Sterr-Koelln

What Sterr-Koelln does

Sterr-Kölln & Partner is a privately held German interdisciplinary professional services firm founded around 1994 and headquartered in Freiburg, with additional offices in Berlin and Paris. The firm provides integrated legal, tax, audit, M&A, and management consulting advisory services to renewable energy projects across Germany and France, operating through licensed legal entities in both jurisdictions (Sterr-Kölln & Partner mbB in Germany; SK & Partner mbB registered at the Paris Bar under Directive 98/5/CE in France) and adjacent consulting subsidiaries including Sterr-Kölln & Partner Unternehmensberatung GmbH and Sterr-Kölln Green Capital Consulting GmbH.

The firm's service portfolio covers the full renewable energy project lifecycle across four focus areas: wind (including repowering), photovoltaics (commercial, residential self-supply, open-air solar parks), renewable heating networks, and innovation projects. Core competencies include legal advice, tax structuring, due diligence, project financing, M&A transaction support, external auditing, and corporate finance / valuation services. The firm has supported more than 8 GW of renewable energy project capacity and more than 9 billion EUR in project transactions and financing over its 30+ year history.

Sterr-Kölln operates a pure professional services revenue model: fee-based advisory engagements priced per project and negotiated directly with enterprise clients. Its three primary customer segments are project developers (wind, PV, and other renewable energy), municipal utilities and municipalities (Stadtwerke and Kommunen) seeking integrated energy solutions, and banks and investors active in the German-French renewable energy market. The firm employs 11-50 people across its three offices, with 50% female representation in executive roles. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales, augmented by content marketing (multilingual website, expert articles, French-language Flash-News newsletter), social media (LinkedIn, Xing), and participation in industry events such as Intersolar and the annual Go West Frankreich conference.

Name

Sterr-Koelln

Legal name

Sterr-Kölln & Partner mbB

Website

https://sterr-koelln.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sterr-Kölln & Partner is a privately held German interdisciplinary professional services firm delivering integrated legal, tax, audit, M&A, and management consulting to renewable energy project developers, municipal utilities, banks, and investors across Germany and France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Renewable Energy Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Other Management Consulting Services (541618)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainability, ESG & Climate Risk Advisory (BPAHAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainability & ESG Consulting (BPAHACAK), Renewable Policy & Regulatory Strategy (National/State/Local) (EUAMANAA), Corporate & Voluntary Procurement Policy (PPAs, Green Tariffs, 24/7 CFE) (EUAMANAH), Incentives, Subsidies & Tax Policy (ITC/PTC, FiTs, Auctions/CfDs) (EUAMANAE)

Keywords

• Renewable energy consulting
• Energy law advisory
• Project finance advisory
• M&A advisory
• Wind and solar consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Freiburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Professional Services (Advisory & Consulting): The firm generates revenue through fee-based professional services including legal advice, business consulting, M&A advisory, tax consulting, and external auditing for renewable energy projects. Revenue is earned through project-based engagements and ongoing advisory relationships with clients in Germany and France.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sterr-Kölln & Partner is an interdisciplinary consulting firm offering integrated professional services for renewable energy projects across Germany and France. Its core offering combines Legal Advice, Business Consulting, M&A Advisory, Tax Consulting, and External Auditing, all focused on renewable energies — wind, photovoltaics (PV), heat, and innovation projects — spanning the project lifecycle from planning through financing, transactions, and due diligence.

Product overview

Sterr-Kölln & Partner is an interdisciplinary consulting firm offering integrated professional services for renewable energy projects. The company operates as a unified service portfolio combining Legal Advice, Business Consulting, M&A Consulting, Tax Consulting, and External Auditing, all focused on renewable energies (Wind, PV, Heat, and Innovation). Their service offering spans the entire project lifecycle from planning through implementation and transaction support, complemented by specialized Project Financing and Due Diligence services. The firm operates across Germany and France with offices in Freiburg, Berlin, and Paris.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Renewable Energy Consulting (Wind, PV, Heat, Innovation)
• Legal Advisory (Rechtsberatung) Pragmatic, legally compliant legal advisory for renewable energy projects across Germany and France, delivered through Sterr-Kölln & Partner mbB and its Paris office SK & Partner mbB; provided to project developers, municipal utilities, banks, and investors.
• Business & Management Consulting (Unternehmensberatung) Strategic management consulting providing a consistent foundation for sustainable energy projects, including integrated financial planning, business and project valuation, and corporate/project financing advisory, delivered through Sterr-Kölln & Partner Unternehmensberatung GmbH.
• M&A Advisory (M&A-Beratung) Advisory services for buying and selling renewable energy projects, including transaction structuring, negotiation support, contract structuring, confidentiality agreements, tax optimization, and transaction organization, provided to project developers, banks, and investors in Germany and France.
• Tax Consulting (Steuerberatung) Interdisciplinary tax advisory for renewable energy projects in Germany and France, including fiscal optimization of transactions, provided by partner-level Steuerberater within Sterr-Kölln & Partner mbB.
• External Auditing (Wirtschaftsprüfung) Auditing services specialized in renewable energy projects, including special audits, delivered by partner-level Wirtschaftsprüfer within Sterr-Kölln & Partner mbB.
• Project Financing Advisory Project financing advisory for renewable energy projects, including financing structuring, legal and fiscal due diligence, term sheet drafting, financing documentation, and closing preparation, provided to banks and investors in the German and French markets.
• Project Transaction Advisory (Projekttransaktionen) End-to-end advisory services for buying and selling renewable energy projects, covering contract structuring, confidentiality agreements, tax optimization, and transaction organization across Germany and France.
• Due Diligence Services Comprehensive due diligence checks for renewable energy projects, including legal, fiscal, and economic assessments, conducted by lawyers, tax advisors, and auditors within the interdisciplinary team.

Quantifiable outcome

• > 8 GW rated performance in renewable energy projects supported
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• KPMG Germany: Big 4 with energy consulting and tax advisory capabilities in Germany and France. Competes on RE deal advisory, due diligence, and tax structuring as part of broader professional services portfolio.
• Ernst & Young (EY): Global Big 4 with dedicated renewable energy advisory practices in Germany and France. Comparable on transaction advisory, tax structuring, and audit work for RE projects.
• White & Case: Global law firm with one of the strongest renewable energy finance practices. Directly comparable on cross-border RE project financing and M&A transactions in DACH/France.
• Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer: International law firm with established energy transition and RE practices in Germany and France. Competes for high-value RE M&A and project financing mandates.
• Norton Rose Fulbright: International law firm with a long-standing renewable energy practice covering Germany, France, and globally. Overlaps on RE project development, financing, and transactions.
• Linklaters: Global law firm with energy and infrastructure practice active in German and French RE markets. Competes on project finance, M&A, and regulatory matters for large RE developers.
• PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Germany: Big 4 firm with a substantial energy and renewables advisory practice in Germany. Overlaps with Sterr-Kölln on tax, audit, and M&A advisory for RE projects but operates as part of a much broader portfolio of services.

Direct peers

• Becker Büttner Held (BBH): German law firm specializing in energy and infrastructure law with a strong renewable energy practice. Directly comparable to Sterr-Kölln as a German-rooted energy-focused advisory firm serving utilities, project developers, and investors.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sterr-koelln-&-partner

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Sterr-Koelln