Complaints are increasing
Enpal is having growing pains
By Hannah Schwär, Caspar-Tobias Schlenk and Thomas Steinmann
September 24, 2023, 8:26 a.m
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Enpal is considered a model startup for the energy transition. However, internal documents and conversations with customers and industry insiders give the impression of an aggressively growing company that appears primarily focused on expansion.
At the solar system provider Enpal, complaints from customers and municipal utilities and former employees about harsh methods are increasing as a result of the company’s aggressive growth course. This is shown extensively Research by the business magazine “Capital”.
According to documents, customers of the rapidly growing startup complain about unreliable fitters, botched construction work or weeks of radio silence in customer service. According to information from “Capital”, the problem cases now number in the hundreds.
There are also problems with the network operators. “Capital” was able to view letters from almost 20 energy companies from all parts of the republic whose networks have Enpal customers – including many municipal utilities. In it, the network operators complain that Enpal does not provide them with the correct meter readings from customers – and therefore there is a lack of reliable information for calculating the electricity bill. In doing so, the startup is violating its legal obligation as a so-called measuring point operator.
The municipal utilities often follow up for weeks – without any reaction, so that the tone sometimes becomes harsh. “We haven’t heard back from you for months,” it says in an email. Another points to several failed “clearing attempts”. There are warnings, “final” requests, threats to terminate the contract.
Aggressive growth
Several network operators also informed the responsible Federal Network Agency about the problems with Enpal. When asked, the supervisory authority did not want to comment on individual companies, but assured that all complaints would be investigated.
Enpal is one of the fastest growing startups in the country. The Berlin company has set itself ambitious goals for 2023: According to the latest annual report, which is available to “Capital”, the company wants to install more than 34,000 new photovoltaic systems by the end of the year. Sales should therefore almost triple, from around 415 million to up to 1.2 billion euros. But the pressure seems to be increasing: marketing costs per customer are increasing, as confidential documents show.
When asked, Enpal did not want to comment on business figures. Specific questions about the network operators’ complaints also remained unanswered. Regarding customer problems, the startup said in general terms: “As a greentech pioneer, Enpal is committed to the highest quality standards, which are regularly certified and confirmed by external experts.” In its statement, the startup does not deny that customers experienced problems in some cases – but attributes this to the complexity of installing PV systems on countless different roofs. We continually invest in quality management and improving customer and assembly services. According to our own surveys, customer satisfaction even increased last year.