Not only the sun is smiling, but also the management at the Saxon solar startup Sunmaxx PVT: The greenetch company secures investment worth millions: 3.25 million euros for the further development of solar hybrid modules and the establishment of production in Saxony
TGFS Technologiegründerfonds Sachsen is investing in Sunmaxx PVT GmbH together with MAHLE New Ventures. The Dresden-based cleantech company was founded with the goal of completely decarbonizing the power and heat supply of buildings, neighborhoods, and industrial sites. Its photovoltaic-thermal solar modules (PVT) offer a novel approach to the currently sluggish heat transition.
Sunmaxx PVT GmbH announces the joint financing round of EUR 3.25 million by TGFS Technologiegründerfonds Sachsen and MAHLE New Ventures. MAHLE New Ventures has already accompanied the young company as a technology and financing partner since the end of 2021. From now on, TGFS will support the further development of the company as a local, institutional financing partner. With the newly acquired capital, the team is to be expanded, the technology further developed, and the market entry realized. The ultimate goal of the financing round is to set up a 50 MW production line in Saxony. The start-up of production is planned for the second half of the year.
Sunmaxx PVT modules: Simultaneous generation of electricity and usable heat.
Unlike conventional PV modules that generate only electricity, the PVT modules developed by Sunmaxx enable the simultaneous generation of electricity and usable heat. “At its core, the energy transition is about efficiency,” emphasizes Dr. Wilhelm Stein, founder and CEO of Sunmaxx, explaining, “Our PVT modules take the use of solar energy to a new level with an overall efficiency of more than 80 % – and at economic conditions. As a result, our modules form a key component for the complete decarbonization of the electricity and heating requirements of neighborhoods, industrial sites and commercial buildings. Integration into cold local heating networks is also an exciting area of application.”
For implementation, Sunmaxx is working with a strong partner network that can offer completely CO2-free solutions thanks to its broad expertise. The first reference plants are already under construction and will soon be put into operation.
A key differentiator from PVT modules from other suppliers is the heat exchanger technology that Sunmaxx uses to remove the usable heat from the modules. This is based on MAHLE’s advanced thermal management solutions.
The company thus uses a cost-optimized, highly scalable technology from the automotive industry, which makes their PVT modules significantly cheaper overall, but also more compact and lighter than existing PVT modules.
