MBJ Solutions
MBJ Solutions GmbH, founded 2009 in Ahrensburg, Germany, develops and manufactures LED-based test and measurement systems (sun simulators and electroluminescence inspection equipment) for photovoltaic module manufacturers, research institutions, BIPV producers, and solar park operators, with over 650 systems sold worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersHamburg, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What MBJ Solutions does
MBJ Solutions GmbH is a German private company founded in 2009 by three engineers and headquartered in Ahrensburg near Hamburg, specializing in LED-based test and measurement systems for the photovoltaic (solar) industry. Its core product lines are LED Sun Simulators (including the Sunlike Lab, Mini Sunlike Lab, Module Tester, and Light Soaking Unit) and Electroluminescence (EL) Inspection Systems used to detect microcracks and soldering defects. The company claims European market leadership with more than 450 installed EL inspection systems and reports cumulative sales of more than 650 test systems worldwide as of mid-2024. Its technology is differentiated by long-lifetime LEDs (designed for several million measurements without replacement), Class A+ spectral certification per IEC 60904-9 Ed.3, and tandem-capable adjustable spectra suited to perovskite and next-generation cell development.
The product portfolio addresses production, laboratory, mobile field, and recycling applications. Recent launches include the Quickcheck mobile luminescence tester for installed modules (May 2025), a BIPV inspection solution for modules up to 2x4m co-developed with Smartcon (July 2024), perovskite/tandem R&D products (June 2024), and the Module Tester targeting PV recycling (March 2024). A wholly-owned subsidiary, MBJ Imaging GmbH (founded 2013), addresses industrial LED lighting for automation as an adjacent business.
MBJ generates revenue primarily through quote-based hardware sales of testing systems, supplemented by recurring service contracts (10% parts discount and free Deep Learning software updates), measurement services delivered through a network of 17 independent service providers in 12 countries, and used/refurbished equipment sales. The company sells direct from Ahrensburg with regional support from service subsidiaries in Taiwan and India, a sales office in China, and distributors in the USA, India, and South Africa. Customers include TÜV Rheinland, REC Group, Energetica, Smartcon, Westphalian University, and "well-known institutes and manufacturers of PV industry" across production, R&D, BIPV, and solar park operator segments.
MBJ Solutions firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- MBJ Solutions
- Legal name
- MBJ Solutions GmbH
- Website
- https://mbj-solutions.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- MBJ Solutions GmbH, founded 2009 in Ahrensburg, Germany, develops and manufactures LED-based test and measurement systems (sun simulators and electroluminescence inspection equipment) for photovoltaic module manufacturers, research institutions, BIPV producers, and solar park operators, with over 650 systems sold worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
MBJ Solutions industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Photovoltaic Test and Measurement Equipment
- NAICS
- Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515), Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451), Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516)
- SIC
- Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Solar Quality, Testing, Certification & Standards (Lab Testing, Inspections, Compliance) (EUAMABAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Solar Design, Engineering & Performance Software (PV Modeling, Digital Twins, Monitoring) (EUAMABAH), Renewable Energy Asset O&M (Wind, Solar, Hydro, Geothermal) (EUAEAGAB), Machine Vision & Inspection Lighting (Ring lights, bar lights, backlights, strobed illumination) (IMAGAIAG)
Keywords
Where MBJ Solutions is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hamburg
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
MBJ Solutions business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Hardware Sales - Testing Systems: Sale of LED sun simulators, electroluminescence inspection systems, mobile testing equipment, and module testers. Equipment prices vary based on configuration, size, and specifications. Revenue from initial equipment purchase.
- Service Contracts and Spare Parts: Annual service contracts providing 10% discount on spare parts, free software updates including Deep Learning optimizations, and faster response times. Revenue from ongoing service support and parts replacement.
- Measurement Services: Mobile testing services offered through independent measurement service providers using MBJ equipment. Enables customers to access testing capabilities without purchasing equipment.
- Used/Second-Hand Equipment: Sale of refurbished and second-hand testing systems.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Standard equipment pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels10 records
MBJ Solutions product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MBJ Solutions GmbH develops, manufactures, and sells LED-based test and measurement systems for the photovoltaic industry, including LED sun simulators, high-resolution electroluminescence (EL) inspection systems, and mobile testing equipment for quality control in solar module production and for on-site inspection of installed solar modules. The product portfolio covers laboratory configurations (Sunlike Lab, Mini Sunlike Lab), recycling-oriented inline testers (Module Tester), and mobile field units (Mobile Lab, Quickcheck), supplemented by the wholly-owned MBJ Imaging subsidiary that supplies LED lighting for industrial automation.
Product overview
MBJ Solutions offers a comprehensive portfolio of testing and measurement systems for the photovoltaic (solar) industry. The product portfolio centers on LED Sun Simulators (including the Sunlike Lab, Mini Sunlike Lab, Module Tester, and Light Soaking Unit) and Electroluminescence (EL) Inspection Systems, which are used at different stages of solar module production and for on-site field testing. The company provides both production-line systems (automated EL and sun simulators) and mobile solutions (MBJ Quickcheck, Mobile Lab) for installed module inspection. Additionally, the subsidiary MBJ Imaging supplies LED lighting products for industrial automation. The products are designed and manufactured in Germany, with service operations in Taiwan and India.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- MBJ Imaging: A subsidiary specializing in the development, manufacture and sale of innovative LED lighting and LED controllers for the automation industry, offering reliable and cost-effective standard lighting based on the latest LED technologies.
Products and services
- MBJ Sunlike Lab Complete laboratory testing system combining LED sun simulator, electroluminescence (EL) system, and thermal unit in a single platform. Features tandem-capable technology with continuous light, adjustable LED spectrum, and proprietary software. Designed for research labs and R&D centres developing and characterising PV modules including perovskite and tandem cells.
- MBJ Quickcheck Mobile battery-powered daylight luminescence test system for installed solar modules. Compact and lightweight with one-person operation; no electrical intervention or system shutdown required. Displays live images directly on a smartphone. Designed for solar park operators to obtain post-installation, post-storm, or problem-driven condition overviews quickly.
- MBJ Mini Sunlike Lab Compact laboratory measurement system for characterisation of small modules in development of new cell technologies such as perovskite. Combines continuous-light-capable sun simulator with integrated electroluminescence camera. Tests modules up to 450x450mm.
- MBJ Mobile Lab Mobile laboratory combining LED sun simulator with high-resolution electroluminescence inspection system. Enables standards-compliant and precise on-site testing of solar modules with high throughput. Supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
- LED Sun Simulators (product line) Full range of LED-based sun simulators for solar module testing. Includes Class A+ certified units per IEC 60904-9 Ed.3 with flash durations up to 200ms and several-million-measurement LED lifespan, with stable light intensity and spectrum across the product lifecycle. Used for I-V characterisation of solar modules in production and lab settings.
- Electroluminescence (EL) Inspection Systems (product line) Electroluminescence testing systems for detecting critical defects such as micro-cracks and soldering errors in PV modules. Used for process control before lamination and end-of-line outgoing inspection. Cycle times under 20 seconds with automatic evaluation. More than 450 systems installed across Europe, with claimed European market leadership.
- Mobile Testing Equipment (product line) Mobile testing systems for on-site inspection of installed solar modules in solar parks and field conditions. Includes the MBJ Quickcheck and Mobile Lab platforms for battery-powered, daylight-capable field inspection.
- Second-Hand / Refurbished Equipment Pre-owned and refurbished MBJ testing systems sold at reduced prices for customers with budget constraints as an alternative to purchasing new equipment.
- MBJ Module Tester Manual inline system designed for in-depth quality analysis of photovoltaic modules in recycling applications. Combines high-resolution electroluminescence system with A+A+A+ LED sun simulator for power measurement. Tests up to 120 modules per hour. Available in Standard (1060x2250mm) and MAX (1400x2700mm) sizes.
- MBJ Light Soaking Unit LED-based light soaking unit for development of new cell technologies such as perovskite. Provides 380x380mm LED illumination area with two independently controllable channels (blue/green and IR). Designed for continuous operation with a 50,000+ hour service life. Used for aging tests and preconditioning before I/V measurements of solar cells including tandem configurations.
- BIPV Module Inspection Solution Inspection solution for Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) modules developed jointly with Smartcon. Designed for testing modules up to 2x4m in size using compact sun simulator and movable high-resolution EL cameras. Uses manual testing systems with 2x2m measurement range. Built to address heavy glass-heavy modules in small-series production.
- MBJ Imaging LED Lighting (subsidiary product line) Subsidiary line of innovative LED lighting and LED controllers for the automation industry. Offers standard lighting products based on the latest LED technologies including Ring Lights, Coaxial Lighting, Dome Lighting, Bar Lights, and SWIR illumination for industrial machine vision applications.
Quantifiable outcome
- Cycle times under 20 seconds for EL inspection meeting modern production requirements
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use MBJ Solutions
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
MBJ Solutions technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability4 records
Feature8 records
MBJ Solutions partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- SmartconcoreJoint development with Smartcon of a sun simulator and electroluminescence system for BIPV (building-integrated photovoltaic) modules. Solution developed for testing modules up to 2x4m in size with manual testing systems having 2x2m measuring range. Custom development addressing challenges of heavy glass modules in small series production.
- TÜV RheinlandcoreJoint development of mobile PV laboratory with TÜV Rheinland. Mobile testing laboratory combining LED sun simulator with high-resolution EL inspection system for on-site testing.
- DISTACT Energy GmbH & Co. KGminorIndependent measurement service provider in Germany (Elmenhorst) offering on-site PV module testing using MBJ mobile equipment.
- MRP Renewable Energy SolutionsminorIndependent measurement service provider in Italy (Padova) offering on-site PV module testing.
- SecondSol GmbHminorIndependent measurement service provider in Germany (Meiningen) offering on-site PV module testing.
- Unterholzner Photovoltaik Service GmbH & Co KGminorIndependent measurement service provider in Germany (Marklkofen) offering on-site PV module testing.
- New Energy Research Center (Turku AMK)minorIndependent measurement service provider in Finland (Turku) offering on-site PV module testing.
- CERTISOLIS TCminorIndependent measurement service provider in France (Le Bourget-du-Lac) offering on-site PV module testing.
- GenSunminorIndependent measurement service provider in France (Montpellier) offering on-site PV module testing.
- KmetricsminorIndependent measurement service provider in Greece (Megara) offering on-site PV module testing.
- 2 Degrees Kelvin LtdminorIndependent measurement service provider in Great Britain (Caerphilly, Wales) offering on-site PV module testing.
- GNH Colombia S.A.SminorIndependent measurement service provider in Colombia (Bogotá) offering on-site PV module testing.
- DNV-GLminorIndependent measurement service provider in India (Bangalore) offering on-site PV module testing.
- UL India Private LimitedminorIndependent measurement service provider in India (Bengaluru) offering on-site PV module testing.
- Solar Tester B.V.minorIndependent measurement service provider in Netherlands (Schinnen) offering on-site PV module testing.
- HSR - Institut für SolartechnikminorIndependent measurement service provider in Switzerland (Rapperswil) offering on-site PV module testing.
- Photovoltaics Testing Laboratory (PVTL)minorIndependent measurement service provider in South Africa (Port Elizabeth) offering on-site PV module testing.
- Intertek - Commercial & ElectricalminorIndependent measurement service provider in USA (Cortland, NY) offering on-site PV module testing.
- Caerus Systems, LLCminorLocal sales distributor for MBJ products in USA (Milford, NH).
- Four-C-TRONminorLocal sales distributor for MBJ products in India (Bangalore).
- GeoSunminorLocal sales distributor for MBJ products in South Africa (Cape Town).
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights7 records
MBJ Solutions competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Class One Solar / Optosolar: Smaller, specialized European players in PV measurement and solar simulator space — emerging/niche competitors with overlapping technology focus on LED-based PV testing.
Direct peers
- Sinton Instruments: US-based developer of measurement instruments (lifetime and I-V testers) for silicon solar cells and modules — comparable measurement/characterization equipment used by PV cell/module manufacturers and labs.
- Endeas Oy: Finnish specialist in PV module measurement equipment, including LED sun simulators and I-V testers — direct competitor for PV production-line and laboratory test equipment.
- Halm Elektronik GmbH: Germany-based manufacturer of IV curve testers, flashers and LED sun simulators for PV module production — directly comparable product line (PV testing/measurement) and customer base (module manufacturers and research institutes).
- Wavelabs Solar Metrology Systems: German LED-based solar simulator manufacturer serving PV manufacturers and R&D labs — overlapping LED sun-simulator technology and customer base with MBJ.
- Meyer Burger Technology (Pasan): Acquired Pasan SA, a long-standing Swiss maker of high-precision solar cell testers and sun simulators for PV production lines — directly competes with MBJ's sun-simulator and IV-measurement products for module manufacturer capex.
- G2V Optics: Canadian maker of LED solar simulators and weathering systems used by PV manufacturers and research institutions — comparable product offering (LED sun simulators) targeting the same module-maker and R&D customer segments.
Broad incumbents
- Atlas Material Testing Solutions (Ametek): Broader weathering and materials testing equipment incumbent within Ametek — overlaps with MBJ's solar testing exposure but operates across many end-markets beyond PV.
- Newport Corporation / MKS Instruments: Large optics and photonics instrumentation providers with solar simulator and light-source products — broad incumbents that compete with MBJ on laboratory-class light sources used in PV and adjacent applications.
Others
- TÜV Rheinland: Global testing, inspection and certification body; both a key MBJ customer (mobile PV lab partnership) and an adjacent testing-services provider, making it a partial competitor and strategic partner in PV quality services.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
MBJ Solutions social profiles
Digital presenceMBJ Solutions compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
MBJ Solutions financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
MBJ Solutions leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
MBJ Solutions subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
MBJ Solutions funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
MBJ Solutions M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about MBJ Solutions
What does MBJ Solutions do?
MBJ Solutions GmbH develops, manufactures, and sells LED-based test and measurement systems for the photovoltaic industry, including LED sun simulators, high-resolution electroluminescence (EL) inspection systems, and mobile testing equipment for quality control in solar module production and for on-site inspection of installed solar modules. The product portfolio covers laboratory configurations (Sunlike Lab, Mini Sunlike Lab), recycling-oriented inline testers (Module Tester), and mobile field units (Mobile Lab, Quickcheck), supplemented by the wholly-owned MBJ Imaging subsidiary that supplies LED lighting for industrial automation.
Is MBJ Solutions a public or private company?
MBJ Solutions is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was MBJ Solutions founded?
MBJ Solutions was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is MBJ Solutions based?
MBJ Solutions is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does MBJ Solutions make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Hardware Sales - Testing Systems are the primary driver. The others are service Contracts and Spare Parts, measurement Services and used/Second-Hand Equipment.
Who are MBJ Solutions's main competitors?
Class One Solar / Optosolar is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Sinton Instruments, Endeas Oy, Halm Elektronik GmbH, Wavelabs Solar Metrology Systems, Meyer Burger Technology (Pasan) and G2V Optics. Broad incumbents are Atlas Material Testing Solutions (Ametek) and Newport Corporation / MKS Instruments. TÜV Rheinland is listed as an others.
Does MBJ Solutions have an API?
No public API is recorded for MBJ Solutions.
What industry is MBJ Solutions in?
MBJ Solutions's product category is Photovoltaic Test and Measurement Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAMABAN, Solar Quality, Testing, Certification & Standards (Lab Testing, Inspections, Compliance), with a secondary code of EUAMABAH, Solar Design, Engineering & Performance Software (PV Modeling, Digital Twins, Monitoring). Its NAICS code is 334515 and its SIC code is 3825.