Thomas Preuhs Holding

What Thomas Preuhs Holding does

Thomas Preuhs Holding GmbH is a family-owned private holding company founded in 1995 and headquartered on the PreuhsCampus in Geislingen-Binsdorf, Germany. The group manages a portfolio of more than 20 operating subsidiaries and participations focused on renewable energy and sustainable technology, spanning photovoltaics, heat pumps, energy storage, electronics manufacturing, PV monitoring, property management, and marketing services. Operationally, the holding provides shared administrative, marketing, and real-estate services to its subsidiaries, while each operating entity runs its own go-to-market: Solera and Solera Stuttgart install PV and heat pump systems for residential and commercial customers; Ritter Energie (formed January 2025 from ezee Energy and Paradigma) acts as a full-range wholesale and trade-integrated renewable energy provider; ezee eco and the enpal ezee joint venture rent PV systems to end customers on subscription; TOP. Thomas Preuhs and Weptronic deliver electronics manufacturing services to regional SMEs and large industrial customers; and iPLON India (acquired January 2024) provides remote PV monitoring across approximately 2,100 systems with a 70%+ market share in India.

The group's revenue model is a mix of one-time hardware sales (installation projects, PV wholesale distribution, electronics manufacturing), recurring subscription and rental income (ezee eco PV rental, enpal ezee co-owned rental portfolio, feed-in tariffs from PV participations exceeding 2 MW), and professional/managed services (Preuhs Marketing, Preuhs Grundstücksgesellschaft property management). Customer segments are diversified across B2C residential, B2B commercial and industrial, installer/trade channels, and industrial EMS clients across Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Spain, and India. The PreuhsCampus itself is a climate-neutral demonstration site using ice storage, rooftop and facade PV, and heat pumps, and the group is officially certified climate-neutral by IKL and holds ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications. Notable historical exits include the 2015 sale of Solar-Log (now under BKW AG) and the 2018 spin-off of Micro Mobility Systems D.

Name

Thomas Preuhs Holding

Legal name

Thomas Preuhs Holding GmbH

Website

https://preuhs-holding.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Thomas Preuhs Holding is a family-owned German holding company managing 20+ subsidiaries focused on renewable energy — spanning PV installation, wholesale distribution, zero-investment PV rental, electronics manufacturing, and PV monitoring — serving residential, commercial, and industrial customers across Germany, Switzerland, and India.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Renewable Energy Services

NAICS

Offices of Other Holding Companies (551112)

akta.pro primary industry

Asset Management & Owner’s Engineering (Lifecycle Strategy, Budgeting, Technical Due Diligence) (EUAMAGAJ)

Keywords

• Renewable energy solutions
• Photovoltaic installation services
• Electronics manufacturing services
• PV rental subscriptions
• Solar wholesale distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Geislingen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Renewable Energy Installation and Services: Solera and ezee Energy (now Ritter Energie) generate revenue through the installation of photovoltaic systems, heat pumps, and storage solutions for residential, commercial, and industrial buildings. Solera is described as one of the largest installation companies in Baden-Württemberg. Ritter Energie combines wholesale, manufacturer, and trade integration.
2. PV Equipment Wholesale Distribution: ezee Energy operates as a specialty wholesale distributor of renewable energy products, delivering custom-configured PV packages and related components to installation partners throughout Germany.
3. PV Rental / Leasing (ezee eco): ezee eco enables customers to rent PV installations with zero investment cost, generating recurring rental income. The model has expanded from residential to include larger commercial building complexes.
4. Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS): TOP. Thomas Preuhs provides full-service electronics manufacturing from development and design through EMS, assembly, and final product delivery. It serves regional SMEs and large industrial customers.
5. PV Monitoring Hardware and Software (Solar-Log): Solar-Log (Solare Datensysteme) generates revenue from the manufacture and sale of data loggers and smart energy management products for PV monitoring. Now part of BKW AG.
6. Urban Micro-Mobility Distribution (Micro): Micro Mobility Systems D distributes micro scooters, stunt scooters (Chilli), and Microlino electric vehicles throughout Germany and Luxembourg. Now independent of the holding but shares the Binsdorf campus.
7. Marketing Services (Preuhs Marketing): Preuhs Marketing provides full-service marketing, branding, corporate design, PR, and digital services both internally to group companies and externally to third-party clients.
8. Property Management (Preuhs Grundstücksgesellschaft): The Preuhs Grundstücksgesellschaft owns, develops, and manages real estate properties including the PreuhsCampus buildings, serving as the landlord for group companies.
9. PV Investment Co-ownership (enpal ezee / Beteiligungen): Thomas Preuhs Holding co-invests with partners like enpal to build, rent, and hold thousands of PV systems, generating income from feed-in tariffs and rental revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Thomas Preuhs Holding GmbH is a family-owned investment and management holding that owns and operates a portfolio of subsidiaries in renewable energies, electronics manufacturing, and sustainable technology. Core offerings delivered through subsidiaries include PV and heat pump installation (Solera), wholesale PV package distribution to installers (ezee Energy / Ritter Energie), zero-investment PV rental subscriptions for residential and commercial customers (ezee.eco), full-service electronics manufacturing services (TOP. Thomas Preuhs), property management (Preuhs Grundstücksgesellschaft), and full-service marketing (Preuhs Marketing).

Product overview

Thomas Preuhs Holding is a family-owned investment and management company operating a portfolio of subsidiaries and participations focused on renewable energies and sustainable technology. The portfolio is organized as a platform-plus-subsidiaries architecture: the Holding provides administrative services, shared infrastructure (PreuhsCampus), and strategic direction to daughter companies that operate distinct business models. Core subsidiaries include: TOP. Thomas Preuhs (electronics manufacturing/EMS), Solera (PV/heat pump installation), ezee Energy (wholesale/distribution), ezee.eco (PV rental), Ritter Energie (post-merger full-range renewable provider), plus investments in micro-mobility, PV monitoring, and international operations in Switzerland and India. The portfolio generates over 2 MW of photovoltaic capacity and is officially certified climate-neutral.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TOP. Thomas Preuhs GmbH — Electronics Manufacturing Services Full-service EMS partner offering development, construction, EMS, assembly, and delivery of electronic products to regional SMEs and large industrial customers; acts as an in-house manufacturing arm for the group (including production of the ezee Box).
• Solera GmbH — PV and Heat Pump Installation Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 800 tonnes of CO2 avoided per year through 2 MW of PV capacity on campus and in participations
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Paradigma / Ritter Energie- und Umwelttechnik GmbH & Co. KGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 September 2024The operational business of ezee Energy fused with Paradigma (a brand of Ritter Energie- und Umwelttechnik) to form Ritter Energie GmbH & Co. KG effective January 1, 2025. Paradigma brings expertise in solar thermal and environmentally friendly heating systems. ezee Energy holds 50% of Ritter Energie, with the other 50% held by Ritter Solartechnik GmbH & Co. KG (Dettenhausen).
• Solaross GmbH / Solera Stuttgart GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 September 2024Solera acquired a majority stake in Solaross GmbH, which became Solera Stuttgart GmbH. The acquisition expands Solera's presence into Stuttgart and gains a dynamic team led by CEO Christoph Schick, a former physics researcher at the University of Stuttgart specializing in intelligent decentralized energy systems.
• iPLON India Pvt. Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Thomas Preuhs Holding acquired iPLON India Pvt. Ltd. based in Chennai in January 2024. The company specializes in remote PV monitoring and has been monitoring approximately 2,100 systems for ezee Energy and Solera. iPLON holds over 70% market share in PV monitoring in India. The acquisition adds nearly 70 employees and brings expertise in planning and software development to the group.
• Weptronic GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 November 2022Thomas Preuhs Holding participated in a management buyout of Weptronic, a Tübingen-based electronics production services company. Weptronic advises customers on developing electronic assemblies and devices, coordinates purchasing and manufacturing. Synergies exist with TOP. Thomas Preuhs as an EMS and assembly operation. New co-managing directors are Emil Kurowski, Markus Tobie, and Johannes Gersch.
• Pascal Joos / Micro Mobility Systems D GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Micro Mobility Systems D GmbH was transferred to Pascal Joos (nephew of Thomas Preuhs) in 2018 and became independent from the holding. It remains closely linked personally and geographically, continuing to share the PreuhsCampus location. The company distributes micro scooters, Chilli stunt scooters, and Microlino vehicles in Germany and Luxembourg.
• enpal GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partnerenpal ezee GmbH is a joint venture co-founded with enpal of Berlin to build, rent, and hold thousands of PV systems across Germany. The focus is on small residential installations up to 10 kWp primarily for single-family homes. The partnership combines Thomas Preuhs Holding's renewable energy expertise with enpal's platform capabilities.
• TSG Balingen e.V.minorGTM or Marketing Partnerezee Energy serves as Premium Partner for Sustainability of the football Regionalliga club TSG Balingen, supporting the club's goal to analyze its environmental footprint and make its operations more sustainable. The partnership generates brand visibility and demonstrates the group's commitment to regional sustainability.
• Export-Akademie Baden-WürttembergminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Export-Akademie Baden-Württemberg organized and supervised a Central Asian delegation (14 participants from Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan) that visited the PreuhsCampus as part of the 'Partnering in Business with Germany' program sponsored by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection. The visit focused on green technologies and renewable energy.
• archisphäre (Nadine Preuhs)minorStrategic or Co-development Partnerarchisphäre, the architecture firm led by Nadine Preuhs (daughter of Thomas Preuhs), designed the new sustainable office and warehouse building on the PreuhsCampus. The building follows a circular construction approach using renewable and recycled materials.
• IHK Reutlingen / IHK Energietisch ZollernalbminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThomas Preuhs Holding actively participates in the IHK Energietisch Zollernalb initiative, collaborating with nine companies on energy efficiency measures. The initiative achieved 1,300 tonnes of CO2 reduction per year through 28 implemented measures. Stefan Eberhart from Solera contributed significantly to the initiative's success.
• Rotary Club Ebingen-ZollernalbminorOthersThomas Preuhs is an active member of Rotary Deutschland and the Rotary-Club Ebingen-Zollernalb. Rotary promotes social and cultural work, humanitarian services, and peace-building projects worldwide, including the End Polio initiative.
• GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGIZ collaborated with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection on the 'Partnering in Business with Germany' program, which brought a Central Asian delegation to the PreuhsCampus to learn about green technologies and sustainable business practices.
• Mellifera e.V.minorOthersThomas Preuhs Holding and other campus companies sponsored the 'Erlebnis Bienenwunder' (Experience Bee Wonder) educational set for the Binsdorf primary school, donated through the Mellifera association to teach children about bees and biodiversity.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Solarwatt: Bonn-based German manufacturer and installer of glass-glass PV modules, battery storage (Battery-Box), and integrated energy management. Comparable across multiple levels: vertically integrated PV hardware production, residential and commercial installation, and energy management software — directly overlapping with the holding's TOP., Solera, and ezee/Ritter Energie operations.
• Enpal: Berlin-based residential solar company offering PV leasing and zero-investment solar subscription models in Germany. Direct competitor and joint venture partner (enpal ezee) of the holding, operating an essentially identical PV rental model for single-family homes and competing head-to-head for installer capacity and end customers.
• 1Komma5° (1pointFive): Hamburg-based integrated residential energy company providing rooftop PV, heat pumps, storage, and EV charging through a tech-enabled installer network. Closely comparable to the holding's Solera + ezee + Ritter Energie offering, with similar integrated ecosystem spanning installation, distribution, and recurring service revenue in the German market.
• Zolar: Berlin-based online platform connecting homeowners with regional installers for residential PV systems. Operates a similar GTM combining digital customer acquisition with installer network support, directly competing with Solera and ezee Energy for residential rooftop PV demand in Germany.

Regional players

• Otovo: Norwegian residential solar subscription and leasing company operating across Northern Europe (Norway, Sweden, Germany, France). Operates an essentially identical subscription/PV rental model to ezee eco but does not directly compete in the holding's core German market, instead validating the model in adjacent geographies.

Broad incumbents

• Stiebel Eltron: Holzminden-based German manufacturer of heat pumps, hot water systems, and ventilation technology. Directly comparable to the holding's heat pump offerings (Solera installation, Ritter Energie/Paradigma distribution) but with broader product range, deeper installer relationships, and significantly larger scale.
• Viessmann Climate Solutions: Allendorf-based global heating, industrial, and refrigeration systems manufacturer with a major heat pump and renewable heating product line. Comparable to the holding's heat pump distribution and installation business (Solera, Ritter Energie/Paradigma), but operates as a global manufacturer across a much broader climate and industrial portfolio.
• EnBW (EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg): Stuttgart-headquartered major German utility with significant renewable energy generation, distribution, and residential energy services businesses (e.g., EnBW Solar+). Operates as a broad incumbent in the holding's core Baden-Württemberg market, competing for utility-scale PV, residential solar, and heat pump customers from a much larger balance sheet.
• E.ON (E.ON Solar / E.ON Home): Essen-headquartered major European energy utility operating rooftop solar, heat pumps, EV charging, and energy management solutions across multiple countries. Competes with the holding in residential renewable energy installation and rental across Germany and Europe from a much broader energy services portfolio.

Others

• SMA Solar Technology: Niestetal-based global manufacturer of PV inverters, battery inverters, and energy management systems, and historically the largest shareholder/customer relationship with the holding's Solar-Log monitoring business. Indirectly comparable as a key enabling technology provider in the PV value chain the holding operates in.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCxQ5TkJKmZKdHfBqX9u0Z6g
• Facebookfacebook.com/preuhsholding
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thomas-preuhs-holding-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/preuhsholding
• TikToktiktok.com/@preuhsholding

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries12 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 Thomas Preuhs Holding