Novotegra and INNOTECH set new yardsticks
Novotegra is a German manufacturer and developer of PV installation systems. It started life as an independent company in 2021. The Novotegra installation system was developed by Martin Schäfer as long ago as 2005. In the meantime the company has become active in 42 countries, and in 2023 alone it sold and/or installed 9,726 km of rails for PV systems on roofs.
“Either you can do a lot of development and build up the know-how yourself, or else you have to find expert partners. In the area of safety we have found INNOTECH as a strong partner for fall protection systems”, explains Thomas Pfaff, managing director of Novotegra, during the INNO-Talk.
“INNOTECH and Novotegra are both very well-established in the German-language countries. In addition, Novotegra has trading companies all across Europe – from Scandinavia down to Italy, and from east to west. For both our companies, the partnership is an absolute win-win situation”, says Thomas Pfaff with satisfaction. He emphasises that, for Novotegra too, safety has uppermost priority during the installation and servicing of PV systems, and so it is built in as early as the planning phase.
For Thomas Pfaff it is above all a matter of using roofs sustainably throughout Europe, and safety must be maximised for the people working up there. To achieve this objective, Novotegra and INNOTECH have decided to join forces. This partnership allows both companies to provide their customers with tailor-made, safe solutions for their solar power plants.
An absolute showcase project was the installation of the fall protection systems from INNOTECH on Novotegra’s new company building in Tübingen.
The Tübingen project
The solar power plant in Tübingen is a very good example of the successful collaboration of the companies. A 1.2 MW PV system was installed on Novotegra’s new company building, which has a roof surface of 8,500 m². In addition, a 160 kW system was installed on the facade, together with a storage system inside the building. In this project, the topic of fall protection for photovoltaic systems therefore became highly significant.
The challenge
The principal task consisted of ensuring safety on the roof and facade, and of providing fall protection for the people located on the roof, without damaging the roof cladding or the building. For all installation and servicing tasks, and for cleaning the solar panels, it was essential to provide absolute safety in every situation for the fitters and workers.
Above all, the numerous skylights and a number of firewalls which divided the roof surface represented a huge challenge. With the AIO lifeline system, INNOTECH provided an optimum solution for this endeavour. In addition, this system can be mounted directly on the substructure of the PV equipment. You will find further information here about fall protection systems for photovoltaic installations.
To provide the ideal solution for optimum use, the AIO lifeline system was combined with the TAURUS rail system, together with anti-fall personal protective equipment. Discover fall protection in combination with PV substructures in this video.
And so, in Tübingen too, no roof penetration was required. In subsequent years this frequently results in problems such as moisture penetration into the interior of the building. In addition, the system provides seamless safety, because detaching and re-attaching at transitions are unnecessary. A very high level of safety is thus created.

The benefits of AIO and TAURUS at a glance:
- No roof penetration, and maximum exploitation of the roof surface: A major benefit of INNOTECH solutions is that they do not require roof penetration. By integrating the fall protection systems from INNOTECH into the PV substructure from Novotegra, it was possible to use the entire roof surface for the solar panels – and still to provide maximum safety for all fitters and workers.
- Invisible safety for sustainable maintenance: The safety systems from INNOTECH are designed to be barely visible and not to impair the aesthetics of the building. Professional fall protection systems ensure that all the equipment can be accessed in complete safety.
- No trip hazards: Installing fall protection systems on the roof cladding can create new obstacles on the roof which can easily become trip hazards and result in minor, but unnecessary, accidents. With fall protection systems installed directly onto the PV substructure, this aspect becomes completely irrelevant.
Sustainable success with a great future
Initial feedback from Novotegra customers speaks for itself. They greatly value the comprehensive advice as a significant component of their PV installations plus, of course, the always perfectly matching fall protection system. This is because the collaboration means that individual, innovative safety solutions can be found for installation, maintenance and servicing of solar power plants, even as early as the planning stage. This saves a huge amount of time, nerves and also hard cash on the bottom line.
This is an enormous benefit for all Novotegra customers, because these innovative solutions give them the optimum from their power plant. Not one square metre of surface remains unused, and the equipment can be cleaned and maintained at any time.
Novotegra and INNOTECH are already looking forward to many further shared projects, because this is how they can satisfy even more customers all over Europe.
Summary
Through their close cooperation, Novotegra and INNOTECH have set new standards in terms of safety during installation, maintenance and servicing of PV systems on roofs. The projects which they implement together are characterised by high standards of safety and innovative solutions. The combination of Novotegra’s PV substructure with INNOTECH’s flexible fall protection systems provides significant added value for both fitters and end customers.
This partnership demonstrates how cooperation and specialisation can help to achieve optimum, targeted results for the protection of people present on roofs.
Should you have questions about fall protection systems for photovoltaic equipment on roofs, then our guideline will also help you. But you can of course also contact us at any time. The experts at INNOTECH are happy to support you in the selection of the optimum, professional safety solution for your project.