014 through 2017 (Raspberry Pi integration, Deep-Sniff feature, String Monitoring 2.0, Hail Impact Detection, RAPID SHUTDOWN Retrofit Box, automated AI loss calculation, and capital-market-regulation compliance positioning) indicate an active but small-scale specialist vendor with limited disclosed financial scale.

Name

SunSniffer

Legal name

SunSniffer GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://sunsniffer.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SunSniffer GmbH & Co. KG, a privately held Nürnberg-based German company, sells module-level PV monitoring hardware (junction-box sensors, string readers, gateways) and a subscription webportal that uses AI to detect faults and optimize yield for commercial PV operators, asset managers, residential owners, and researchers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Photovoltaic Monitoring Systems

NAICS

Solar Electric Power Generation (221114)

SIC

Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825), Measuring & Controlling Devices, Nec (3829)

akta.pro primary industry

Solar Design, Engineering & Performance Software (PV Modeling, Digital Twins, Monitoring) (EUAMABAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Solar Inverters, Power Optimizers & MLPE Manufacturing (EUAMAHAB), PV Balance of System (BOS) & Electrical Infrastructure (Inverters, Transformers, Cabling, Substations) (EUACAGAC)

Keywords

• PV module monitoring
• Solar plant analytics
• Photovoltaic monitoring systems
• Module-level O&M
• Solar AI diagnostics

Headquarters

HQ city

Nürnberg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales: SunSniffer sells sensors, string readers, gateways, and junction box analytics products. The hardware includes the SunSniffer sensor (integrated into module junction box), String Reader, Gateway 5-String/Residential, Gateway 30-String, Gateway Plus, Junction Box ANALYTICS, and RAPID SHUTDOWN Retrofit Box.
2. Webportal Subscription: Annual subscription-based access to the SunSniffer webportal for data analysis, visualization, and plant monitoring. Portal pricing is stated to be equivalent to inverter portal charges.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SunSniffer manufactures and sells a module-level photovoltaic monitoring system consisting of junction-box-integrated sensors, string readers, gateways, retrofit boxes, and a cloud-based webportal. The platform measures voltage and temperature at each solar module with sub-1% precision and applies AI-based analytics for automated error detection, soiling and degradation analysis, and ROI calculation. Hardware is priced at less than 1 cent per Watt peak, and the webportal is offered as an annual subscription.

Product overview

SunSniffer offers a module-level PV monitoring platform with a hardware-software architecture. The core system consists of the SunSniffer Sensor (integrated into module junction boxes), String Reader (collecting data from up to 30 sensors), and Gateway (data aggregator available in 5-String/Residential, 30-String, and Gateway Plus variants) transmitting to the Webportal cloud platform. The Retrofit Box and RAPID SHUTDOWN Retrofit Box enable retrofit installation on existing PV plants, while the Junction Box ANALYTICS provides enhanced analytics capability. The Webportal delivers AI-powered analysis including automated error detection, pattern recognition, soiling analysis, degradation monitoring, PID detection, and maintenance recommendations. The system uses powerline communication (PLC) over existing DC cables, measures voltage and temperature at <1% precision every 30 seconds, and claims to reduce O&M costs by 50% and improve yield by 7%.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SunSniffer Sensor Microchip sensor integrated into a solar module's junction box that measures voltage and temperature relative to the module's serial number at sub-1% precision every 30 seconds and transmits data via powerline communication over existing DC cables to the String Reader.
• String Reader Data aggregator that collects measurements from up to 30 SunSniffer sensors per PV string, measures string current and voltage, and transmits aggregated data to the Gateway using Modbus (RS 485) protocol.
• Gateway 5-String/Residential Data collector designed for smaller PV installations of up to 5 strings that aggregates data from String Readers and transmits it to the Webportal. Targeted at residential plant owners.
• Gateway 30-String Data collector for larger PV installations of up to 30 strings that aggregates data from String Readers and transmits it to the Webportal.
• Gateway Plus Enhanced Linux-based data collector with inverter ripple control receiver capability for reverse inverter control, 8 freely programmable analog and digital interfaces, and expanded connectivity options for utility and commercial-scale deployments.
• Retrofit Box Retrofit solution connecting between existing junction boxes and modules that enables SunSniffer monitoring capability on existing PV installations without replacing the modules.
• RAPID SHUTDOWN Retrofit Box Module-level rapid shutdown solution for safety compliance, launched December 2016, that retrofits existing PV installations.
• Junction Box ANALYTICS Junction box with integrated SunSniffer analytics capability for enhanced module-level monitoring and analysis on new PV installations.
• SunSniffer Webportal Cloud-based analytics and visualization platform that receives data from SunSniffer Gateways, performs AI-powered analysis, displays plant overview with module-level Deep View, identifies faulty modules with specific defect types (PID, defective diodes, cell cracks), generates maintenance reports, and sends email/SMS alerts. Sold on an annual subscription basis.
• Quality Management Quality assurance service where SunSniffer hardware is tested at every production step, with online control and documentation to ensure consistent product quality worldwide.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduces O&M costs by 50%
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• HI ERN (HI Energiesysteme Erlangen-Nürnberg)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner specializing in energy systems. Listed as one of the key scientific institutions collaborating with SunSniffer for technology development and scientific monitoring.
• Fraunhofer CSPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFraunhofer Center for Silicon Photovoltaics is a leading research institution. SunSniffer participated in SunRISE TechBridge Challenge II awarded by Fraunhofer in 2017. Fraunhofer CSP has collaborated on error detection verification compared to IR drone flyovers.
• DLR (German Aerospace Center)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt) collaborating with SunSniffer on scientific monitoring and research projects.
• ZAE Bayern (Bavarian Center for Applied Energy Research)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBavarian Center for Applied Energy Research combines excellent research with practical experience. Collaboration involves verification of error detection compared to IR drone flyovers.
• Arizona State University - Photovoltaic Reliability LabminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerASU Photovoltaic Reliability Lab conducts research on PV module reliability. Listed as one of SunSniffer's international research partners.
• University of Cyprus - PV TechnologyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Cyprus PV Technology research group is a partner institution. Main research areas include PV system grid integration and error detection in PV modules.
• NEXT ENERGYcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent institute under the umbrella of EWE Research Center for Energy Technology at University of Oldenburg. Together with SunSniffer, they developed a simulation engine and published several papers in EU PV SEC 2015/2016.
• Solar Computing Lab (SCL) - Bielefeld University of Applied SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterdisciplinary project connecting engineering science, physics and information technology with research and teaching. Joint projects resulted in EU PV SEC 2015 publications and bachelor/master theses.
• SERIS (Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSolar Energy Research Institute of Singapore is currently conducting comprehensive testing of SunSniffer technology.
• Aalborg University - Photovoltaic SystemsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch focuses on grid-connected systems, error detection and characterization in PV modules and equipment, inverter control and grid integration. Current project involves SunSniffer data for error detection based on MPP trackers.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tigo Energy: Module-level power electronics and monitoring provider offering optimizers, rapid-shutdown devices, and a monitoring platform with module-level analytics. Closest direct competitor to SunSniffer across both hardware (junction box / module-integrated electronics) and software (cloud monitoring) layers.
• Enphase Energy: Microinverter and module-level monitoring company with the Enlighten cloud platform. Comparable in offering module-level voltage, power, and fault visibility, and increasingly targeting commercial-scale PV where SunSniffer's primary customers sit.
• SolarEdge: Power optimizer and inverter manufacturer whose module-level monitoring platform competes directly with SunSniffer's value proposition for asset managers. Both target module-level fault detection, PID diagnostics, and O&M cost reduction at commercial and utility-scale plants.

Emerging players

• AlsoEnergy: PV asset management and monitoring software provider focused on commercial and utility-scale portfolios. Comparable to SunSniffer on the analytics/O&M software layer, although relying primarily on third-party data acquisition rather than proprietary module-level sensors.
• Draker / Power Factors: Renewable asset performance management platforms (formerly Draker, now part of Power Factors) used by operators and asset managers for PV fleet monitoring. Comparable to SunSniffer on the cloud analytics side but typically ingest inverter/string data rather than module-level voltage.

Others

• Nextracker: Solar tracker manufacturer with integrated monitoring and control electronics at array level. Adjacent rather than directly competing; relevant context for utility-scale PV BOS suppliers that increasingly bundle sensing into their hardware.
• Kipp & Zonen (OTT HydroMet): Supplier of solar irradiance sensors and meteorological measurement instruments used in PV yield simulation and performance ratio calculations. Comparable to SunSniffer's yield simulation engine component and to the scientific-instrument customer segment.

Broad incumbents

• SMA Solar Technology: Leading inverter manufacturer with Sunny Portal monitoring platform offering string- and inverter-level analytics. A broader incumbent that overlaps with SunSniffer on PV monitoring but from the inverter-centric side rather than true module-level granularity.
• Huawei Smart PV: Global smart PV solution provider combining inverters with string-level monitoring, optimizer options (SUN2000/MERC), and FusionSolar cloud platform. Competes with SunSniffer in utility and C&I monitoring at a broader portfolio scale.
• Fronius: Established inverter manufacturer with Solar.web monitoring offering string/inverter-level insights for residential, commercial, and industrial PV. Overlaps with SunSniffer in PV O&M workflows but does not offer module-level sensing natively.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Sun_Sniffer
• Facebookfacebook.com/SunSniffer-102313531598836

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SunSniffer