Schaltbau’s NExT Factory selected for Germany’s TOP TENs Energy Efficiency List
Factory’s DC microgrid, renewable integration and AI-backed energy management system achieve up to 35% energy cost savings
Schaltbau and its NExT Factory, the world’s first fully electrified direct current (DC) production facility, have been recognized in this year’s German Energy Efficiency TOP TENs list. The TOP TENs initiative, an activity of the International Energy Efficiency Hub (IEA), identifies and promotes the world’s best energy-efficient technologies and practices across key energy-consuming sectors. The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and the German Environment Agency ceremonially released the TOP TENs domestic list in Berlin today.
Schaltbau, a global leader in direct current technology (DC), opened its NExT Factory flagship site for sustainable and intelligent manufacturing in Velden, Germany. The factory has been in full operation since September 2023, serving as a production site for the company’s advanced electromechanical components and systems for DC power applications, which are distributed to energy, e-mobility and energy customers worldwide.
“We are very honored that our NExT Factory has been recognized on Germany’s TOP TENs Energy Efficiency List. Energy efficiency, digital innovation, and direct current technology are at the heart of competitive, sustainable and more resilient industrial production,” said Helmut Pusch, CEO of Schaltbau GmbH Group. “No company can travel the road toward the All Electric Society alone. It requires knowledge and technology transfer, as well as pioneering projects like NExT Factory. It is a scalable model that will hopefully inspire many more solutions for smart, efficient and green industry.”
Energy and resource efficiency are central to NExT Factory’s design. It integrates a 1.3 MWp roof-top photovoltaic system directly into a DC microgrid, combined with an intelligent AI-supported energy management system and battery (300 kWh) and thermal storage (10 MWh). This innovative approach eliminates conversion losses between alternate and direct current, reduces peak loads by up to 85%, and allows the facility to operate with 66 percent renewable energy of its own generation (net annual basis) –
all resulting in up to 35% annual energy cost savings.
Schaltbau’s NExT Factory has previously been recognized with multiple awards, including the German Innovation Award 2024, Dena Energy Efficiency Award 2024, the German Excellence Award 2025 as well as the FREDDIE AI Industrial Award 2025. These accolades reflect the company’s commitment to driving energy efficiency, sustainability, and innovation in DC power solutions and manufacturing.
Schaltbau is a global leader in DC power solutions, specializing in products and solutions that drive electrification across industries. With a broad portfolio of contactors, connectors, switches, and safety components, Schaltbau has been helping partners and customers solve challenges in rail for generations. Building on this legacy with its new brand Eddicy, they also develop cutting-edge solutions designed to meet the highest standards of safety and reliability for switching and protecting DC applications in energy and e-mobility. Headquartered in Munich, Germany, and supported by a global team of over 1,000 employees, Schaltbau continues to shape the future of electrification with nearly a century of expertise.