Spanish start-up helps homeowners install and produce their own solar energy
Serial entrepreneur Boris Hageney was working in the Berlin tech ecosystem when he saw founders increasingly getting involved in the climate movement and putting sustainability at the heart of their business models. At the same time, Hageney witnessed a new kind of renewable energy boom in the city, as Berlin residents started installing solar panels on their roofs – driven, he says, by a desire to lower their power bills and become less dependent on the monopolisation of the grid by energy companies.
Following these developments, Hageney founded Madrid-based tech company Robinsun, whose name is inspired by the power of solar energy – as well as the independent spirits of fictional characters Robinson Crusoe and Robin Hood. Robinsun’s main products are plug-in solar kits that contain solar panels and an inverter, which converts the power captured by panels directly into the AC power used in people’s homes. Crucially, Robinsun’s kits can be directly installed by homeowners without the need for an electrician.
“Solar is the cheapest energy resource we have – and you can see how it can transform an economy, for example, in places like China,” says Hageney. “We wanted to give people access to a technology which is cheap, helps them become increasingly independent from the grid, and lowers their energy bills.”
Robinsun’s solar kits are not limited to roof installation. They can also be installed in gardens, as well as on pergolas, balconies and walls, thanks to the wide array of mounting structures. As Hageney says, “It can be tricky for people to install solar panels, as there can be limited roof space – especially in Southern Europe where many people live in apartment buildings. With Robinsun’s kits, we give people the possibility to install solar panels anywhere in their flat or house.”
Robinsun’s solar panels installed on a wall in Alicante
To make full use of the solar kits, Robinsun advises purchasing its storage solutions that allow for a smart meter connection to measure consumption. “Most households don’t have a consumption pattern that matches how the sun shines. For example, devices may be used more intensely in the evening, after the sun goes down. By having a battery and connecting a smart meter, consumption will be analysed, and the intelligent system can inform households when they can buy energy from the grid, at the cheapest hour of the day,” says Hageney.
Beyond Spain, Robinsun now also serves customers in Portugal, Italy and France. Hageney says the key to success includes Robinsun’s responsive customer service support, often taking place over WhatsApp. Customer María Luisa Castaño installed a solar kit on her balcony and is happy with the results: “My Robinsun kit was easy to set up, with no paperwork or complications. It’s just a panel on my balcony, and even though it faces East, I can already see significant reductions to my energy bills. I love how something so simple can make such a big difference.”
The team at Robinsun
For now, Robinsun continues to focus on attracting customers in Southern Europe; but the start-up has big expansion plans. “We want to move the market; our mission is not only limited to Europe. This is why we like working directly with consumers as they can be proactive in increasing renewable energy production by buying our kits. Our current success is due to the fact that the technology we offer is straightforward, mainstream and just works. We see that governments are not focused enough on renewable energy and storage and we hope this will change,” says Hageney.
Robinsun completed the Clean Cities Spain ClimAccelerator in 2023, funded by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology. The start-up has since signed on Climate KIC as a strategic investor and joins our portfolio of nearly 60 climate start-ups. For more information on our accelerator programmes, visit our Climate Entrepreneurship page.