Saint-Gobain acquires minority stake in Megasol

Megasol Energie AG is a Swiss solar module manufacturer with headquarters and production facilities in Deitingen (Solothurn). The company has been producing highly efficient photovoltaic modules for almost 30 years, making it a technology leader in coloured and customised solar facades, tiles, and solar roof systems – produced exclusively with renewable energies. The company is represented in 18 countries and currently employs 140 people in Switzerland.

A recent strategic partnership saw Megasol sell some shares to Saint-Gobain, a global company that designs, manufactures and distributes materials and services for the construction and industrial markets. Saint-Gobain’s integrated solutions for the renovation of public and private buildings, light construction and the decarbonisation of construction and industry are developed through a continuous innovation process and provide sustainability and performance. With 166,000 employees and locations in 76 countries, the company generated €44.2 billion in sales last year.

The company is dedicated to achieving Carbon Neutrality by 2050. The strategic partnership with Megasol enables Saint-Gobain to extend its sustainable solutions offer for façades and become the leading provider of BIPV façade solutions in Europe, one of the fastest growing segments of façade construction. At the same time, it gives Megasol access to Saint-Gobain’s customer base.

BIPV solutions significantly contribute to sustainable construction and decarbonisation by efficiently producing energy on roofs and vertical façades of buildings. Building owners can not only comply with today’s and future energy regulations and increase their own energy efficiency, but they can also generate additional revenue by feeding the electricity into the grid.

This partnership will further reinforce Saint-Gobain’s offering of sustainable façade solutions, which varies from country to country. These façade systems provide high performance and a reduced carbon impact thanks to less embodied carbon and lower energy requirements for a building in use. This investment aligns with the Group’s “Grow & Impact” plan to strengthen its leadership position in light and sustainable construction.

“Thanks to the aesthetic design of Megasol’s products, its fully customised and industrialised production, we are extending the scope of our applications allowing significant growth for Saint-Gobain’s total facade solutions”, says Patrick Maier, CEO Saint-Gobain Switzerland.

“With its sustainability strategy, immense expertise in glass and building envelopes, and global presence, Saint-Gobain is the perfect partner to scale our business with our active solar building materials rapidly”, says Markus Gisler, CEO of Megasol.

(Press release/RAN)