Sascha Pohl
Author
Sascha Pohl
2 articles in IJPSC · 2026 · 2 co-authors
Publications in IJPSC
2026
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Research Article · Vol. 2, No. 2
AI-based competitor dossiers as a strategic competitive advantage in the insurance industry
Patrick Hedfeld, Sascha Pohl, Dietmar Pfaff
Abstract
Rising energy costs, volatile electricity markets, and geopolitical uncertainties are reshaping the economic conditions of the manufacturing industry. Energy is therefore no longer perceived merely as an operational input, but increasingly as a strategic factor affecting competitiveness, resilience, and location quality. This article examines how energy self- sufficiency through solar energy is perceived and implemented in the manufacturing sector and identifies differences between Germany and China. The study is based on a qualitative, exploratory research design comprising six written expert surveys and a supplementary PESTEL analysis. The findings indicate that, in industrial practice, energy self- sufficiency is rarely understood as complete independence from the public grid; rather, it is perceived as a gradual and measurable reduction in external electricity demand. Photovoltaics seldom unfolds its strategic potential in isolation, but primarily as part of an integrated system consisting of storage, energy management, and load control. The main drivers include cost reduction, cost stability, security of supply, and resilience, while major barriers arise from grid connection procedures, approval processes, regulatory complexity, and investment constraints. The article thus demonstrates that PV-based self-sufficiency is far more than a sustainability technology for industrial firms; it is increasingly becoming an instrument of industrial risk and competitiveness management.
Keywords Photovoltaics; energy self-sufficiency; manufacturing industry; self-sufficiency; energy management; Germany; China; qualitative research
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Perspective · Vol. 2, No. 1
Dietmar Pfaff, Sascha Pohl, Patrick Hedfeld
Abstract
Rising energy costs, volatile electricity markets, and geopolitical uncertainties are reshaping the economic conditions of the manufacturing industry. Energy is therefore no longer perceived merely as an operational input, but increasingly as a strategic factor affecting competitiveness, resilience, and location quality. This article examines how energy self-sufficiency through solar energy is perceived and implemented in the manufacturing sector and identifies differences between Germany and China. The study is based on a qualitative, exploratory research design comprising six written expert surveys and a supplementary PESTEL analysis. The findings indicate that, in industrial practice, energy self-sufficiency is rarely understood as complete independence from the public grid; rather, it is perceived as a gradual and measurable reduction in external electricity demand. Photovoltaics seldom unfolds its strategic potential in isolation, but primarily as part of an integrated system consisting of storage, energy management, and load control. The main drivers include cost reduction, cost stability, security of supply, and resilience, while major barriers arise from grid connection procedures, approval processes, regulatory complexity, and investment constraints. The article thus demonstrates that PV-based self-sufficiency is far more than a sustainability technology for industrial firms; it is increasingly becoming an instrument of industrial risk and competitiveness management.
Keywords Photovoltaics; energy self-sufficiency; manufacturing industry; self-sufficiency; energy management; Germany; China; qualitative research
Research areas
- Crisis Management 2
- Resilience 2
- Innovation 1
- Organizational Change 1
- Psychology 1
- Strategic Communication 1
Article keywords Photovoltaics; energy self-sufficiency; manufacturing industry; self-sufficiency; energy management; Germany; China; qualitative research