Green power for the data center
How Surfplanet found the right new supplier in just three days
Three days passed between the first contact with Otark and the first indications. The result was a new contract with STARQstrom at a price that beat every offer Surfplanet had obtained itself.
We were looking for a new supplier and already had offers of our own on the table. Through Otark, indications from an entire network of providers reached us within three days. In the end, we found a partner in STARQstrom that supplies us with green power from German wind and solar parks, and does so more cheaply than any of our own offers. It was precisely this speed and simplicity that tipped the scales in favour of working with Otark.
Before → With Otark
Before
Expiring supply contract
Surfplanet was actively looking for a new electricity supplier for its energy-intensive data center operations.
Own offers as the benchmark
Surfplanet had already obtained offers itself, without a reliable overview of whether that was the best achievable price.
Unclear market breadth
Without broad market access, it remained unclear whether a better offer than its own indications was available at all.
With Otark
A broad market enquiry instead of individual requests
Otark submitted the enquiry to a network of vetted providers in parallel, instead of chasing them down one phone call at a time.
Indications in 3 days
After just three days, Surfplanet had the first indications from the Otark network in hand.
Direct price comparison
The Otark offers could be placed directly alongside the offers Surfplanet had already obtained.
Closing within one week
Only about one week passed from the first contact to the signed contract with STARQstrom.
Switching supplier with Otark
to the first indications from the Otark network, instead of several weeks of individual enquiries
of all the offers available to Surfplanet
full supply from 01/01/2027 at fixed terms
Key insight
Surfplanet shows that switching supplier pays off well before months of market sounding. Because Otark submits the enquiry broadly and simultaneously to a vetted network of providers, a company can reliably verify the market price it has already obtained within a few days.
What this project proves:
When market access is broad enough, an open pricing question turns into a clear decision within a few days, at the best available price and without additional internal effort.
What the parties say
We did not have much time to work the market by phone ourselves for Surfplanet. With Otark, a selection arrived within a few days that we could compare directly with our own offers. In the end, STARQstrom made the best offer.
With Surfplanet it was quickly clear that our green-power portfolio was an exact fit for the profile. We really liked how swiftly and smoothly the decision ran via Otark.
At Surfplanet it was clearly defined what was needed, and offers of their own were already on the table for comparison. Our network is strong in exactly these cases. Within three days, we were able to show that there was an even better offer.
The partners at a glance
Surfplanet GmbH
Surfplanet GmbH has operated two data centers in the Cologne district of Mülheim since 2002 and offers colocation solutions for businesses and private customers, from renting individual rack units in a 19-inch rack through to the colocation of entire tower-format server systems including satellite reception. Because a data center runs around the clock and requires up to 10 kW of cooling capacity per rack, the site is particularly energy-intensive.
STARQstrom GmbH
STARQstrom was launched on 1 January 2026 in Hamburg by Dr. Peter Vest (former head of Yello Strom) and Fabio Griemens (former manager at LinkedIn and FREENOW). The company sources its electricity directly and in partnership from specifically named wind and solar parks in Germany rather than through conventional intermediary trading, and issues an official guarantee of origin for every kilowatt-hour delivered. For 2026, STARQstrom plans for around 500 GWh in its own balancing group. By the end of 2027, the company aims to supply, on a calculated basis, around one million households with green electricity and to accelerate the energy transition with simple and transparent products.
Otark GmbH
Otark operates an independent, digital PPA tendering platform headquartered in Frankfurt am Main. Via Otark, power buyers and renewable-energy generators come together in a structured way: buyers receive comparable offers from a network of 200+ vetted providers in the shortest time.
Buy green power, fast and at the best price.
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