About us

Together, we push boundaries

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What we do

We shape alternative energy solutions

Altenso is a leading international system integrator in the field of complex power projects. We offer comprehensive solutions designed for the integration of battery storage systems (BESS), hydrogen (power-to-gas) applications, as well as island and hybrid solutions for off-grid, weak grids, and grid-connected energy supplies. Altenso employs 100+ employees from over 20 nationalities. The headquaters are situated on the SMA Solar Technology AG (SMA) campus in Niestetal, near Kassel (Germany).

 

As a wholly owned subsidiary of SMA we aim to drive the energy transition by delivering innovative projects around the world. We work collaboratively and flexibly, putting our people at the heart of everything we do. This is a well-established aspect of our Altenso identity, as represented below.

Our identity
Altenso Mission
Altenso Vision
Our values

  • Innovation

  • Entrepreneurship

  • Performance

  • Ethical Behavior

  • Resilience

  • Team Spirit

  • Innovation

    • We boost engineering excellence
    • We inspire our customers with innovative technologies, superior quality and unusual approaches
    • We relentlessly try to find new ways of thinking, learning, and doing
    • We live digitalization and its persistent transformation towards technology driven and flexible work

  • Entrepreneurship

    • We boost engineering excellence
    • We inspire our customers with innovative technologies, superior quality and unusual approaches
    • We relentlessly try to find new ways of thinking, learning, and doing
    • We live digitalization and its persistent transformation towards technology driven and flexible work

  • Performance

    • We empower our customers to implement outstanding projects
    • We strive for executional excellence
    • We achieve attractive returns to allow sustainable growth and long-term value creation

  • Ethical Behavior

    • We foster a culture of integrity and safety
    • We build trust through responsible decisions and actions as well as honest relationships
    • We value everyone and treat people with dignity and professionalism
    • We aim for sustainability in everything we do

  • Resilience

    • We cultivate organizational and personal resilience and react quickly when unexpected challenges occur
    • We emerge stronger from change and unexpected challenges and turn them into opportunities

  • Team Spirit

    • We are strongest when we work together
    • We create a safe and encouraging work environment that all our stakeholders can notice
    • We embrace diversity for its ability to boost our collective potential
    • We all share an enthusiastic and passionate mindset – having fun at work
Leadership

We introduce our management team

  • Experience:

    • Responsible for Finance, Operations, and Strategy within Altenso
    • 20+ years of experience in the renewable energy sector in various executive positions
    • Co-founder of a leading independent O&M and Engineering service provider
    • 10 years of experience in Corporate Finance & Controlling and Corporate Banking
    • Degree in Business Administration from the universities in Jena (Germany) und Aberdeen (Scotland)
    Burkhard Soehngen
    Managing Director

  • Experience:

    • Responsible for Engineering, Solutions Management, and Project Development within Altenso
    • 20+ years of experience in the renewable energy sector, thereof with SMA since 2013
    • Experience in multi-megawatt-sized PV, hybrid and battery storage systems (BESS)
    • Master’s degree in Physics from the universities in Zaragoza (Spain) and Paderborn (Germany)
    • European Master’s degree in Renewable Energy from Northumbria University (England) and PhD in Engineering from Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (Germany)
    Dr.-Ing Enrique Garralaga
    Managing Director

  • Experience:

    • Responsible for Engineering within Altenso
    • 5+ years of experience in R&D and Product Management for hardware and software for renewable energy sector including PV, battery, and fuel cells
    • 5+ years of experience in leadership of Engineering teams
    • 5+ years of experience as Project Engineer for BESS and off -grid energy systems
    • Diploma in Electrical Engineering with a focus on energy systems from the University of Kassel (Germany)
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    Johannes Weide
    Head of Engineering & Technology

  • Experience:

    • Responsible for Sales & Business Development within Altenso
    • 20+ years of experience in the solar industry, thereof with SMA since 2011
    • Experience in go-to-market and sales strategy across all major applications (PV on-grid and off-grid, PV-Hybrid, grid-connected BESS, and P2G)
    • 10+ years of experience in management role
    • Master’s degree of Physics from University of Hanover (Germany) and PhD in Physics from University of Göttingen (Germany)
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    Dr. Jens Eiko Birkholz
    Head of Sales & Business Development

  • Experience:

    • Responsible for Operations (including Project Management) and After Sales Services within Altenso
    • 15+ years of experience in the renewable energy sector in various roles (Project Management, Sales, Project Engineering) and technologies
    • 5+ years of experience in leadership of international teams
    • Diploma in Industrial Engineering (Electrical Engineering) from the University Paderborn (Germany) and QUT Brisbane (Australia)
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    Wiebke Krüger
    Head of Operations
Company

Ten years of renewable energy integration

We are celebrating our 10th anniversary

We have been contributing to the energy transition over the past decade by fostering the flexible usage of renewable energies. Let’s celebrate together! We invite you to explore our executed projects, current project pipeline and unique team spirit in the latest SMA Sunny Blog:

Tenth Anniversary Blog Article
  • 2025

    100+ employees

  • 2025

    > 1 GW

  • 2025

    PV + BESS + hydrogen project in Namibia

  • 2024

    Greenfield project development in Germany

  • 2023

    Execution of BESS pipeline in Switzerland

  • 2022

    Company rebranding to SMA Altenso

  • 2022

    Power conversion for a "royal'' fertilizer plant

  • 2020

    Battery storage project co-located with a thermal power plant

  • 2020

    First commissioning of a hydrogen project in New Zealand

  • 2017

    MW large-scale battery storage in UK

  • 2016

    Island electrification in the Caribbean Netherlands

  • 2016

    Hybrid energy supply for a Kenyan salt factory

  • 2016

    Off-grid plant in Serengeti

  • 2014

    Founding of SMA Sunbelt Energy GmbH

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