Vaillant Group takes over combined heat and power systems manufacturer Cogenon

Remscheid, 3 May 2012

• Strategic addition in the heat-power cogeneration sector

• Expanded product range for economical production of heat and power in larger properties

The Remscheid-based heating, ventilation and air-conditioning specialist Vaillant Group took over on 2 May the Hamburg company Cogenon GmbH, which specialises in combined heat and power (CHP) systems for larger properties. The Vaillant Group is thus further expanding its business in energy-efficient and environment-friendly CHP appliances. "Our objective is to be able to meet the growing demand for decentral solutions for the cogeneration of heat and electricity with own products," said Dr Carsten Voigtländer, Vaillant Group CEO. "As the only supplier to do so, we cover the entire output spectrum of decentral combined heat and power, from a single-family house to blocks of flats and commercial properties. With the acquisition we supplement our product range with our own production of higher output systems." Vaillant offers the mini-CHP sys-tem produced to date by Cogenon under the product name ecoPOWER 20.0 in Germany as part of a sales cooperation since March this year.

Cogeneration of heat and power is one of the most efficient technologies for supplying buildings with energy. In addition, this resources-sparing type of decentral energy supply can make an important contribution to the energy change in Germany. About one-third of primary energy today is consumed for heating and hot water in buildings.

The production by Cogenon at its Hamburg-Harburg site will remain there and the work-force will be taken over. Furthermore, the Vaillant Group will over the next few years make a considerable investment in expanding the technology acquired with Cogenon.

The systems produced by Cogenon as CHP plants have been offered for about 10 years for use in blocks of flats, public buildings and business premises. The plants have a modu-lating electrical output of 20 kW and a thermal output of 42 kW.

Strategic focus on combined heat and power

The Vaillant Group is one of the leading companies on the German CHP market and in recent years has pushed ahead its engagement in this business of the future. Its focus is on mini- and micro-CHP systems in the lower output range which enable the simultaneous generation of heat and electricity in buildings. The Remscheid-based company last year launched in Germany with the ecoPOWER 1.0 for the first time a system conceived espe-cially for economical operation in single- and two-family houses. The micro-CHP system ecoPOWER 1.0 was awarded in 2011 as Germany's most sustainable product. Besides the development of this completely new market segment, the capacity for production of the higher output mini-CHP models ecoPOWER 3.0 and 4.7 was increased in the summer of 2011. The output classes produced by Cogenon round out the Vaillant Group product portfolio upwards. This means that under the Vaillant brand the Vaillant Group now offers its customers from one source CHP systems with an electrical output of 1 KW to 20 KW.

About Vaillant

The Vaillant Group is an internationally active company based in Remscheid, Germany, which operates in the fields of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning technology. As one of the global market and technology leaders, the Vaillant Group develops and manufactures customised products, systems and services to provide a comfortable living environment. Its product portfolio ranges from efficient heating devices based on conventional energy sources to system solutions for using renewable energy. In the financial year 2020, the company, which has been family-owned since its foundation in 1874, generated sales of more than €2.7 billion with its workforce of about 15,000.