The initial spark
In 1998, Herbert Ortner and a small team in the Mühlviertel region developed the world's first type-tested pellet heating system. The time after the oil price shock, back in the 1980s, was a strong driving force. Herbert Ortner could not believe that billions - still shillings at the time - were being spent on heating oil, even though the CO2-neutral fuel wood was right on his doorstep. That was the birth of ÖkoFEN and a passion for biomass heating systems, initially wood chip systems.
All about ÖkoFEN pellet boilers
The beginning of a pioneering story
It all began in the cowshed of Herbert Ortner's parents-in-law. Back then, it was still a small team - Herbert Ortner, his wife and two employees, who are still loyal to ÖkoFEN today. Herbert Ortner sets out to make renewable heat possible in single-family homes. He quits his job as managing director of the radiator factory in Lembach and starts the “biomass heating adventure” in the converted cowshed. The aim is to defy the global oil crisis in his densely wooded homeland and supply homes without fossil fuel heating systems with environmentally friendly and comfortable wood heating systems with pleasant warmth.
In the early years, Herbert was a salesman, fitter, customer service technician and managing director all rolled into one. At the beginning, many still had doubts and said “Now he's crazy. Goes into the cowshed and welds together heating systems." The company grew slowly at first, but step by step.
Pellet condensing technology
Technology is constantly evolving and in 2004 ÖkoFEN presents the world's first pellet heating system with condensing technology. With the Pellematic Plus, another trend-setting pellet boiler is developed that makes it possible to get the maximum out of the fuel. Condensing technology makes it possible to use the condensation heat contained in the flue gas, as this is fed back into the heating system.
“I quickly realized that condensing boiler technology is an absolute must for modern pellet heating. We simply had to succeed in making this possible in order to keep our finger on the pulse of heating with pellets,” says ÖkoFEN founder Herbert Ortner.
2015: Heating with pellets - Pellematic Condens
The concept of condensing technology is constantly being developed further at ÖkoFEN. In 2015 - a decade after the technology was first presented - the revolution took place. The condensing heat exchanger, which was initially installed downstream, is now optimally integrated into the boiler. The highly efficient condensing boilers are also equipped with unlimited return temperature. Today, ÖkoFEN condensing boilers have hardly any measurable emissions and impress with an increase in efficiency of up to 15 %.
The growth of an idea
What began as a small ideas workshop in a cowshed in Lembach is now - around three decades later - a company with around 40,000 m2 of company premises at its headquarters in Niederkappel and other international locations in Germany, France and Spain, among others.
ÖkoFEN experienced its first phase of strong growth in 2006, selling a total of around 6,600 pellet boilers. The unshakeable belief in the success of the idea continues to drive ÖkoFEN forward. Despite a major slump in the market due to short-term supply bottlenecks for pellets in 2007, two sites in Austria are expanded in order to be prepared for the future. The company headquarters are relocated to Niederkappel. The new site comprises a 6,500 m² production hall and 800 m² administration building. Component production in Purgstall is also being expanded.
After the record year of 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 are also characterized by ever new highs. As a result, the continuously increasing production volume requires more space, and not just at the headquarters in Niederkappel, Austria. The country branch in France is bursting at the seams. It is rebuilt and opened at the beginning of 2022. A third logistics hall and extensions for offices and training rooms are built in Mickhausen, Germany.
2020: Fire reinvented - ZeroFlame
With the new ZeroFlame® technology, ÖkoFEN achieves near-zero dust emissions - without filter technology. Thanks to the specially developed technology, the flame disappears almost completely and reduces particulate emissions to a minimum. ÖkoFEN has achieved a milestone with the cleanest ÖkoFEN pellet heating system of all time. ZeroFlame® puts an end to the much-discussed issue of particulate emissions when heating with pellets.
A pioneering story - 30 years of ÖkoFEN
ÖkoFEN Forschungs- und Entwicklung GesmbH, based in Lembach im Mühlkreis, was founded on October 27, 1989. Herbert Ortner quits his secure job and begins to develop and manufacture environmentally friendly heating systems with three employees in his parents-in-law's former cowshed. Step by step, the company grows and develops into Europe's specialist for really green heat.
2023: GreenFOX® - the world first from ÖkoFEN
Sometimes it's time to broaden your horizons. With the market launch of “GreenFOX 9/14”, the air-to-water heat pump with the so-called “Future Plus”, we are venturing into new territory. But it wouldn't be ÖkoFEN if this heat pump didn't come with a world first: with the unique, self-developed “GreenMode”, it is now possible for the first time to primarily use green electricity with a heat pump and thus heat with low energy consumption and CO2 emissions almost all year round.
Our innovations over the course of time
ÖkoFEN - a family business
“A company is only as successful as its employees”, is the conviction of CEO Stefan Ortner and company founder Herbert Ortner.
Forschungs- und Entwicklungs GmbH has been run as a family business from the very beginning.
Stefan, Herbert and Elfriede Ortner run the “innovation factory” together. As a team and in close cooperation with employees, they tinker with pellet, solar and hydraulic solutions. In 2010, Stefan Ortner takes over the management of ÖkoFEN Austria and continues the family working atmosphere.
“It wasn't always easy to plan capacities properly. At ÖkoFEN, the focus has always been on treating our employees with respect and appreciation,” says ÖkoFEN founder Elfriede Ortner. The community and the well-being of the employees play a decisive role in the company's success story.
No shift or piecework in production, a warm lunch and various employee events and leisure activities are just a few aspects of this. Step into the world of ÖkoFEN, where sustainability is practiced not only in our products, but also in the way we treat each other.