STIEBEL ELTRON
STIEBEL ELTRON is a German manufacturer of heating, hot-water, ventilation, air-conditioning and renewable-energy systems.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
STIEBEL ELTRON is a German building-services and energy-technology company headquartered in Holzminden. Its business is centered on systems for producing, storing and distributing heat and hot water, with a particular emphasis on heat pumps and other lower-carbon technologies. The company also makes domestic ventilation systems, air-conditioning equipment, instantaneous water heaters, hot-water cylinders, electric heating products, solar thermal equipment and related control technologies. The business began in Berlin on 5 May 1924, when Dr. Theodor Stiebel established ELTRON Dr. Theodor Stiebel with capital provided by his uncles. Its first important product was a patented coil immersion heater, which heated rapidly and could be produced at scale. During the 1920s and 1930s the company expanded from immersion heaters into instantaneous water heaters, hot-water cylinders and larger commercial boilers. It established an overseas subsidiary in London in 1927 and a branch in Zurich in 1929, and exported products to markets including Australia, India, China and South America. The Second World War profoundly disrupted the company. Production was redirected toward military-related goods, while portions of manufacturing were moved from Berlin to sites in Alsace and Lusatia. Bombing destroyed the Tempelhof plant in 1943, prompting the relocation of the company to Holzminden. Production in Holzminden continued during the war using original and locally recruited employees as well as forced laborers and prisoners of war; this wartime history is an important part of the company’s historical record. After 1945, the company initially made household goods while military production remained prohibited. Hot-water appliance production resumed in 1946, and the postwar portfolio later broadened to include aircraft galley kitchens, coffee machines, electric cooking equipment, ovens, ironing machines and electric heaters. The founder died in 1960, after which ownership passed equally to his sons Frank and Ulrich Stiebel. The oil crisis and recession of the 1970s encouraged a stronger focus on heating technology and alternative energy. STIEBEL ELTRON began producing heat-pump heating systems in 1976, solar collectors in 1977 and domestic hot-water heat pumps in 1979. It subsequently developed electronic instantaneous water heaters, ventilation systems with heat recovery, gas-heating controls and integrated building-service systems. The LWZ 303, introduced in the late 1990s, combined ventilation with heat recovery, heating and domestic hot-water production in a single system using an air-source heat pump. The group expanded through acquisitions and partnerships. Hydrotherm Gerätebau, a gas- and condensing-boiler manufacturer, was acquired in 1986; its gas-heating subsidiary was later sold to Immergas. In 2002, the group acquired Electrolux Haustechnik, including the AEG building-services appliance business, and renamed the German subsidiary EHT Haustechnik. Tatramat of Slovakia was acquired in 2004. The company also formed relationships with Uponor and SorTech during the 2010s and established or expanded subsidiaries in several European markets. In the 2000s and 2010s, investment increasingly favored heat-pump production, logistics, training and energy-efficient building technology. New heat-pump manufacturing capacity was commissioned at Holzminden in 2007, with a further facility added in 2009. The company opened a logistics center in 2013 and its Energy Campus training and communications center in 2015. The Energy Campus received a Platinum certificate from the German Sustainable Building Council in 2016. The company is known internationally as a specialist in electrified heating and low-carbon building systems rather than as a general consumer-appliance brand.
History
STIEBEL ELTRON was founded in Berlin on 5 May 1924 by Dr. Theodor Stiebel. The first product was a patented coil immersion heater marketed under the Eltro name. Production expanded rapidly, and by the late 1920s the company was making instantaneous water heaters and exporting to several overseas markets. In 1931 it developed a small instantaneous water cylinder, while the 1930s brought larger domestic and commercial hot-water appliances. The Berlin operation moved to larger premises in Tempelhof in 1934. During the Second World War, civilian appliance production was displaced by military-related manufacturing. Plants were established or used in Bischwiller in Alsace and in Lubsko in Lusatia. Bombing destroyed the Tempelhof plant in 1943, and machinery was transferred to Holzminden. Production there included aircraft components, de-icing devices, air-raid shelter furnaces and heating elements for searchlights. Forced labor was used during the wartime period. After the war, the Holzminden factory came under Allied administration and faced the possibility of dismantling. Civilian production resumed gradually from 1945, initially with cookware and other household items, followed by hot-water boilers in 1946. The company later returned to its core appliance activities and diversified into aircraft galley kitchens, coffee machines, ovens, hobs, heating pads and electric heating products. The EBK 5 five-liter water boiler entered production in 1958. Dr. Theodor Stiebel died in 1960, leaving the company equally to his sons Frank and Ulrich. The company grew substantially during the 1960s, adding convection ovens, ironing machines, night-storage heaters and other electric heating products. A high-profile advertising campaign in 1969 used the slogan “hot water at any time.” The oil crisis of 1973 weakened sales and prompted restructuring, but it also encouraged the company to intensify its work in heating technology. Stiebel Eltron began producing heat-pump systems in 1976, solar collectors in 1977 and domestic-hot-water heat pumps in 1979. During the 1980s and 1990s, the company broadened its technology base. Hydrotherm Gerätebau was acquired in 1986, and the DHE became one of the earliest fully electronic instantaneous water heaters in 1987. Domestic ventilation with heat recovery was introduced in 1991. The SCOT combustion and sensor system, launched in 1997, could adapt gas appliances to different gas qualities. In 1999, the LWZ 303 integrated ventilation, heating and hot-water functions around an air-source heat pump. The group pursued acquisitions and partnerships in the 2000s. It acquired Electrolux Haustechnik, including the AEG building-services appliance business, in 2002 and Tatramat in 2004. It also consolidated sites, closed the Tempelhof plant and transferred its staff to Holzminden. Counterfeit products became a legal and brand-protection issue in 2006 and 2007. At the same time, the company invested in large-scale heat-pump production, opening expanded capacity in 2007 and a second facility in 2009. The 2010s brought further international and infrastructure development. Strategic cooperation with Uponor began in 2010, cooperation with SorTech followed in 2011, and new logistics and subsidiary facilities were established in Europe. A major training and communications center, the Energy Campus, opened in Holzminden in 2015. Its sustainable-building credentials were recognized with a DGNB Platinum certificate in 2016. In the contemporary market, the company’s identity is principally associated with heat pumps, ventilation, hot-water systems and integrated low-carbon building technology.
- 2016
Energy Campus receives DGNB Platinum certification
[1]The building received the highest DGNB rating in the educational-buildings category at that time.
- 2015
Energy Campus opened
[1]A training and communications center opened at Holzminden.
- 2007
Expanded heat-pump plant commissioned
[1]New Holzminden production lines increased capacity for multiple heat-pump types.
- 2002
AEG building-services business acquired
[1]The group acquired Electrolux Haustechnik and the AEG building-services appliance business.
- 1999
LWZ integrated system enters production
[1]The LWZ 303 combined ventilation with heat recovery, heating and domestic-hot-water production.
- 1987
DHE electronic instantaneous water heater introduced
[1]STIEBEL ELTRON launched an early fully electronic instantaneous water heater.
- 1976
Heat-pump production begins
[1]The company entered heat-pump heating technology using environmental heat.
- 1943
Operations move to Holzminden
[1]Bomb damage in Berlin prompted the relocation of the company’s main operations to Holzminden.
- 1927
First foreign subsidiary established
[1]A London subsidiary began operating as the company expanded exports.
- 1924
Company founded in Berlin
[1]Dr. Theodor Stiebel founded ELTRON Dr. Theodor Stiebel on 5 May and began developing immersion-heater production.
Products and positioning
German engineering specialist for efficient hot-water, heating, ventilation and renewable-energy systems, with a strong focus on heat pumps, electrification and low-carbon building services.
Renewable heating · 1976
Heat pumps
STIEBEL ELTRON manufactures air-source, ground-source and water-source heat-pump systems for residential and commercial heating and hot-water applications. Heat pumps became a central part of the company’s portfolio from the 1970s and remain closely linked to its low-carbon building-technology positioning.
Water heating · 1928
Instantaneous water heaters
The company’s instantaneous water-heater range developed from its original immersion-heater expertise. Products include small domestic units and electronically controlled systems such as the DHE, designed to heat water on demand rather than relying solely on stored hot water.
Water heating · 1931
Hot-water cylinders and storage heaters
STIEBEL ELTRON produces hot-water cylinders, storage tanks and related controls for domestic and commercial installations. The range evolved from early three-liter cylinders and later included larger appliances for bathrooms, kitchens and building-service systems.
Indoor climate · 1991
Ventilation systems
Domestic ventilation systems with heat recovery form part of the company’s integrated approach to building services. They are intended to provide controlled air exchange while recovering heat from extracted air, often in combination with heat-pump and hot-water equipment.
Integrated building services · 1999
LWZ integrated systems
The LWZ 303 was an integrated system combining ventilation with heat recovery, space heating and domestic-hot-water production around an air-source heat pump. It represented the company’s move from individual appliances toward coordinated building-service solutions.
Renewable energy · 1977
Solar thermal systems
The company began manufacturing solar collectors in the late 1970s and developed solar-thermal equipment for use in domestic hot-water and heating systems.
Controversies
Marketing campaigns
- 2010Swiss Cup sponsorship
Switzerland
The company sponsored the Swiss Cup football tournament in 2010.
Outcome. The sponsorship provided regional sports visibility in Switzerland.
- 1999TSV Obergünzburg sponsorship
Germany
STIEBEL ELTRON sponsored TSV Obergünzburg’s triathlon activities from 1999 to 2010.
Outcome. The sponsorship connected the brand with endurance sport and continued for more than a decade.
- 1969Hot water at any time
Germany
Advertising expert, artist and photographer Charles Paul Wilp created an unusually prominent campaign for STIEBEL ELTRON using the promise of hot water availability as its central message.
Outcome. The campaign became a notable example of the company’s consumer-facing advertising during its expansion in electric water heating.
Brand decisions
2015
Open the Energy CampusStrategyBackground
The company sought to improve technical training and communication with installers and contractors, whose expertise is important for complex building-service systems.
Action taken
STIEBEL ELTRON opened a dedicated training and communications center in Holzminden.
Aftermath
The facility became part of the company’s professional education infrastructure and later received DGNB Platinum certification.
2007
Expand heat-pump manufacturingStrategyBackground
Demand for renewable heating technology and the company’s strategic emphasis on environmental energy supported investment in dedicated production capacity.
Action taken
The company commissioned new Holzminden production lines and subsequently built a second heat-pump facility in 2009.
Aftermath
Heat pumps became increasingly central to the group’s manufacturing and market strategy.
2002
Acquire Electrolux Haustechnik and the AEG building-services businessM&ABackground
The acquisition expanded the group’s building-services portfolio and added the AEG brand’s relevant appliance activities.
Action taken
STIEBEL ELTRON acquired Electrolux Haustechnik and renamed the Nuremberg subsidiary EHT Haustechnik GmbH.
Aftermath
The group assumed development and marketing responsibility for AEG building-services appliances and related distribution activities.
1976
Enter heat-pump heatingProduct launchBackground
The energy-market environment and the company’s established heating expertise created an opportunity to use environmental heat for building heating.
Action taken
STIEBEL ELTRON began producing heat-pump heating systems.
Aftermath
Heat pumps later became one of the company’s defining product areas.
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