sbp sonne

What sbp sonne does

sbp sonne is an independent engineering office based in Stuttgart, Germany, operating as a subsidiary of schlaich bergermann partner (sbp se). Founded in 2009 and drawing on more than 40 years of collective solar technology experience within the parent group, the firm focuses on concentrating solar power (CSP) and photovoltaic (PV) systems. Its core offerings combine proprietary collector and heliostat technologies, including the EuroTrough and UltimateTrough parabolic trough collectors and the Stellio heliostat developed with Ingemetal and Masermic, alongside a portfolio of innovative PV products: Blowfish floating PV (marketed as a first bifacial FPV design), Parking Lot PV, Agricultural PV and Building Integrated PV. The company also maintains sbpRAY, a GPU-accelerated raytracing software used for solar plant planning, and offers consulting services such as PV tracker review under German Prüfingenieurwesen principles.

The business model is project-based and multi-pronged. sbp sonne generates revenue through engineering consulting and feasibility studies, licensing of its proprietary CSP component designs, and turnkey delivery of PV systems in partnership with construction and steel-structure firms (e.g., KÉSZ Metaltech for Parking Lot PV). Customer segments span utilities and independent power producers, PV tracker manufacturers, financial institutions (such as Deutsche Rentenversicherung as a referenced client) and commercial/industrial clients seeking specialized PV applications. Geographic reach is international, with active or referenced engagements in Germany, Spain, China (notably the DBC Energy 100MW CSP plus 800MW PV project in Tibet), Hungary and other global markets, supported by a multilingual web presence in German, English and Chinese. The company employs roughly 15-20 people, operates as a small specialist technical office within the broader sbp se ecosystem, and pursues conference visibility at events such as Intersolar Europe, EU PVSEC, SolarPACES and CSPPLAZA to support both CSP licensing and new PV product commercialization.

Name

sbp sonne

Legal name

sbp sonne gmbh

Website

https://sbp.solar

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

sbp sonne is a Stuttgart-based independent engineering office and subsidiary of sbp se that designs concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies, advanced PV systems and proprietary planning software for utilities, IPPs, and C&I clients worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Solar Engineering Consulting & Technology Licensing

NAICS

Solar Electric Power Generation (221114)

akta.pro primary industry

CSP Plant Development & EPC (Parabolic Trough, Tower, Linear Fresnel, Dish) (EUACAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

PV Balance of System (BOS) & Electrical Infrastructure (Inverters, Transformers, Cabling, Substations) (EUACAGAC), Solar Project Development & IPP (Utility-Scale & Rooftop) (EUAMABAA), Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) EPC (EUAEAAAH)

Keywords

• Solar engineering consulting
• Concentrated solar power
• Photovoltaic technology licensing
• Parabolic trough collectors
• Structural engineering services

Headquarters

HQ city

Stuttgart

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Engineering Consulting & Technical Due Diligence: sbp sonne provides independent structural testing, third-party consulting, and expert opinions on PV tracker systems. Engineers work on structural calculations, techno-economic analysis, and certification of PV tracking systems. Revenue is generated through project-based consulting fees for owners, developers, lenders, insurers, and other stakeholders.
2. Technology Licensing (CSP Collectors & Heliostats): sbp sonne licenses its proprietary CSP technologies including the EuroTrough and UltimateTrough parabolic trough collectors, and the Stellio heliostat. License packages include solar field components, manufacturing aids, drawings, and specifications. Clients receive first-class customized engineering services and benefit from established supply chains.
3. Solar Project Development Support: sbp sonne supports the development of large-scale solar projects worldwide, including feasibility studies, solar yield calculations, LCoE/LCoH calculations, technology and concept review, site selection, and bankability assessments. Revenue is earned through consulting and engineering service contracts.
4. PV System Product Sales (Turnkey Solutions): Through partnerships with steel construction companies (e.g., KÉSZ Metaltech), sbp sonne delivers turnkey parking lot PV canopy solutions, including design, manufacturing, delivery, and installation. Revenue is generated through product and construction contracts for these specialized solar canopies.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

sbp sonne is an independent engineering office that invents, designs, develops, and licenses solar technologies for utility-scale and distributed renewable energy projects. The company delivers proprietary CSP components (EuroTrough and UltimateTrough parabolic trough collectors, Stellio heliostats), specialized PV systems (Floating PV, Parking Lot PV, Agricultural PV, Building-Integrated PV), the sbpRAY raytracing simulation software, and engineering consulting services including PV tracker structural review, feasibility studies, techno-economic analysis, and damage assessment.

Product overview

sbp sonne is an independent engineering office for renewable energy that develops and licenses solar technologies. The company offers a portfolio spanning photovoltaic (PV) systems including Floating PV (Gömbhal/Blowfish), Parking Lot PV, Agricultural PV, and Building Integrated PV; concentrating solar power (CSP) products including Stellio heliostats and EuroTrough/UltimateTrough parabolic trough collectors; proprietary solar simulation software (sbpRAY); and PV Tracker engineering review services. The company operates as a subsidiary of sbp se (schlaich bergermann partner) and licenses its collector technologies globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• EuroTrough Parabolic Trough Collector Industry-defining parabolic trough collector licensed to CSP project developers for 50–100 MW parabolic trough power plants across Spain, Egypt, India, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and China. License packages include solar field components, manufacturing aids, drawings, and specifications.
• UltimateTrough Parabolic Trough Collector World's largest and most advanced parabolic trough collector delivering over 10% higher efficiency than benchmark collectors. Licensed to CSP project developers for large-scale solar thermal power plants.
• Stellio Heliostat Innovative pentagonal-shaped heliostat for CSP tower plants with 48.5 m² reflective area and 1.5 mrad rms optical accuracy. Features equal-stiffness rotational symmetric structural concept, cost-efficient linear actuators for both axes, and automated mirror canting during assembly. Designed with dense field layouts minimizing shading and blocking.
• Floating PV (Blowfish / Gömbhal) First bifacial floating PV system using air-filled membrane tubes with a reflective membrane underneath modules to address water's low albedo, enabling bifacial energy yield gains on water surfaces. Flexible, fast-installing, and minimizes wave impact sensitivity.
• Parking Lot PV (PPV) Lightweight structural system for covering parking areas with bifacial PV panels, engineered for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Features innovative rope and tension band construction enabling slender, filigree supports, reduced material usage, unobstructed parking space use, and greenery integration between elements. Fully parametric, algorithm-driven planning using Rhino/Grasshopper, SOFiSTiK, and Tekla Structures.
• Agricultural PV (APV) Agricultural photovoltaic systems enabling dual use of farmland for both solar power generation and food production, with supporting structures providing clearance for modern agricultural machinery.
• Building Integrated PV (BIPV) Consulting, design, modeling, calculation, and construction services for integrating photovoltaic materials into building envelopes, facades, and roofs as replacement for conventional building materials.
• sbpRAY Raytracer Software Proprietary GPU-accelerated raytracing software for modeling radiation concentration in CSP plants, handling 5-cornered Stellio heliostats, troughs, and cavity receivers. Also used for irradiance simulation on mono- and bifacial PV modules.
• PV Tracker Review & Consulting Services Independent structural testing, qualification, and certification of single-axis tracked PV systems, third-party consulting on tracker technology selection, and root-cause damage analysis. Applied since 2003 with 60+ tracker reviews and 15+ damage expert reports completed since 2017. Serves PV tracker manufacturers, EPCs, owners, developers, lenders, and insurers.
• Solar Updraft Tower Solar thermal power technology using a translucent collector roof to heat air, creating airflow that drives turbines. A 50 kWel prototype operated for seven years in Manzanares, Spain.
• Feasibility & Optimization Studies Feasibility studies, yield calculations, LCoE/LCoH calculations, technology and concept review, site selection, and bankability assessments for utility-scale solar power generation projects.
• Techno-Economic Development of Solar Components Design of support structures, optical concepts, and drive systems for solar collectors, with structural calculations, dimensioning, and optimization across all project performance phases.

Quantifiable outcome

• UltimateTrough delivers over 10% higher efficiency compared to benchmark parabolic trough collectors
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• KÉSZ Metaltech Kft.coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 30 June 2025Long-term steel construction partner collaborating on turnkey parking lot PV canopy solutions. Together they developed and realized a prototype photovoltaic parking canopy in Kecskemét, Hungary (30 spaces, 75 kWp). KÉSZ Metaltech handles manufacturing, delivery, and installation while sbp sonne provides engineering and design. Both companies jointly won the Tekla BIM Award 2025 in the 'Small Projects' category for this project.
• bim.GROUP Kft.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 30 June 2025Project partner in the Tekla BIM Award 2025-winning parking photovoltaic KESZ project. bim.GROUP contributed to the fully parametric, algorithm-driven BIM planning process using advanced software tools.
• KÉSZ Ipari Gyártó Kft.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 30 June 2025Project partner in the Tekla BIM Award 2025-winning parking photovoltaic KESZ project.
• Ingemetal & MasermiccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment partners for the Stellio heliostat. Ingemetal and Masermic collaborated with sbp sonne to develop the innovative pentagonal heliostat with its equal-stiffness rotational symmetric structural concept, precision optics, and cost-efficient linear actuators.
• Alf OschlatzminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerListed as project partner in the Parkplatz-Photovoltaik KESZ project at the Kecskemét location in Hungary.
• sbp se (schlaich bergermann partner)coreStrategic or Co-development Partnersbp sonne gmbh is a wholly-owned subsidiary of sbp se (schlaich bergermann partner), a globally renowned engineering firm specializing in lightweight structures, stadium roofs, and bridges. sbp sonne shares headquarters and office spaces with sbp se in Stuttgart and benefits from shared resources, expertise, and the sbp Academy training program. The relationship provides sbp sonne access to decades of structural engineering knowledge and international networks.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• TSK: TSK is a Spanish EPC and engineering firm with significant CSP and solar thermal power plant experience, including parabolic trough and tower projects. Comparable as an engineering-driven solar plant contractor and technology integrator operating in sbp sonne's customer segments.
• Aalborg CSP: Aalborg CSP A/S is a Danish engineering and technology company specializing in CSP plant design, receiver technology, and thermal energy storage. Directly comparable as a small-to-mid specialist CSP engineering/licensing firm targeting the same global utility-scale CSP market as sbp sonne.
• FRENELL: FRENELL GmbH is a German CSP technology company developing heliostat fields and turnkey CSP tower plant solutions. Closely comparable as a Germany-based CSP technology specialist competing in the same European and international CSP licensing market.
• BrightSource Energy: BrightSource Energy is a US-based CSP tower technology company developing utility-scale solar thermal plants with proprietary heliostat fields. Comparable as a CSP tower technology specialist pursuing similar licensing/development opportunities in international markets.
• SENER Aeroespacial: SENER is a Spanish engineering group with deep CSP plant design and heliostat field engineering experience, including major projects in Morocco and South Africa. Comparable as a multidisciplinary engineering firm with strong CSP credentials and global project delivery.

Broad incumbents

• Cobra Group (ACS): Cobra Group is a large Spanish EPC with renewable energy and CSP project experience as part of its broader energy infrastructure portfolio. Comparable as a larger incumbent delivering solar and CSP projects that engage or compete for the same IPP/utility customers.

Others

• German Aerospace Center (DLR): DLR is a German aerospace/solar research institute with world-leading CSP and solar thermal research capabilities. Comparable as a German research institution contributing to CSP technology development, often publishing at SolarPACES alongside sbp sonne engineers.

Emerging players

• Masdar (Solar & Sustainability): Masdar is a UAE-based clean energy company with active CSP investment and development programs in MENA. Comparable as a developer/technology partner involved in CSP project pipelines that overlap with sbp sonne's licensing and consulting market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sbpsonne

Compliance1 record

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 sbp sonne