Solar

What Solar does

Solar is a Netherlands-based technical wholesale distributor of installation materials, founded in 2006 and headquartered in Alkmaar. The company sells more than 300,000 articles sourced from over 70 suppliers across electrical, plumbing, heating, and climate categories, serving three principal verticals: professional Installation companies, Industrial customers (panel building, machine building, MRO, and offshore & marine), and Trade customers (retail, e-tail, hotel & leisure). Its core proposition is a digital-first procurement platform combining a webshop, a mobile app, and software system integration that allows enterprise customers to place orders directly from their own procurement systems. Distribution is supported by nationwide next-day delivery for orders placed before 20:00, free freight above €100, €5.95 shipping below that threshold, free counter pickup, and a 60-day return window.

The company's product and service portfolio spans the Solar Webshop and Solar App as the primary ordering channels, a Solar Superdeals promotional program, Solar Opleidingen training and courses for installers, SmartSupply Kanban inventory management for industrial accounts, and Transport & Logistics services. Marketing and brand-building efforts include a customer case content series ('Solar in de praktijk'), a podcast ('Solar's Podkeet') produced in partnership with Schneider Electric, and promotional email campaigns. The business model is primarily transactional product sales (one-time wholesale purchase of installation hardware) supplemented by logistics and training services; revenue is generated per order under a pay-as-you-go unit pricing model with no disclosed subscriptions or recurring software fees.

The go-to-market is a hybrid self-serve PLG motion — installers and SMB trade customers order 24/7 through the webshop, app, or integrated software — paired with direct field-based account management for industrial and larger trade accounts. Geographic operations are exclusively domestic to the Netherlands, with no claimed international footprint. Ownership, parent entity, and revenue figures are not disclosed in the source data.

Name

Solar

Legal name

Solar

Website

https://solarnederland.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Solar is a Netherlands-based technical wholesale distributor selling 300,000+ installation articles across electrical, plumbing, heating, and climate categories via webshop, app, and system integration to installation, industrial, and trade customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Technical Wholesale Distribution (Installation Materials)

NAICS

Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies (Hydronics) Merchant Wholesalers (423720)

SIC

Wholesale-Hardware & Plumbing & Heating Equipment & Supplies (5070)

akta.pro primary industry

Solar Distribution & Wholesale Supply (Channel, Procurement, Logistics) (EUAMABAK)

Keywords

• Technical wholesale distribution
• Installation materials supply
• Electrical equipment distribution
• Plumbing and heating supplies
• Industrial MRO supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Alkmaar

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Sales (Hardware): Sale of installation materials, electrical equipment, plumbing, heating, climate control, and related products to professional installers, industry, and trade customers.
2. Logistics and Transport Services: Delivery services including free shipping for orders above €100 and paid delivery for smaller orders. Smart logistics for installers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Solar is a technical wholesale distributor of installation materials serving the Netherlands, offering more than 300,000 articles across electrical, plumbing, heating, and climate categories. Customers can order 24/7 through a webshop, mobile app, or integration with their own procurement software, with next-day delivery available on orders placed before 20:00. The offering is complemented by transport services (free shipping above €100), training programs (Solar Opleidingen), and a Kanban-based inventory management solution (SmartSupply) for industrial customers.

Product overview

Solar operates as a technical wholesale distributor for installation materials, offering a unified platform combining digital ordering (webshop and app), physical logistics, and training services. The core offering is the Solar Webshop/App platform through which customers access over 300,000 articles across electrical, plumbing, heating, and climate categories. This is supplemented by promotional offerings (Superdeals), logistics services (free delivery from €100, pickup options), and professional training (Solar Opleidingen). For industry customers, SmartSupply Kanban provides customized inventory management. The company serves three main segments: Installation, Industry (panel building, machine building, MRO, offshore & marine), and Trade (retail, e-tail, hotel & leisure).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Solar Webshop
• Solar App
• Solar Opleidingen (Training)
• SmartSupply Kanban
• Transport & Logistics Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Order until 20:00 for next-day delivery
• +2 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

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Schneider ElectricminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchneider Electric collaborates with Solar on energy management content. In Solar's Podkeet podcast episode, Thijs Wichers from Schneider Electric discusses Energy Management Systems (EMS) and how they balance energy generation, storage, and consumption for more stable power output.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sonepar: World's largest independent electrical distributor with Dutch operations serving installers, panel builders, and industrial accounts. Competes head-to-head with Solar in electrical, automation, and energy product categories.
• Technische Unie: Established Dutch HVAC and installation materials wholesaler, now part of Hagemans. Directly overlaps with Solar in heating, climate, and electrical distribution to Dutch installers.
• Hagemans: Dutch technical wholesaler (parent of Technische Unie) focused on HVAC, plumbing, and electrical installation materials. Highly comparable assortment, customer base (professional installers), and Dutch domestic footprint.
• Wildkamp: Dutch technical wholesaler specializing in plumbing, heating, and installation supplies with nationwide branches. Directly competes with Solar for the same installer customer base in the Netherlands.
• Plieger: Dutch sanitary and plumbing wholesaler serving installers and trade customers. Overlaps with Solar's sanitary and bathroom assortment within the broader installation materials category.
• Würth: German-headquartered technical wholesaler with extensive Dutch operations covering installation, fastening, and tool categories. Comparable B2B field sales plus digital ordering model, though broader in scope than Solar.
• Rexel: Global electrical distribution leader with a sizable Dutch subsidiary serving professional installers and industrial customers. Closely matches Solar's B2B technical wholesale model across electrical, lighting, and energy management products.

Emerging players

• Toolstation: Fast-growing European e-commerce technical retailer with Dutch operations, focused on tools, accessories, and consumables for tradespeople. Represents the digital-native threat to traditional wholesalers like Solar.

Broad incumbents

• Saint-Gobain Distribution: Distribution arm of Saint-Gobain serving construction professionals with building materials, including some HVAC and plumbing categories. Broader portfolio and global scale than Solar, but partially overlapping installer base.

Others

• Schneider Electric: Global energy management and automation manufacturer and existing Solar content partner. Sells through traditional electrical wholesalers including Solar's competitors, making it both a supplier partner and an indirect channel competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/solarnl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Solar