Stadtwerke Solingen GmbH

What Stadtwerke Solingen GmbH does

Stadtwerke Solingen GmbH is a municipal utility (Stadtwerk) wholly owned by the City of Solingen in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, with operating roots dating to 1859 and a current legal entity formed in 2003. The corporate group employs 800+ people and is organized into two primary divisions — Energie & Wasser (Energy & Water) and Mobil (Mobility) — together with the wholly owned network subsidiary SWS Netze Solingen GmbH. The Energy & Water division supplies electricity, natural gas, and drinking water to residential, small commercial, and large commercial (Großkunden) customers across Solingen and the surrounding region, offering regulated tariffs under brands such as Klingenstrom, Klingengas, and certified eco-products (Ökoplus, Ökogas). The Mobility division operates Germany's largest trolleybus (O-Bus) network with 102 km of O-Bus routes, a fleet of 45 articulated O-Buses and 12 long-range BOB (battery-operated trolley buses), 8 solo BOBs, and 55 conventional buses, transporting approximately 20 million passengers annually across a 200 km route network with 508 stops and covering 4.5 million km per year.

The business model combines regulated utility supply (electricity, gas, water) with usage-based public transit fares, public transport contracts (including DeutschlandTicket and eezy.nrw check-in/check-out ticketing), and a growing portfolio of energy-transition services: Hausgemacht turnkey photovoltaic and heat pump installations, Wallbox packages, public EV charging stations and the Ladepark Solingen, contracting, energy consulting, thermography, building energy certificates, and LoRaWAN smart-city infrastructure. Large commercial customers (>5 GWh) are served through dedicated key account management with bespoke energy procurement (Profikauf Vario), CHP/biomass solutions, and intelligent charging. Go-to-market is multi-channel: customer centers, online self-service portal (Salesforce-backed), service hotline, the Solingen.Mobil app, the Lade-App, referral program, and community sponsorship. Revenue mechanics are predominantly subscription/recurring (utility supply, transit passes) supplemented by transactional contracting and installation fees.

Recent strategic activity centers on Germany's energy transition: the multi-year H-Gas Umstellung program initiated in March 2026, construction of the Ladepark Solingen, modernization of the customer center (October 2025), rollout of the dynamic Klingenstrom Plus Flex tariff, and continued wind and photovoltaic generation investments ongoing since 2014. The company participates in renewable generation, holds TÜV NORD eco-electricity and KlimaInvest regional forest certifications, has been awarded TOP-Lokalversorger status for 17 consecutive years, and pursues ESG positioning with 4,934 tonnes of annual CO2 savings from electric mobility operations.

Name

Stadtwerke Solingen GmbH

Legal name

Stadtwerke Solingen GmbH

Website

https://stadtwerke-solingen.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1859

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Stadtwerke Solingen GmbH is a municipal utility wholly owned by the City of Solingen, Germany, supplying electricity, gas, and water to ~155,000 residents and operating Germany's largest trolleybus network (20 million passengers annually) across an integrated energy, water, and mobility platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Utility Services

NAICS

Utilities (221), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Urban Transit Systems (4851)

SIC

Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900), Water Supply (4941), Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Tram/Streetcar Operators (THAIABAC)

Keywords

• Municipal utility services
• Electricity supply
• Natural gas distribution
• Drinking water supply
• Public bus transportation

Headquarters

HQ city

Solingen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Electricity Supply: Supply of electricity to residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Solingen. Revenue from energy consumption-based pricing plus grid fees.
2. Natural Gas Supply: Natural gas distribution to residential and commercial customers for heating and cooking.
3. Water Supply: Drinking water production and distribution through municipal water infrastructure including water sourcing, treatment, and distribution.
4. Public Transportation: Bus services including regular routes, DeutschlandTicket, eezy.nrw flexible ticketing, and special transportation services. Revenue from ticket sales and public transport contracts.
5. Energy Solutions and Contracting: Energy efficiency solutions including photovoltaic installations, heat pumps, contracting services, and building energy consulting for residential and commercial customers.
6. EV Charging Services: Charging infrastructure services including public charging stations, wallbox packages, and charging park operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Stadtwerke Solingen GmbH is a municipal utility company supplying electricity, natural gas, and drinking water to residential, commercial, and large industrial customers in Solingen, Germany. Through its Verkehrsbetrieb Solingen division, it operates one of Europe's most modern trolleybus (O-Bus) systems, providing urban public bus transportation. The company also offers energy transition solutions including photovoltaic installations, heat pumps, EV charging infrastructure, and contracting services.

Product overview

Stadtwerke Solingen GmbH operates as a municipal utility with two main business divisions: Energy & Water Supply (Strom, Erdgas, Wasser) and Mobility (Mobil/Public Transport). The Energy division offers electricity products including Klingenstrom Plus, dynamic Klingenstrom Plus Flex tariff, and certified Ökoplus eco-electricity; natural gas products including Klingengas Plus and Ökogas; and water supply services. The company provides home energy solutions under the Hausgemacht brand including photovoltaic systems and heat pumps. For e-mobility, offerings include Wallbox packages, charging app, charging stations, and Ladepark Solingen. The Mobility division operates bus transport with one of Europe's most modern trolleybus (O-Bus) systems, offers the Solingen.Mobil app, GermanyTicket, and eezy.nrw check-in/check-out service. Commercial services include contracting, energy consulting, portfolio advisory, LoRaWAN IoT infrastructure, and 24/7 maintenance services. All customers have access to an online self-service portal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Klingenstrom: Electricity tariff brand of Stadtwerke Solingen
• Klingengas
• Hausgemacht
• Klingenstrom Plus Flex
• BOB (Batteriebetriebener Oberleitungsbus)
• Ökoplus
• DeutschlandTicket
• eezy.nrw

Products and services

• Klingenstrom Plus Electricity Supply Standard electricity tariff for private and commercial customers in Solingen and the region, offering reliable supply with sustainability features.
• Klingenstrom Plus Flex (Dynamic Tariff) Dynamic electricity tariff with flexible pricing that allows customers to save money by responding to market price fluctuations.
• Ökoplus/Ökostrom (Green Electricity)

Quantifiable outcome

• 20 million passengers transported annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ELBA (Elba-Omnibusreisen GmbH)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with ELBA bus company for recruiting bus drivers. ELBA handles driver recruitment for the mobility division's largest fleet operation in Germany.
• ChargeCloud GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner for EV charging infrastructure management. ChargeCloud processes charging data, handles user authentication (RFID, App-ID, E-Mobility Account Identifier), and manages billing for public charging operations.
• Salesforce.com Germany GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationCustomer relationship management system provider used for customer and address management, communication management, and inquiry handling. Processes personal data including names, contact information, and communication content.
• SWS Netze Solingen GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner100% subsidiary responsible for electricity, gas, and water distribution network infrastructure. Provides non-discriminatory network access to all energy suppliers and distributes electricity and gas to all connected customers in the concession area.
• Verkehrsbetrieb der Stadtwerke SolingencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMobility division operating urban bus transport with approximately 110 buses. Part of the corporate group providing integrated municipal services.
• Facebook Ireland LimitedminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSocial media platform for brand presence and customer engagement. Company maintains Facebook fan page with Insights data sharing agreement.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Stadtwerke München (SWM): Munich's municipal multi-utility and transit operator (MVG) supplying electricity, gas, district heating, and water plus subway, tram, and bus services. Directly comparable to Stadtwerke Solingen as a German Stadtwerk with bundled utility + public-transport operations and a large renewable-energy portfolio.
• RheinEnergie (Stadtwerke Köln): Cologne-area municipal utility supplying electricity, gas, district heating, and water and operating adjacent transit/charging services for a major German metropolitan region. Closely comparable business mix (multi-utility + mobility adjacent services) and similarly regulated concession economics.
• Stadtwerke Düsseldorf: Neighboring NRW municipal utility supplying electricity, gas, water, and district heating plus an integrated mobility/charging offering. Operates in the same regulatory regime (NRW concessions) and serves a comparable mid-size-to-large German city.
• Stadtwerke Krefeld (SWK): Mid-sized NRW municipal utility that also operates one of Germany's remaining trolleybus (O-Bus) networks. The O-Bus/trolleybus overlap and similar municipal multi-utility scope make it one of the closest operational analogues to Stadtwerke Solingen's combined energy + electric-mobility model.
• Stadtwerke Bonn (SWB Energie und Wasser): Bonn's municipal multi-utility supplying electricity, gas, water, and district heating with growing e-mobility and energy-services offerings. Comparable NRW concession structure and similar mix of commodity supply plus emerging decentralized-energy services.
• Rhein-Neckar-Verkehr (RNV): Urban transit operator in the Mannheim/Heidelberg region operating tram, bus, and trolleybus services (O-Bus network). Directly comparable to the Verkehrsbetrieb Solingen mobility division on trolleybus operations and integrated fare products (DeutschlandTicket/transition tickets).
• Stadtwerke Wuppertal (WSW): Neighboring NRW municipal utility in Wuppertal providing electricity, gas, water, and public transport (famous Wuppertal Schwebebahn plus bus). Highly relevant because it combines a regulated multi-utility with substantial urban transit operations in the same region as Stadtwerke Solingen.

Broad incumbents

• E.ON SE: One of Europe's largest integrated utilities with deep presence in electricity distribution, retail energy, and energy services across Germany. Competes with Stadtwerke Solingen's retail supply portfolio and increasingly in decentralized-energy and EV-charging services, though at vastly broader scale.
• EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg: Large integrated German utility covering generation, grid, and retail electricity, gas, district heating, e-mobility, and energy services. Provides a benchmark for how larger regional utilities operate the same suite of products (PV, heat pumps, charging, contracting) that Stadtwerke Solingen bundles for its concession.
• Vattenfall Wärme Berlin: Subsidiary of Vattenfall focused on district heating and decentralized energy solutions in the Berlin/Hamburg region. Comparable as a regulated heat-energy utility with municipal-style customer relationships entering heat-pump and contracting services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SW_Solingen
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UClS23mC6Qnz5KqbXBn6fIZQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/stadtwerkesolingen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stadtwerke-solingen-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/stadtwerke_solingen

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 records

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 Stadtwerke Solingen GmbH