Energy supply in the mountains

The mountain top majestically towers above the crystal clear Seebensee lake. After catching their breath, hikers continue their struggle along the “high route”. Its countless winding paths have earned the route a reputation as one of the most challenging hikes in Tirol’s Mieming mountain range. But after climbing for more than three hours, the hike is almost over – the Coburger Hütte is already in view. Once at the lodge, hikers quickly forget their ordeals and sit down to enjoy some traditional Austrian delicacies. Almost 1,900 metres above sea level, the German Alpine Club lodge has a lot more to offer than just a breath-taking panorama. Its hot shower facilities, drying room and even its Internet connection have turned the Coburger Hütte into a popular port of call for mountain climbers in recent years. But such facilities wouldn’t be possible without a reliable electricity supply.

That is why the German Alpine Club relies on energy storage solutions from battery storage systems manufacturer Tesvolt. It was only last year when the start-up equipped the lodge – by helicopter – with cutting-edge technology. Besides a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 77 kWh, new 16 kWp solar panels ensure an environmentally friendly and reliable power supply. Even bad weather doesn’t faze the operators any more. “Thanks to the new battery storage system, the lodge can continue consuming electricity from the solar panels, even if it isn’t sunny,” reports Daniel Hannemann, CEO and founder of Tesvolt.

This is all down to the extremely powerful battery cells. “Our storage systems are very rugged. They have proven to be highly reliable in industrial applications as well as in difficult, remote areas,” explains ­Hannemann. Connected to wind, solar, hydroelectric, biogas or CHP power stations, the energy storage solutions from Tesvolt offer maximum flexibility.

Reliable systems “made in Germany”

It therefore comes as no surprise that Tesvolt is experiencing exponential growth on the up-and-coming battery storage market. After all, besides international industrial companies, construction businesses and service providers are increasingly employing energy storage systems to reduce their power connection costs and enhance the reliability of their electricity supply. In countries where network failures occur on a daily basis, energy storage systems are even a fundamental requirement to keep up with the competition.

“Reliable energy storage systems call for several components to work together in harmony,” explains Hannemann. Besides the battery cells, this includes energy distribution, climate control and plant monitoring. These need to work seamlessly because they are ultimately decisive for functionality. This is also why Tesvolt only uses top-quality components.

“For a short while now we have been using system components from Rittal,” reports Hannemann. After all, the wide range of standardised products enables short delivery times and technical flexibility. “Shortly after founding the company, we were still focusing on custom-made products,” reveals Hannemann. But these used up too much time and were also highly prone to error. “The solutions based on standard products from Rittal ensure that we no longer have this problem. They can be delivered quickly, adhere to all relevant standards and exceed our quality expectations.” At the bottom of it all, there is nothing worse than products that rust after just a few years.

In order to find the right energy storage solution for each application, Hannemann and his colleagues seek regular advice from Rittal experts, such as Andreas ­Kühne, Product Manager for Energy Storage Systems at Rittal. “We help Tesvolt to plan and configure energy storage solutions so that they correspond exactly to the customer requirements,” says Kühne. Alongside enclosures, Tesvolt therefore also uses components for power distribution, climate control and monitoring.

“The standardised and modular components from our product portfolio can be easily combined, providing Tesvolt with extreme flexibility,” observes Kühne. And Hannemann agrees: “Our success on the market is mainly down to our agility and comparatively low prices.” Ultimately, the high degree of standardisation of the utilised components enables Tesvolt to react quickly to changing market requirements without dramatically raising its prices. Operating on a market with hardly any standards means Tesvolt is able to set its own.

For instance, the start-up offers the TS 8 from Rittal in its portfolio under the name of TS 50. The classic enclosure from Rittal can be placed just about anywhere and is resistant to extreme ambient conditions such as heat, cold or moisture. “In light of their impressive stability, we can integrate battery modules weighing up to 400 kg in the enclosure and still meet the thermal requirements,” notes Hannemann.

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  Three Questions to

  Daniel Hannemann
  CEO and founder of Tesvolt

  What are the biggest challenges you face as a start-up on a relatively new market? The market has yet to establish standards. For that reason, manufacturers’ strategies differ greatly. Tesvolt sees itself as a battery manufacturer. Apart from the known brands such as Samsung and LG, there are not many companies that operate in this field. The greatest challenge we face is therefore undoubtedly price pressure.

  How are Rittal solutions helping you to overcome these challenges? Thanks to the standardised solutions from Rittal, we have been able to shorten our delivery times. This has allowed us to speed up product delivery and offer good value for money. Moreover, we attach a great deal of importance to the quality of “made in Germany” manufacturing. Rittal was able to cover all of these bases.

  What has changed since you started using these solutions? Our customers now benefit from standardised, turnkey solutions, which function seamlessly even under extreme conditions. This means even projects such as the Coburger Hütte can be completed quickly.

   

Results-based consulting

Besides the quality of Rittal products, the expert advice from Kühne and his team was another key factor in winning over Hannemann. “We haven’t witnessed such vast technical knowledge anywhere else,” says Hannemann. This constitutes yet another reason why Rittal has recently become an official development partner of the fledgling start-up. “We now consult Rittal for almost every project. This enables us to – if we need to – perform small changes to the colour, drilled holes and climate control, and put our products to the test in the Rittal test laboratory beforehand.”

Over the past two years, Tesvolt has increased its availability, reduced its costs and gained hard-won market share thanks to the combination of standardisation, consulting and quality products. Hannemann is well aware of this competitive advantage: “Rittal enables us to satisfy all requirements of the energy storage market. Its solutions have helped us offer competitive prices and deliver consistently high quality.”