AEE - Institute for Sustainable Technologies

What AEE - Institute for Sustainable Technologies does

AEE INTEC (AEE – Institut für Nachhaltige Technologien) is an Austrian applied research institute founded in 1988 and headquartered in Gleisdorf, specializing in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable technology development. Operating across three target areas (Buildings, Cities & Networks, and Industrial Systems) and three technological working groups (Renewable Energies, Thermal Storage, and Water & Process Technologies), the institute employs approximately 85 staff from 8 nations, plus roughly 13 PhD, diploma, and intern positions on average, executing hundreds of national, European, and international R&D projects. It maintains in-house technical laboratory and demonstration infrastructure for real-world validation of renewable heating and cooling, thermal storage, water treatment, and biorefinery technologies.

The institute's technology stack includes proprietary simulation software (PV*SOL, T*SOL, GeoT*SOL, PV*SOL premium) distributed via the AEE Webshop, digital-twin platforms such as buildingTwin.at, GIS-based spatial energy planning tools, and simulation methodologies applied to district heating, building energy performance, and urban energy systems. It also produces authoritative market intelligence, notably the annual 'Solar Heat Worldwide' report for the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme and the Austrian 'Innovative Energietechnologien in Österreich' market study, alongside the quarterly e-paper magazine 'nachhaltige technologien'.

AEE INTEC generates revenue through publicly funded R&D project commissions (Austrian federal and state ministries, the European Commission, UNIDO, IEA, ADA), applied research contracts with industrial and commercial enterprises (Siemens Energy, OMV, AT&S, Wien Energie, TOWERN3000), software licensing via the AEE Webshop, and training, certification, and publication subscriptions. Its international footprint spans DACH, broader Europe, Southern Africa (via the SOLTRAIN initiative), and selected development-cooperation engagements in South and East Asia.

Name

AEE - Institute for Sustainable Technologies

Legal name

AEE – Institut für Nachhaltige Technologien

Website

https://aee-intec.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Austrian applied research institute founded in 1988 employing ~85 specialists across renewable energy, thermal storage, and water technologies. It serves governments, EU bodies, UNIDO, and industrial enterprises through commissioned R&D, simulation software (PV*SOL, T*SOL, GeoT*SOL), and authoritative market publications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Applied Renewable Energy Research and Consulting

NAICS

Engineering Services (541330), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413), Environmental Consulting Services (541620)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Instrumentation, Controls & Automation Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAM)

Keywords

• Applied renewable energy research
• Energy simulation software
• Solar thermal research
• Thermal energy storage
• Industrial decarbonization consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Gleisdorf

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Research Funding (National & European Projects): Primary revenue stream from publicly funded R&D projects commissioned by Austrian federal ministries, state governments, and the European Commission. Projects span fundamental research to demonstration of pilot/demonstration plants.
2. International Organizations (UNIDO, IEA): Projects and studies commissioned by international organizations such as UNIDO and the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme, contributing to global renewable energy knowledge and standards.
3. Industry & Trade Commissioned Research: Applied research and consulting engagements for industrial and commercial enterprises seeking to develop, test, or implement sustainable energy technologies.
4. Webshop Software Licensing: Revenue from licensing PV*SOL, T*SOL, GeoT*SOL, and PV*SOL premium simulation software tools via the AEE Webshop (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Erneuerbare Energie GmbH).
5. Training, Seminars & Publications: E-Paper magazine subscriptions, expert seminars (e.g., QM Heizwerke), training programs (GREENHEAT Training), and educational workshops for professional development in energy technologies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

AEE INTEC is an Austrian applied research institute that conducts commissioned national, European, and international R&D projects in renewable energy, thermal energy storage, water and process technologies, biorefineries, and digitalization for buildings, cities, networks, and industrial systems. It also develops and licenses a suite of simulation software (PV*SOL, T*SOL, GeoT*SOL), publishes authoritative solar thermal market studies (Solar Heat Worldwide for IEA SHC, Austrian market study), and delivers training, certification, and consulting services to governments, international organizations, and industrial enterprises.

Product overview

AEE INTEC is a research institute focused on applied research in renewable energy and resource efficiency, not a traditional product company. The organization operates a software webshop offering four specialized simulation tools: PV*SOL® for photovoltaic systems, T*SOL® for solar thermal systems, GeoT*SOL® for geothermal systems, and PV*SOL® premium as an advanced variant. These software products are sold through the 'Arbeitsgemeinschaft Erneuerbare Energie GmbH' webshop. Additionally, the institute publishes annual market research reports ('Innovative Energietechnologien in Österreich') and the global 'Solar Heat Worldwide' report in cooperation with IEA, along with the quarterly ePaper magazine 'nachhaltige technologien'. The core work centers on research projects across buildings, cities/networks, industry, water, biorefineries, renewable energy, thermal storage, and digitalization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PV*SOL Licensed simulation software for planning and simulating photovoltaic (solar electric) systems, enabling engineers and planners to design, analyze, and optimize PV installations. Distributed via the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Erneuerbare Energie GmbH webshop.
• T*SOL Licensed simulation software for planning and simulating solar thermal systems for hot water and space heating applications. Distributed via the AEE Webshop.
• GeoT*SOL Licensed simulation software for planning and simulating geothermal heating and cooling systems. Distributed via the AEE Webshop.
• Innovative Energietechnologien in Österreich – Marktentwicklung Annual market research publication documenting and analyzing the market development of renewable energy technologies in Austria, covering biomass, photovoltaics, solar thermal, heat pumps, and wind power.
• Solar Heat Worldwide Annual global solar thermal market development report published in cooperation with the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme, documenting worldwide solar heating and cooling markets, installed capacity, and trends across approximately 66-70 countries.
• nachhaltige technologien Quarterly e-paper magazine published by AEE INTEC covering topics on sustainable technologies, renewable energy, circular economy, and energy transition research, distributed to a professional audience in the German-speaking energy sector.

Quantifiable outcome

• AEE INTEC has contributed substantially to the development of sustainable technologies through hundreds of national, European, and international R&D projects since its founding in 1988.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Austrian Cooperative Research (ACR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015AEE INTEC has been a member of Austrian Cooperative Research (ACR) since 2015. ACR is a network of Austrian research institutes that provides a unified interface for companies to access specialized R&D services. ACR membership enables joint proposals, the ACR Innovation Award, and the ACR Start-up Award program.
• European CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAEE INTEC participates as coordinator and partner in Horizon Europe and Horizon 2020 projects, including being the third-largest EU project in Styria within Horizon Europe (mentioned March 2024). The institute has been highly successful in winning EU research funding.
• IEA Solar Heating and Cooling ProgrammecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAEE INTEC serves as coordinator for an IEA collaborative research group and contributes to the IEA SHC's Solar Heat Worldwide annual global market report. The institute also hosted the traditional Wärme-Symposium in Bad Staffelstein, Germany. An IEA expert working group on energy flexibility in buildings was led by Austria.
• UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAEE INTEC collaborates with UNIDO on international development cooperation projects focused on sustainable energy technologies, particularly in solar thermal applications and renewable energy deployment in developing countries.
• ADA (Austrian Development Agency)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAEE INTEC collaborates with ADA on international development projects, contributing to sustainable energy solutions in partner countries supported by Austrian development cooperation.
• SOLTRAIN (Southern African Solar Thermal Training and Demonstration Initiative)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOLTRAIN is a flagship development cooperation initiative led by AEE INTEC, promoting solar water heating in Southern African countries (Namibia, South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia, Botswana, Lesotho, Zimbabwe). It includes training programs, demonstration plants, and capacity building across the region. The Presidents of Mozambique and Malawi visited the SOLTRAIN booth.
• European Digital Innovation Hub 'Applied-CPS'majorTechnology or IntegrationAEE INTEC is part of the European Digital Innovation Hub 'Applied-CPS' (Cyber-Physical Systems), providing digital innovation services to SMEs and public sector organizations in the field of digital transformation.
• Mission Innovation AustriacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAEE INTEC is an active participant in Mission Innovation Austria, contributing to national initiatives for breakthrough clean energy technologies. The institute hosted the Mission Innovation Austria Week 2025 in Gleisdorf with record attendance. AEE INTEC also provided significant contributions to the Mission Innovation Austria Week.
• Siemens EnergymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAEE INTEC supported Siemens Energy in developing their climate-neutral factory, demonstrating applied research collaboration with a major industrial technology company.
• TOWERN3000coreTechnology or IntegrationAEE INTEC collaborated with TOWERN3000 on joint innovation projects including digital twin solutions. The partnership won the ACR Innovation Award in 2022 and 2023, and was nominated for the State Patent Prize in 2022, with one of the top 3 innovations in Austria in 2023.
• Takasago Thermal Engineering (Japan)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJapanese company Takasago Thermal Engineering visited AEE INTEC in September 2023, indicating ongoing research and technology exchange in thermal energy technologies with Asian industry partners.
• Wien Energie GmbHmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAEE INTEC collaborates with Wien Energie on large-scale heat storage projects including the ScaleUp project for a 40,000 m³ underground thermal energy storage in Vienna, representing a major urban district heating innovation.
• BIG Solar GrazmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAEE INTEC was involved in the BigSolarGraz project, one of Austria's largest solar thermal plants for district heating, demonstrating large-scale solar process heat integration.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland: Finnish state-owned applied research organization with energy, biorefining and sustainability programs, serving as a direct comparable in size, business model, and EU Horizon project participation.
• Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT): AIT is Austria's largest non-university research organization with extensive energy, sustainability and infrastructure portfolios, operating under a similar public-funded applied research model and serving overlapping government and industrial clients.
• Joanneum Research: Another Austrian cooperative research institute within the ACR network alongside AEE INTEC, with overlapping focus areas in energy, materials and sustainability research for public and industrial clients.
• SINTEF: Norway's largest independent research institute with energy, process industry and environmental portfolios, comparable in its mix of public R&D, EU project participation, and industry contract research.
• VITO: Flemish Institute for Technological Research operates a comparable applied research model with energy, sustainable chemistry and materials programs, frequently partnering with EU consortia on sustainability projects.
• TNO: Dutch applied research organization with energy transition, building decarbonization and industrial sustainability programs, comparable in public/private funding mix and applied research orientation.
• Fraunhofer ISE: Germany's Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE is a leading European applied research institute for solar energy, PV, thermal storage, and energy systems — directly comparable to AEE INTEC in mission, customer base (public R&D and industry), and software/services outputs.

Regional players

• EURAC Research: Bolzano-based research center with energy and alpine region sustainability programs; partial overlap with AEE INTEC in renewable heating and energy-efficient buildings research, though regionally focused on South Tyrol.

Emerging players

• Wuppertal Institut: German research institute focused on climate, energy and resource transition; comparable in sustainability/energy research outputs but oriented more toward policy analysis than applied technical R&D and demonstration.
• Steinbeis Foundation: German technology and knowledge transfer network of Steinbeis centers offering applied R&D and consulting to industry; comparable in applied research and enterprise engagement model but with broader non-energy scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aee_intec
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aee-intec

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 AEE - Institute for Sustainable Technologies