Enpal responds to criticism of pricing model

Berlin-based Unicorn rents out photovoltaic systems, among other things. This has been criticized by the competition - now the start-up is giving an insight into its pricing.

Berlin-based Unicorn Enpal has been criticized for its photovoltaic system rental model. Now the company is publicly justifying itself. Wolfgang Gründinger, who as "Chief Evangelist" is tasked with raising the brand's profile, did the math at Trending Topics the rental model. According to this, the total acquisition costs for a 10 kWp (kilowatt peak) system, including storage, amount to 30,410 euros. Systems up to 10 kWp are exempt from trade tax and are therefore considered to be a sensible option for private households. After 20 years, i.e. when the customer takes over the previously rented system, Enpal incurs total costs of EUR 59,351 for such a system. The costs for maintenance, service, insurance, repairs, financing and replacement of the storage system and inverter add up to this price. Gründinger bases his calculations on figures from the price index of the German Solar Industry Association.

He contrasts this with the rental costs, which total EUR 54,120 for this period: EUR 212 per month for the first two years and EUR 227 per month for the remaining period. This rent is an inflation-protected fixed price, says Gründinger, which is another advantage for customers.

This calculation is a reaction to criticism from competitors such as Solarhelden from Munich and 1komma5° from Hamburg. They accused Unicorn of overpriced goods - a PV system could also be bought for half the rental price. This dispute came to a head between Solarhelden and Enpal in particular. The companies are now communicating via lawyers.

Founded in 2017, the start-up Enpal reported a turnover of 400 million euros in 2022 and plans to continue growing. The company recently raised 855 million euros in a financing round. Enpal intends to use the capital to pre-finance its booming business. The aim is to install 2,000 PV systems per month soon.