A Visionary Journey
Interview with Johannes Sréter, Partner at Safety Tax Free GmbH
Balcony power plants are booming. Recently, the mark of half a million was cracked in Germany for the first time, representing a doubling of the reported systems since mid-2023. More and more people want to be part of the energy transition and save costs at the same time. Thanks to simplified registration and decreasing bureaucratic hurdles, the demand for balcony power plants is expected to continue to rise. A development welcomed and anticipated by Safety Tax Free GmbH from Garching near Munich. The company stands for visionary ideas that are quickly implemented. This is true not only for balcony power plants but also for other components for a private energy transition.
Balcony power plants of the brand SunLit have become a trademark of Safety Tax Free. A development that was not necessarily foreseeable at the start of the company. "Safety Tax Free started as a specialist for tax refunds," explains Johannes Sréter. "Founder and CEO Chengyuan Zhai, a Chinese businessman who studied at TU Munich, initially focused on the tax refund business for Chinese tourists. When these tourists stopped coming during the Corona period, Mr. Zhai had to look for a new field of activity overnight." Thanks to good contacts in China, the company got involved in the medical products sector, mainly importing masks, rapid tests, and gloves. "It was always clear that this business area was only a temporary solution," emphasizes Johannes Sréter. "Mr. Zhai quickly dealt with long-term business fields and saw in the solar industry, and especially in balcony power plants, a market of the future."
Rethink, rethink, think ahead
Already in the fall of 2021, during the pandemic, contacts were made with Chinese manufacturers; direct cooperation has always been important to Safety Tax Free. This also applies to the management of the entire business process, from procurement to logistics, export, and import; thus, the company not only maintains control but also guarantees to deliver the best possible products and results. "We were early in this niche market, benefiting from the high demand and media attention," says Johannes Sréter. "In 2023, we brought about 70,000 units to the market." Safety Tax Free opted for a B2B approach and distributes the SunLit balcony power plants through a dealer network in the DACH region. The company has also made its mark with the development of a smart battery storage system for balcony power plants.
Plug-and-play balcony power plants, which even laypeople can operate without any problems, are hitting the mark. Another milestone is the launch of the first DIY Solar Carport – 'a logical further development of our portfolio and exemplary for our corporate philosophy,' as Johannes Sréter sums up. 'We were always forced to reorient ourselves due to the situation. Tax Refund, medical devices, balcony power plants, and solar carports have little in common at first glance, but they represent the same elements of our philosophy, primarily focusing on the needs of end customers coupled with an as simple as possible access to facilitations in everyday life. Mr. Zhai is a visionary, accustomed to rapid developments from China. He recognizes trends, utilizes resources, and is willing to take risks to meet new social challenges. He was an early adopter of balcony power plants, but then continued to think consistently. That is what makes our success.'
The Journey Continues
Behind this philosophy is a team of 15 employees in Germany. In China, there are an additional 30 employees; many of them are engineers who have studied in Germany and focus on product development and technical innovations. "We are currently growing very strongly," says Johannes Sréter. "Especially in the Customer Support area, which forms an important pillar. With good German telephone support, we want to differentiate ourselves from the market." Even though the market has become more competitive, they are convinced that with new sustainable products, they can tap into additional customer segments. "Tenants will be able to claim rights to balcony power plants," explains Johannes Sréter.
"This will further boost demand. We hope that more people can participate in a private energy transition, including households with lower incomes; that's why we voluntarily advise municipalities on the promotion of balcony power plants through our initiative 'Kommunal Solar'. Just as in the past, we are continuously dealing with the question of how to meet the challenges of climate change, what products we can place where as a result, and what technical further development of the products is still necessary and possible."