Bonn, Germany – 20 August 2026 – SolarEdge, a global leader in smart energy technology, and Solation, the pioneer of 'virtual storage', today unveiled Germany's first commercial building capable of donating excess solar electricity to charity. The site in Bonn, developed in collaboration with global investment manager in real assets, PATRIZIA, demonstrates a new model for delivering economic, environmental and social value from commercial buildings. SolarEdge has also been appointed as the PV technology provider for all future Solation projects, helping maximize energy yields for tenants and charities.

While donating electricity has been possible in theory, it has not previously been a practical option for an individual building. Unlike utility-scale solar projects, which routinely use sophisticated power purchase agreements, commercial rooftop systems have typically had just two economic options: consume electricity on-site or sell surplus power back to the grid. The regulatory complexity and specialist technical, contractual and commercial expertise required meant there was no established blueprint for permanently allocating part of a building's solar generation to a local charity.

Solation’s unique model addresses these barriers by building the donation into the property’s long-term energy structure. The recipient enters an electricity contract covering its full demand, with an agreed share of the building’s solar generation supplied at zero cents per kilowatt-hour for the energy itself. The remainder of the organization's electricity demand is supplied through its normal electricity contract, meaning it does not need to manage a separate technical project or rely on solar generation being available at a particular time.

The new concept builds on Solation’s successful virtual battery concept for multi-tenant commercial buildings, which was launched as a first-of-its-kind in Q4/25 with SolarEdge PV technology. Complying with Germany’s Mieterstrom regulation, Solation’s innovative model enables solar electricity to be treated as ‘virtually stored’ and later allocated to participating tenants in the building, helping maximize on-site consumption of solar without the need for a physical battery.

The commercial property in Bonn demonstrates the model in practice. Solation leases the rooftop from property owner PATRIZIA and owns and operates the solar installation. Around 90% of the electricity generated is consumed within the building, while 1% is permanently allocated to a local charitable organization.

Sebastian Hugl, CEO of Solation explains: “Buildings have traditionally had two choices for surplus solar power: use it themselves or sell it back to the grid. We wanted to create a third option. By embedding charitable donations into the economics of our virtual storage model, we've shown that buildings can generate financial, environmental and social value at the same time. This isn't a CSR initiative layered on top of the business – it's built into how the building operates.

“One building alone won't transform a community, but the opportunity lies in scaling the model,” he continues. “Germany has around 280,000 multi-tenant office buildings, and our ambition is to bring this concept to 1,000 of them by 2030. If buildings across the country dedicate even a small share of the clean energy they generate to local communities, the collective impact could be transformative. Our hope is that this becomes a blueprint for the wider market, proving that the buildings driving the energy transition can also help power the communities around them.”

Solation is now inviting eligible charitable and social organisations in the Bonn area to apply to become the project's first recipient. Organizations must be located within a 4.5-kilometre radius of the building, consume more than 100,000 kWh of electricity annually, have a smart meter and be willing to switch to a compatible electricity tariff. The donation will commence once the recipient has been selected and the technical and contractual arrangements have been completed.

SolarEdge has also been appointed as the technology provider for all future Solation projects. Its DC-optimized solar systems, powered by module-level Power Optimizers attached to each solar panel, maximize energy generation by reducing the impact of shading, panel mismatch, and other performance losses. By generating more solar electricity, the technology helps maximize energy cost savings for both building tenants and the local charitable organizations benefiting from Solation's donation model. Safety was another key factor in Solation's decision. Advanced built-in safety features, including module-level rapid shutdown and continuous system monitoring, provide an additional layer of protection for building owners, occupants, and maintenance teams.

Karl Viertel, GM Enterprise Services Group, concludes: “As Solation’s technology partner, our role is to help ensure every rooftop generates as much energy and value as possible, while providing the advanced safety capabilities that are critical for commercial buildings. The more efficiently the solar systems perform, the greater the benefit for tenants, building owners, and, through this new model, local communities. We’re proud that SolarEdge technology will underpin Solation’s future projects as it looks to scale this model across Germany.”