E.ON has bought a stake in b.ventus, a startup whose single-source solution enables business customers to begin producing their own wind power quickly and easily. The centerpiece is a wind-turbine specifically designed for this role. With a hub height of at least 30 meters, the turbine can be installed quickly and does not require a lengthy permitting process.
It can also be integrated with a customer’s existing embedded generation facilities, such as a cogeneration unit or solar array. E.ON made the investment as part of :agile, its accelerator and incubator to support energy-related startups.
b.ventus handles everything for its customers, from installation to operations. Permitting, which is not subject to Germany’s regional planning process or the Federal Immission Control Act, only takes a few months. b.ventus will maintain and, if necessary, repair the turbine. The company guarantees 95% availability. Ideally, a customer’s investment in the turbine will pay for itself in just six years.
“We chose b.ventus as a partner because the company has developed a promising, innovative business idea that we want to ramp up,” says Alexander Montebaur, CEO of E.DIS, explaining E.ON´s investment. “This also gives us the opportunity to work closely with other E.ON companies, a renowned medium-sized enterprise, and one of our regional partners.”
Avacon and E.DIS, two of E.ON’s regional energy supply companies in Germany, acquired stakes in b.ventus. E.ON Kundenservice Netz, Fallersleber Elektrizitäts-Aktiengesellschaft (FEAG), and the Leitner Group, who has been working with Leitwind in the production of wind turbines for 10 years, also have shares in the company.
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