AMPYR, hep Solar Forge €50m German Rooftop PV Growth Alliance

• AMPYR Distributed Energy and hep solar form €50 m venture to install 50 MW of fully funded rooftop PV and storage for German industrial and municipal customers.

Germany’s commercial rooftops are set for a solar surge. AMPYR Distributed Energy (ADE) and Baden-Württemberg-based hep solar group have created a joint venture that will finance, build, and run more than 50 MW of rooftop photovoltaics and battery storage over the next three years. The partners are aiming squarely at energy-hungry industrial sites, logistics hubs, municipal buildings, and hospitals—segments where high daytime loads and soaring power prices make on-site generation a compelling hedge.

Under the agreement, hep yolar GmbH—hep’s specialist rooftop arm—will scout sites, secure permits, and steer projects through Germany’s sometimes complex regulatory maze. ADE, which manages distributed-energy assets across Europe and Asia, will shoulder the capital outlay, expected to reach up to €50 million in the first phase. Once the systems are energised, ADE will own and operate them, selling the electricity to host customers under long-term power-purchase agreements indexed to predictable, inflation-linked tariffs.

The structure frees companies from up-front costs and the technical burden of maintenance, two hurdles that have historically slowed adoption of rooftop PV in the Mittelstand. “Many businesses want to decarbonise but can’t tie up cash or staff in solar assets,” ADE’s chief executive Andrew Gould noted at the launch. “Our model delivers immediate savings and certainty on energy bills without capital expenditure.”

Germany already leads Europe in installed solar capacity, yet much of that power is generated on utility-scale fields in the south. Policymakers are now pushing to unlock under-used industrial roofs to help the nation hit its target of 215 GW of solar by 2030. New rules that mandate solar on many large commercial buildings, coupled with rising carbon-border costs, are sharpening corporate interest.

For hep, the partnership broadens a portfolio that spans utility-scale projects in Japan and North America. For ADE, it expands a distributed-energy platform that includes behind-the-meter solar, storage, and electric-vehicle charging. The companies say the venture could scale beyond the initial 50 MW if market demand warrants—and early signals are encouraging. Negotiations are already under way with multiple automotive suppliers and food-processing plants in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, and North-Rhine Westphalia.

If the pipeline converts, Germany’s rooftops may soon host one of Europe’s most ambitious private solar fleets, delivering cleaner power, predictable pricing, and a tangible step toward corporate net-zero goals.