DGS – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Sonnenenergie Landesverband Berlin Brandenburg e.V.

What DGS – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Sonnenenergie Landesverband Berlin Brandenburg e.V. does

DGS – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Sonnenenergie Landesverband Berlin Brandenburg e.V. is a German registered non-profit association (eingetragener Verein) founded in 1975 and headquartered in Berlin, operating as the regional Berlin-Brandenburg chapter of the DGS Federal Association. It is the oldest solar association in Germany and delivers three integrated service lines: SolarAkademie (manufacturer-neutral training and certification for PV, solar thermal, storage, grid connection, and BIPV, including joint VDE/DGS credentials); SolarServices (independent technical consulting such as yield reports, glare assessments, quality inspections, battery storage expert opinions, and certification under the DGS Safety Standard DGS 0001:2023-01 for plug-in solar devices); and SolarCentre Berlin, a publicly-funded, manufacturer-neutral advisory centre established in 2019 under the Solarcity masterplan. Supporting products include the pv-wissen.de online knowledge portal, the open-source OpenPlan cross-sector energy planning tool (under BMWK-funded OpenPlan 2.0 development through 2027), a family of PV calculation tools (pv@now, PV Rechner, PV-Mieten Plus), the Photovoltaic Systems Guide (5th edition), and the quarterly SONNENENERGIE magazine.

The organization serves solar industry professionals (architects, planners, engineers, electricians, installers), banks and insurance companies requiring independent expert opinions for project financing, building owners seeking neutral advice, and public-sector clients (Berlin Senate, federal ministries, EU Interreg partners). Revenue is generated through course and examination fees (€360–€3,150 per course), paid technical services, publication sales (e.g., €80 per Photovoltaic Systems Guide), membership subscriptions (€38–€365/year across three tiers), certification fees under the DGS Safety Standard, and substantial multi-year public project funding from BMWK, DBU, Interreg Europe, and the Berlin Senate. The federal DGS has approximately 2,800 members and DGS Berlin Brandenburg has trained over 7,000 professionals and produced more than 1,700 expert reports on five continents since 1988.

The business model is diversified across professional services, subscription membership, training, and publicly-funded research and demonstration projects, with no private equity or venture capital ownership. Recent strategic positioning includes EU-funded international collaboration (BiodIvErSe, 2025–2029) and the development of open-source planning software (OpenPlan 2.0, 2024–2027), signaling an institutional rather than venture-style growth trajectory.

Name

DGS – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Sonnenenergie Landesverband Berlin Brandenburg e.V.

Legal name

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Sonnenenergie Landesverband Berlin Brandenburg e.V.

Website

https://dgs-berlin.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DGS Berlin Brandenburg e.V. is a non-profit solar association (founded 1975) delivering manufacturer-neutral training (SolarAkademie), independent technical consulting and expert reports (SolarServices), and public advisory services via the SolarCentre Berlin, serving solar professionals, banks, insurers, and building owners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Solar Energy Training and Technical Consulting

NAICS

Solar Electric Power Generation (221114)

SIC

Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825)

akta.pro primary industry

Solar Workforce, Training & Safety Services (Installer Training, Certification, EHS) (EUAMABAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Solar Quality, Testing, Certification & Standards (Lab Testing, Inspections, Compliance) (EUAMABAN), Solar Design, Engineering & Performance Software (PV Modeling, Digital Twins, Monitoring) (EUAMABAH), Solar Roofing & Roof-Mounted PV Systems (IMADAFAO)

Keywords

• Solar energy training
• Photovoltaic consulting
• Renewable energy education
• Solar technical services
• Solar energy publications

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Training and Seminars: The SolarAkademie offers professional training courses, seminars, and webinars on photovoltaics, solar thermal, energy storage, and related topics. Revenue is generated through course fees, examination fees, and sale of training materials (DGS guides/leadfaden). Offers in-house training courses for companies. DGS members receive 10% discount.
2. Technical Services and Expert Reports: Technical consulting services including yield reports, glare assessments, quality inspections, system acceptances, damage assessments, electrical measurements, fault analyses, technical advice, battery storage expertises, and noise protection reports. Revenue generated through consulting fees for expert opinions and assessments.
3. Publications: Sale of technical publications including the Photovoltaic Systems Guide (€80), the SONNENENERGIE magazine (€12.50 per issue, 4 issues per year), and free downloadable brochures. Revenue from publication sales and shipping costs.
4. Product Certification: Certification services for plug-in solar devices under the DGS safety standard. Manufacturers can have their devices certified and labelled with the DGS safety standard logo.
5. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees providing access to the DGS network, discounted training courses, free magazine subscription, and free admission to Intersolar Europe. Ordinary membership: €93/year, Extraordinary (company) membership: €365/year, Discounted membership: €38/year.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

DGS Berlin Brandenburg is Germany's oldest solar association (founded 1975) operating three core pillars: SolarAkademie (professional training courses on photovoltaics, storage, grid connection for solar professionals), SolarServices (independent technical consulting including glare assessments, quality inspections, yield reports, and battery storage expertise), and SolarCentre Berlin (manufacturer-neutral advisory center). It also operates the pv-wissen.de online knowledge portal, develops open-source planning tools (OpenPlan, pv@now), certifies plug-in solar devices under its own safety standard, and publishes the SONNENENERGIE magazine and Photovoltaic Systems Guide.

Product overview

DGS Berlin Brandenburg offers a comprehensive portfolio of solar energy products and services centered around three core pillars: SolarAkademie (professional training programs), SolarServices (technical consulting and assessments), and the SolarCentre Berlin (independent advisory center). Supporting these are the pv-wissen.de online knowledge portal and various calculation tools (pv@now, pv@now easy, PV-Mieten Plus, PV-Stromkostenrechner, PV Rechner). The organization also produces technical publications including the Photovoltaic Systems Guide and SONNENENERGIE magazine. The OpenPlan tool provides open-source energy system planning capabilities. Services include glare assessments, quality inspections, yield reports, battery storage expertise, noise assessments, and certification of plug-in solar devices under the DGS Safety Standard DGS 0001:2023-01.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• pv-wissen.de: Online knowledge portal for specialists in the PV industry providing information on planning, assembly, electrical installation and commissioning of PV systems
• pv@now
• PV Rechner
• SolarZentrum Berlin
• SONNENENERGIE

Products and services

• SolarAkademie

Quantifiable outcome

• Trained more than 7,000 architects, planners, engineers, tradespeople and sales staff
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IZES gGmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025IZES gGmbH is a project partner in the BiodIvErSe project (May 2025 - July 2029), which focuses on accelerating multifunctional innovative photovoltaic energy systems through biodiversity-sensitive assessment. The project involves 9 partners from Germany, Latvia, Poland, Greece, Ukraine, Austria and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
• Interreg EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025Interreg Europe is co-funder of the BiodIvErSe project, which aims to combine climate protection, energy transition and biodiversity in photovoltaic expansion. The project develops regional strategies for accelerated expansion of innovative PV (I-PV) systems.
• Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public EnterprisescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Funded the SolarZentrum Berlin (opened 2019), an independent, product- and manufacturer-neutral advice centre for all aspects of solar energy. Part of the Solarcity masterplan implemented as part of the Berlin Energy and Climate Protection Programme (BEK) 2030.
• ISES (International Solar Energy Society)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDGS is a member of ISES, the largest and longest established international solar organization with members in more than 110 countries and chapters in over 50 countries. ISES has collaborated with UN agencies since 1963 and participates in international programmes including UNFCCC climate conferences.
• DGS Federal Association (Deutscher Gesellschaft für Sonnenenergie e.V.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Berlin Brandenburg regional association is part of the DGS Federal Association, which provides the nationwide network, trade magazine SONNENENERGIE, and collective expertise. The federal association has ~2,800 members and is a recognized consumer protection association.
• VDE/DGScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint certification programs for PV specialists (Fachkraft Photovoltaik VDE/DGS) and energy storage specialists (Fachkraft Energiespeicher VDE/DGS). Combines DGS solar expertise with VDE standards compliance.
• SolarEnvelopeCenter (SEC) ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBMWK-funded joint project for building-integrated PV (BIPV). The GIPV workshop was developed by DGS LV Berlin Brandenburg as part of this project. Includes type configurators for GIPV projects and digital models for GIPV modules.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• VDE (Verband der Elektrotechnik): German technical-scientific association providing standards, testing, and certification in electrical engineering. DGS Berlin Brandenburg jointly runs the VDE/DGS Fachkraft Photovoltaik certification program, making VDE a direct peer and partner in professional PV training.
• International Solar Energy Society (ISES): International solar research and advocacy organization of which DGS is a member. Highly comparable as a solar energy society providing publications, networking, and standards work, but at global rather than regional level.
• Energy Watch Group: Independent European research and advocacy organization focused on renewable energy data and policy. Comparable to DGS Berlin Brandenburg as an independent, research-driven renewable energy organization producing publications and policy work.
• Energiewerkstatt (Verband der Energiewerker): Austrian/German solar training association offering similar Solarakademie-type training for installers and consultants. Comparable as a non-profit regional solar training and certification provider in the DACH region.

Regional players

• Solar Energy UK: UK solar energy trade association. Operates the same member-and-training-driven association model as DGS Berlin Brandenburg but focused on the UK market rather than Germany.
• Fraunhofer ISE: Germany's leading solar energy research institute. Compares as a German solar research and standards-development body, though Fraunhofer is much larger, publicly funded, and focused on technical R&D rather than training and certification.

Broad incumbents

• TÜV Rheinland Solar Energy Services: Global testing, inspection, and certification provider operating in solar energy. Competes with DGS's SolarServices independent expert reports and plug-in solar certification, though at much larger scale and with commercial positioning.
• SolarPower Europe: European solar industry association. Comparable as a solar industry advocacy and research organization, but operates at the EU level with political and commercial policy focus rather than regional technical training and certification.
• Bundesverband Solarwirtschaft (BSW Solar): German solar industry association representing manufacturers, installers, and project developers. Comparable to DGS Berlin Brandenburg as a sector trade body, but operates at federal level with broader commercial industry representation rather than regional independent technical expertise.

Others

• Heinrich Böll Stiftung (Federal Association of German Renewable Energy): German political foundation and think tank working on energy transition policy. While not a direct peer, both organizations operate in the German renewable energy ecosystem with policy advocacy and research focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dgs-berlin-brandenburg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 DGS – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Sonnenenergie Landesverband Berlin Brandenburg e.V.