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naturstrom: energy of tomorrow

The worldwide energy supply has to be switched to renewable energies in the long run, because all fossil and nuclear energy sources are finite and their use goes along with disastrous damages to men and nature. The earlier this happens, the smaller the cost and damage for us and the generations to come. Therefore, since its foundation in 1998,  the goal of the naturstrom AG is to create a clean, safe, citizen-friendly and future-compliant energy supply, that is affordable in the long run – and that citizens can take part in locally. read more... 

The evolution of energy markets in Germany

In Germany, the electricity market remained state-owned until 1998. Only then it was deregulated by the “Gesetz zur Neuregelung des Energiewirtschaftsrechts“ (German Energy Act) and allocated to the free market economy. For the first time, consumers were free to choose their energy provider and not dependent on the monopoly of a few big energy companies any more.

Nevertheless, it was still difficult for small providers to compete with the big energy providers and gain access to the electrical grids. Only with the introduction of the regulatory authority “Bundesnetzagentur” (Federal Network Agency) in 2005 as well as the legal requirement for energy providers to separate grids and distribution – the so-called “unbundling” –, smaller energy providers got a chance to establish themselves and grow.

NATURSTROM is independent of coal and nuclear industries

naturstrom was one of the first independent green energy providers on the German electricity market. The founding members of the naturstrom AG came from environmental and renewable energy associations. Their goal was to establish an energy provider that was independent from coal and nuclear industries and could offer a sustainable energy product.

Successfully: As a pioneer in renewable energies, naturstrom was one of the first energy providers to offer its customers power exclusively from renewable energies. Later, climate- and eco-friendly ökogas products, local heating grids as well as local sustainable energy projects were to follow.

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NATURSTROM’s core competences

By now, more than 250.000 households, companies and associations opt for our certified energy products. Additional to supplying clean energy, the commercialisation of green power is one of the naturstrom AG’s core competences. We are pioneers in direct marketing and private consumption of clean energy and possess years of experience delivering clean energy from producer to consumer.

Who doesn’t only want to behave climate- and eco-friendly concerning energy and heating but also motorised private transport, is at the right place with naturstrom: We offer Germany’s first sustainable charging station network via which electric vehicles can be mobile throughout the country with naturstrom. Furthermore, we support households as well as companies in their transition to e-mobility. Because this transition is only truly sustainable when the vehicles are charged with clean energy.

Sustainability as core business

For the naturstrom AG, sustainability is the core of its business activity since its foundation in 1998. That’s how we differ fundamentally from most other energy providers. To us, sustainability is synonymous with a long-term behaviour, that’s oriented towards the needs of future generations. Behaviour, which is not only sustainable from an ecological, but also from an economic and social point of view. As a citizens’ energy company in the form of a public limited company, goals concerning content are high on naturstrom’s agenda – return-on-equity targets for example don’t exist.

We stand up for the energy transition in Germany as well as worldwide, because climate change doesn’t stop at frontiers. For instance we’ve supported a project for the construction of solar equipment for families in Bangladesh for years. In our day-to-day business, we are consistent in our sustainable behaviour as well. For example, our printing products are produced as climate- and eco-friendly as possible. Also, we offer our employees a whole range of further trainings, a sustainably invested company pension scheme and a broad spectrum of sports classes. For our high sustainability standards as well as for the quality of our energy products, we are getting honoured regularly. For years, they’ve been among the best concerning environmental protection, fairness, transparency and customer services in relevant tests and rankings. read more...

The NATURSTROM AG: the sustainable all-round provider

naturstrom is the sustainable partner for clean energy in the areas electricity, heating and mobility. Since the company’s foundation, we have continuously expanded our product range, and established revolutionary innovations in the German energy market in the past few years. The naturstrom AG is active in the divisions energy delivery, energy production, energy infrastructure and decentralized energy supply.

naturstrom: clean, safe, award-winning

Our private customer energy tariff comes 100% from German green power plants, namely hydroelectric and wind power plants. This is monitored on a yearly basis by TÜV Nord. naturstrom furthermore stands out due to a particularly substantial contribution for the building of new green power plants. For that, our energy product has been certified with the “Grüner-Strom-Label” since 1999, the highest quality green energy label there is. It is maintained by well-known environmental and consumer associations.  

Award-winning green power  

For years, naturstrom has ranked among the best in all the relevant tests and rankings. Our green power has been awarded the mark SEHR GUT (very good) by ÖKO-TEST magazine for its quality various times. In their last green power test in February 2012, Stiftung Warentest certified us a “very strong environmental commitment”.  

Recommended by environmental associations

Because of our high sustainability standards, leading German environmental associations like BUND and NABU recommend naturstrom.  

Contribution to the energy transition

For each kWh of naturstrom, the extension of renewable energies is supported by a fix sum. This way, every customer contributes to the energy supply in Germany becoming cleaner, safer and more future-compliant. Altogether, we already have been able to build 300 new green power plants with these contributions.

naturstrom ökogas: climate-friendly cooking and heating

naturstrom ökogas is produced sustainably as well: It comes solely from organic remnants and waste and thus is produced in an ecologically sustainable, carbon-neutral and regional way, neither using foods nor genetic engineering.

Certified quality

In the gas area we are pioneers as well: As the first energy provider we’ve been offering a gas tariff with 100% ökogas since 2009. Our three ökogas products with 10, 20 and 100 percent ökogas were the first ones nationwide to be certified with the Grünes-Gas-Label (Green Gas Label), the high quality ökogas label. Origin and quantity are monitored on a yearly basis by TÜV Nord. For each kWh of naturstrom ökogas, the building of green power plants is supported by a fix sum.  

Energy supply division

e-Mobility: only clean with clean energy

Electromobility is only sustainable when the vehicles are charged with clean energy. Therefore, naturstrom offers a charging station network with more than 200 publicly accessible green power charging stations throughout Germany. Together with mobility service providers we aditionally push the extension and distribution of climate- and eco-friendly mobility concepts further. read more...

Energy generation division

naturstrom plans, builds and operates green power plants that supply households, companies and public institutions with sustainable energy. On the one hand thus we further advance the energy transition, on the other hand this way we become more independent from external energy and gas suppliers. We’ve already successfully realized many energy projects; for the years to come, we have further wind farms, solar power plants and local heating grids in the pipeline.

As experienced and independent partner, we additionally support citizens’ energy companies, municipalities, municipal services and companies in building and operating power plants to facilitate the decentralized energy transition.

Energy infrastructure division

naturstrom is an all-round service provider in energy infrastructure: We are metering point operators for industry, businesses and green power plants and upgrade equipment, energy users and power plants with our own innovative control and measurement technology. That way, electricity supply and demand can be harmonized and fluctuating renewable energies integrated into the electrical grid in the best possible way.

The NATURSTOM technology plays a major role with tenants’ energy projects as well as the energy supply for objects and whole districts. It enables the controlling of power production as well as the individual billing of the amount of produced electricity. naturstrom furthermore plans and builds public charging stations for companies, institutions and municipalities and by request takes on their commercial and technical operation.

Decentralized energy supply division

The realization of local sustainable energy projects is the core of the decentralized energy supply division. For this, we coordinate closely with municipalities as well as committed local citizens to actively support the citizens’ decentralized energy transition. Everybody profits from the regional added value, because naturstrom wilfully awards many contracts for the building of power plants to local companies.

We realize our energy projects for the generation of electricity, heating and cooling from renewable energies in rural as well as urban areas. We supply one-stop energy solutions that are individually adjusted to the local conditions. We also develop custom-fit, individual plans for supplying bigger objects and whole districts.

With naturstrom, property owners and businesses all over Germany can realize innovative all-round solutions for a sustainable, local power supply. This way, tenants as well as business persons are able to obtain economical green power directly from their own roofs. We also want to give citizens a financial share in their new local green power plants. Therefore, we offer them the possibility to invest their money in an ecological way with naturstrom.