Founded in 2023, Munich-based Solation is revolutionizing the way solar energy is delivered and utilized in Germany. Solation has developed a patented process that empowers landlords to sell solar power directly to their residential and commercial tenants. This innovative approach was made possible by recent legislative changes introduced in 2024, which streamlined the process for landlords to participate in energy resale, without acting as traditional energy suppliers.
With 53% of Germans living in rental properties, most tenants lack access to affordable, self-produced solar energy. Solation’s comprehensive service changes this dynamic, handling everything from planning and installation to energy distribution, billing, and maintenance. Their model not only allows landlords to generate revenue from their roofs but also enhances property value and offers tenants access to green energy at lower rates.
This case study highlights:
Challenges Solation Was Facing Before Scoop
As Solation grew operations by expanding into the multi-tenant property market, it became clear that their existing tools and processes were not designed to scale with the complexity of their business. While these tools had been sufficient in the company’s early days, they quickly realized that their methods were not sustainable.
The lack of project visibility, workflow automation, and centralized data management created significant inefficiencies that hampered their ability to deliver high-quality service at speed. Solation recognized that they needed to address these shortcomings to achieve the ambitious goals they were striving for.
1. Lack of Project Oversight
One of the most pressing issues was the absence of a reliable project management board. Solation’s tools lacked the functionality to provide a clear, real-time overview of the status of every ongoing project. Without this, managers struggled to understand where each project stood and identify areas requiring attention.
Even more challenging was the inability to drill down into specific projects to quickly pinpoint bottlenecks or delays. This lack of visibility forced teams into a reactive mode, addressing issues only after they had escalated, rather than resolving them proactively. The result was frequent delays and an inability to ensure installations ran smoothly across their growing portfolio.
2. No Workflow Automation
As the number of projects increased, so did the burden of repetitive, manual tasks, particularly around handoffs between project phases and customer communication. Without automation, teams had to manually manage transitions leading to dropped balls during handoffs, with crucial details slipping through the cracks.
Additionally, updating customers on project milestones or creating reports required hours of emailing, calling, and compiling data. This not only consumed valuable time but also increased the risk of errors, leaving teams with less bandwidth to focus on higher-value tasks and adding strain as they struggled to keep up with the growing workload.
3. No Single Source of Truth
One of Solation’s biggest challenges was scattered project data, photos, and documentation. Without a centralized repository, teams struggled to locate critical information, such as site photos essential for validating installations and ensuring compliance. This forced Solation’s team to spend hours sifting through emails, cloud storage, and spreadsheets. This inefficiency not only delayed decision-making but also disrupted workflows and added unnecessary frustration to the team’s efforts to stay on track.
The absence of standardized digital forms with mandatory fields during the sales process further exacerbated the issue. Without a structured approach to collecting customer information, sales teams often overlooked critical details. This gap forced the operations team to follow up with customers for missing information, causing significant delays in project timelines and creating an unprofessional impression.
Why Solation Chose Scoop
As Solation faced mounting operational challenges, they evaluated a wide range of platforms, including both generalized tools and solar-specific solutions. It quickly became clear that solar-specific platforms offered distinct advantages. These tools were not only better adapted to the unique needs of the solar industry but also came with teams that had deep-rooted knowledge of solar operations. This realization helped Solation narrow their shortlist to three contenders: Hero, MFR, and Scoop. While each platform had its strengths, Scoop ultimately stood out as the clear winner.
Scoop’s scalability and customizability distinguished it from the competition. Solation needed a platform that could evolve with their business, and Scoop’s easy-to-use drag-and-drop functionality allowed their team to make changes independently. Scoop empowered Solation to modify workflows and processes on the fly, saving time and ensuring they could stay agile during their rapid growth.
Finally, Solation was particularly drawn to Scoop’s concept of a Central Operations Hub™ (COH). This allowed them to coordinate and connect their entire operation from a single platform while continuing to use their existing tools. Scoop’s seamless integrations meant they didn’t have to overhaul their software stack, and as their operations evolved, they could easily plug in additional tools (or remove underperforming ones). This flexibility gave Solation the confidence that their investment in Scoop would not only have an immediate impact but also support their growth for years to come.
“Scoop offered us exactly what we needed: a solar-specific platform with the flexibility to scale, the tools to manage our entire operations from one place, and the autonomy to easily adapt it to our needs. It was clear that no other platform could match Scoop in terms of industry knowledge and functionality.”
Tim Howaldt, Co-Founder & COO of Solation
Solation’s Experience Getting Started With Scoop
When Solation chose to adopt Scoop, their journey began with a highly personalized and transparent experience. Even during the sales process, Scoop impressed Solation with open and honest conversations, setting the tone for a smooth and supportive onboarding. From tailored training to hands-on guidance, the intuitive platform design and dedicated customer success team made it seamless for Solation to transition and quickly integrate Scoop into their operations.
The onboarding process included customized online training sessions tailored to Solation’s operations and workflows. Scoop’s drag-and-drop interface allowed Solation to customize the platform to fit their specific project management needs without requiring technical expertise. This hands-on guidance enabled the team to begin implementing the platform confidently and autonomously from day one.
Another key aspect of the onboarding experience was the focus on long-term success. The Scoop team ensured that Solation not only understood the platform’s current features but also stayed informed about upcoming updates and how they could use additional functionalities as they expanded their usage of the platform. This forward-thinking approach aligned perfectly with Solation’s proactive and ambitious mindset.
“The support didn’t stop after onboarding. The Scoop team has been consistently helpful, whether through quick emails or detailed online sessions. Knowing we have a partner that’s committed to our success makes all the difference.”
Tim Howaldt, Co-Founder & COO
How Scoop Helped Solation Overcome Their Challenges
Scoop’s Central Operations Hub transformed how Solation operates by connecting all aspects of their business into a single platform. By integrating their existing tools and workflows, Scoop ensured that data flowed seamlessly between teams and provided a centralized hub for managing projects, automating tasks, and handling documentation.
This holistic solution gave Solation’s teams a single source of truth, allowing them to focus on execution without getting bogged down by fragmented tools or missing data. With Scoop, Solation not only improved operational efficiency but also positioned themselves to scale and adapt to their rapidly evolving needs.
Below, we break down how the Central Operations Hub helped Solation overcome the three main challenges discussed earlier:
1. Comprehensive Project Management Board
Scoop resolved Solation’s visibility challenges with its intuitive Project Management Board, which provided a real-time snapshot of all project activities. This gave managers the ability to quickly and accurately monitor progress, address potential delays early, and ensure everything stayed on schedule.
The platform’s Supercard feature further enhanced team accountability and daily execution. These visual tools allowed the team to clearly outline tasks, assign responsibilities, and review potential blockers during daily stand-ups. The result was a smoother workflow and greater clarity on how execution was divided among team members.
“The planning quality Scoop introduced has been transformational. With better visibility and tools like Supercards, we can stay on top of growing complexity, tackle blockers before they slow us down, and confidently scale without sacrificing quality.”
Tim Howaldt, Co-Founder & COO
2. Automated Workflows and Communications
Scoop’s automation features were a game-changer for Solation. The platform automated handoffs between teams, ensuring that projects were seamlessly passed to the right person at the right time. Notifications alerted team members when tasks were assigned to them, eliminating the risk of dropped balls and ensuring efficient and timely execution.
In addition, Scoop enabled Solation to set up auto-emails at specific project milestones. These emails included auto-generated PDF reports, keeping customers well-informed and up-to-date without the need for manual intervention. This automation saved countless hours of ad-hoc emailing, calling, and retrieving information. It also elevated their customer experience by ensuring timely, professional communication, which significantly boosted customer satisfaction.
3. Easy Management of Info, Documents & Pictures
Scoop resolved Solation’s data management issues by creating a single, unified platform for all project information. From customer details to site photos and essential documents, everything was centralized and organized in one place. This ensured teams could access critical information instantly, eliminating the delays and inefficiencies caused by sifting through emails, cloud storage, and spreadsheets—retrieving what they needed became seamless and stress-free.
Scoop’s digital checklists with mandatory fields, also revolutionizing Solation’s sales-to-operations handoff. These forms standardized data collection, ensuring the sales team captured every required detail without fail. This eliminated the frustration of incomplete information reaching the operations team and removed the need for repeated follow-ups with customers.
“Incomplete sales data was a constant challenge for us. It created inefficiencies and forced our operations team to spend time chasing down customers for missing details. Scoop’s mandatory fields in digital checklists now ensure all the required information is collected upfront, which has transformed the way our teams work together and how customers perceive us.”
Tim Howaldt, Co-Founder & COO
The Results: Transforming Operations with Scoop
Since implementing Scoop, Solation has achieved remarkable improvements across operations, enabling them to scale their business while maintaining high standards of quality and efficiency.
1.5x Increase in Project Volume
With streamlined workflows and better resource allocation, Solation has increased their project volume by 1.5 times in just six months. The enhanced planning tools and centralized data management provided by Scoop have allowed the team to confidently take on more projects without adding strain to their operations.
80% Reduction in Planning and Operational Errors
Scoop’s smart checklists, project dashboards, and real-time syncing capabilities have significantly improved accuracy across Solation’s operations. By ensuring all critical information is captured upfront and reducing manual errors, the team has achieved an 80% reduction in planning and operational errors. This improvement has not only minimized delays but also strengthened customer trust through the consistent delivery of high-quality results.
A Platform for Sustainable Growth
Scoop’s capabilities have not only addressed Solation’s immediate challenges but also set them up for long-term success. With scalable tools and improved operational efficiency, Solation is well-positioned to pursue their ambitious goals confidently. This foundation enables them to think ahead and prepare for the future of multi-tenant solar energy solutions.
Moreover, Solation has only scratched the surface of Scoop’s capabilities. As the company prepares to deploy the Scoop mobile app for their field team next year, they anticipate exponential benefits. The mobile app will streamline on-site data collection, improve real-time communication between field and office teams, and further enhance overall project efficiency. This next phase of implementation promises to unlock even greater potential for Solation as they continue to scale.
Solation’s Future: Achieving Ambitious Goals as a Market Leader
Solation’s sights are firmly set on the future, with an ambitious goal of providing solar energy to over 1 million tenants by 2030. The team is also focused on becoming the go-to provider for landlords looking to incorporate PV systems into multi-tenant properties across not only Germany, but Austria and Switzerland as well. By continuing to refine their processes and expand their market presence, Solation aims to drive innovation in the renewable energy sector while delivering value to tenants, landlords, and communities alike.
Scoop will remain an integral part of this journey, providing the operational backbone that allows Solation to scale without sacrificing quality or efficiency. “The operational improvements we’ve achieved with Scoop are just the beginning. With their support, we’re confident in our ability to reach even greater heights.” Tim explained.
Conclusion
Solation’s journey with Scoop showcases how the right tools can empower a company to overcome operational challenges, scale effectively, and deliver exceptional results. By achieving a 1.5x increase in project volume and an 80% reduction in planning errors, Solation has strengthened its position as a leader in multi-tenant solar energy solutions.
With their ambitious goals and a company culture based on continuous improvement, Solation is poised to reshape the future of sustainable energy in Germany—and Scoop will be there every step of the way.
Are you also an ambitious organization looking to scale your operations and reach the same levels of success as Solation? Reach out to one of our experts today!
