German solar pioneer Wagner & Co has joined forces with one of the leading suppliers of photovoltaic equipment in southern England, AC Solartechnic Ltd.
The new joint venture, “Wagner Solar UK”, will do business beginning in November from AC Solartechnic´s present site in Sidlesham, near Chichester, West Sussex. The premises provide enough space for the anticipated business expansion. AC Solartechnic founders Carsten Pump and Mark Osborne will be managing and finance directors of the new company. They are joined on the board by Alexander Storek, sales manager from Wagner, Germany.
“The formation of Wagner Solar UK is an important move both for AC Solartechnic and for Wagner & Co”, says Andreas Wagner, co-founder of Wagner & Co “The UK is a key market which continues to expand rapidly, and it would very much appear that the new government is set to maintain the right environment for further expansion. Wagner Solar is here for the long term, and we shall use our resources to the full to serve our UK customers both now and in the future.”
Prime position for customers
In addition, Wagner has pledged support to continue the development initiated by AC Solartechnic to supply off-grid power boxes for use in remote areas and disaster zones. AC Solartechnic participated earlier this year in a government trade mission to western Africa and is promoting off-grid supply overseas.
“There is no doubt that Wagner Solar UK is in a prime position to give all of our support to our customers, both new and old”, says managing director Carsten Pump. “Currently, there is a world-wide under-supply of photovoltaic equipment, but thanks to the long-term experience and the long-lasting contacts of Wagner & Co, the new joint venture will have privileged access to some of the world´s greatest manufacturers.”
The new joint venture already has a market share of approx. 12% of all photovoltaic systems installed in the UK in 2010, with significant potential for further growth. Making high quality solar technology available to everyone always has been the stated goal of the Wagner Solar group.
About Wagner & Co
Wagner & Co is one of the leading collector manufacturers in Europe. The company offers solutions for solar heating applications and solar electricity. In 1979 Wagner & Co was spearheaded by nine college students rooted in the ecology and anti nuclear movements of the 70s. Nowadays the company headquarter and main production facilities are situated in Cölbe and Kirchhain, right in the geographic heart of the EU (near Frankfurt, Germany). The company is employee-owned, independent from the stock market and has more than 400 employees. The total turnover amounts to approx. 250 million euros. Through its national subsidiaries in France, Spain, Italy and the United States, the company passes on its more than 30 years of experience across Europe and beyond. Many times Wagner & Co products has come first in rigorous tests by Stiftung Warentest (German consumer testing agency), and currently the solar package COMBI line SH 1440 AR was certified as “best in test” in spring 2009 for the third time in a row. In 2005 Wagner & Co received the famed prizes of the German Solar Energy Society (DGS) and the European Association for Renewable Energy (EUROSOLAR) in the category “Company”. In the field of solar electricity, the company offers highly efficient photovoltaic systems with precisely dimensioned installation components produced by globally renowned manufacturers. Wagner & Co is a pioneer on the European solar market.
About AC Solartechnic
AC Solartechnic Ltd was founded in February 2009 by Carsten Pump and Mark Osborne for the import and supply of photovoltaic equipment. The company expanded rapidly and soon became one of the leading suppliers in the South of England. It quickly gained recognition, participating earlier this year in a government trade mission to West Africa, and is currently working on their overseas marketing strategy to further promote the use of off-grid electricity supply. Figures recently published by the Government Regulator Ofgem showed that AC Solartechnic Ltd supplied 12% of all photovoltaic equipment installed in the UK since the 1st of January 2010.