What Groupe E does

Groupe E SA is a privately held Swiss regional energy company headquartered in Granges-Paccot, canton of Fribourg, that operates across the full energy value chain — generation, regulated distribution, and end-customer services — across French-speaking Switzerland (Suisse romande). The company was formed in 2005 through the merger of Entreprises Électriques Fribourgeoises (EEF, founded 1915) and Électricité Neuchâteloise SA (ENSA, founded 1907), and is majority-owned by public entities, with the Canton of Fribourg holding an 80.29% stake.

Groupe E produces renewable electricity from a portfolio of approximately 14 hydroelectric installations (10 owned, 4 via shareholdings), totalling more than 1 TWh per year, supplemented by solar PV (47+ GWh in 2024 across 147+ installations), thermal generation (Cornaux in Switzerland; co-owned Timelkam in Austria), and a green hydrogen electrolysis facility at Schiffenen commissioned in August 2023 with 300 tonnes per year of capacity. As the regulated distribution system operator (GRD) for cantons of Fribourg, Neuchâtel, and Vaud, it distributes 2,865 GWh of electricity annually through a captive network franchise, while also operating district heating networks across 40+ towns via its Groupe E Celsius subsidiary, and a natural gas business under the same entity.

The company serves four primary customer segments — residential, business/industry (>100,000 kWh/year), municipalities/collectivities, and real estate developers — through 24 branches across six cantons, dedicated field sales for enterprise and municipal accounts, inside sales for mid-market, and self-serve digital portals (My Groupe E for residential; business.groupe-e.ch for enterprise). Revenue is generated through regulated electricity distribution tariffs (split into energy, Swissgrid transport, regional distribution, and statutory taxes), competitive electricity supply, district heating subscriptions (capacity-based fixed component plus commodity-indexed variable component), EcoSolutions infrastructure services (solar PV, heat pumps, EV charging, building automation, performance contracting), and natural gas distribution. Reported FY2025 revenue was CHF 864 million with a net result of CHF 96 million, supported by 2,300 employees across subsidiaries including Groupe E Celsius (heat/gas), Groupe E Connect (electrical installations), Groupe E Entretec (maintenance/water), and Groupe E Greenwatt (renewables).

Name

Groupe E

Legal name

Groupe E SA

Website

https://groupe-e.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Groupe E is a Swiss regional energy company majority-owned by the Canton of Fribourg that produces, distributes, and trades electricity and heat across French-speaking Switzerland, serving residential, business, industrial, municipal, and real-estate customers through regulated distribution, hydropower, solar, district heating, and energy services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electric Utility and District Energy Services

NAICS

Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211), Hydroelectric Power Generation (221111), Solar Electric Power Generation (221114), Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112)

SIC

Electric Services (4911), Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991), Gas & Other Services Combined (4932)

akta.pro primary industry

Asset Management & Owner’s Engineering (Lifecycle Strategy, Budgeting, Technical Due Diligence) (EUAMAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Retail Supply + DER/Virtual Power Plant Bundles (Solar, Storage, DR) (EUAGABAI), Aggregation Services (Load Aggregation, Community Choice, Buyer Pools) (EUAGAEAC), Market Access, Bidding & Settlement Services for Aggregators (ISO/RTO, Balancing) (EUAFAHAH)

Keywords

• Electricity distribution
• Hydropower generation
• District heating
• Renewable energy services
• Energy infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Fribourg

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices22 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Regulated electricity distribution (GRD): Distribution system operator for electricity in the cantons of Fribourg, Neuchâtel, and Vaud. Revenue derived from regulated network tariffs approved by Swiss energy regulators. Tariffs structured around energy, Swissgrid national transport, regional distribution, and statutory taxes. Distributes 2,865 GWh in 2025.
2. Electricity production and supply: Competitive generation from owned hydroelectric assets (14 plants) and thermal generation (Cornaux, Switzerland; Timelkam, Austria). Electricity supplied to captive customers and traded on wholesale markets. Own production covers 60% of distributed electricity from hydropower.
3. District heating (chauffage à distance / CAD): Development, ownership, and operation of district heating networks across Fribourg, Neuchâtel, and Vaud. Heat sourced from local wood, recovered industrial heat, lake water heat pumps, biogas, and waste heat from waste incineration (SAIDEF). Tariffs have a fixed component (subscribed capacity) and variable component (linked to commodity prices, indexed quarterly or annually).
4. Energy infrastructure services (EcoSolutions): Design, installation, and maintenance of electrical installations, photovoltaic systems, heat pumps, EV charging stations, building automation, water softeners, and telecommunications infrastructure. Includes energy auditing, optimization, and performance contracting (CPE) for large energy consumers (industrial, commercial, public infrastructure).
5. Gas distribution (via Groupe E Celsius SA): Natural gas supply and distribution in certain service territories, with consumption measured bi-annually and billed via advance payments and annual settlements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Groupe E is a vertically integrated regional energy company producing, distributing, and supplying electricity (largely from its 14 hydroelectric installations) across three Swiss cantons under regulated utility status. It sells electricity, natural gas, and district heating to residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers, and delivers on-site energy installations (heat pumps, photovoltaic systems, EV chargers) and energy services (EcoSolutions). Revenue is anchored in regulated network tariffs, energy supply, and infrastructure-based subscription products.

Product overview

Groupe E is a regional energy company operating across the entire energy value chain in French-speaking Switzerland. Its product portfolio centers on four core offerings: electricity (production, distribution, and supply), solar energy (photovoltaic installations), heating (heat pumps and district heating networks), and electric mobility (charging stations). Digital services include the My Groupe E customer portal for account management and consumption monitoring. The company operates through four specialized subsidiaries: Groupe E Celsius SA (heat and gas), Groupe E Connect SA (electrical installations), Groupe E Entretec SA (maintenance and water treatment), and Groupe E Greenwatt SA (renewable energy projects). Additional offerings include smart meters for network optimization, the Electrobroc visitor center for public education, EcoSolutions for large energy consumers, and the Schiffenen hydrogen production plant for green hydrogen supply.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Groupe E Celsius: Subsidiary specializing in heat distribution, district heating (CAD), and gas services.
• Groupe E Connect
• Groupe E Entretec
• Groupe E Greenwatt
• Electrobroc
• Electrobroc

Products and services

• Electricity supply and distribution (Electricité) Production, regulated distribution, and supply of electricity to residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers across cantons of Fribourg, Neuchâtel, and Vaud under regulated network tariffs (energy, Swissgrid, regional distribution, taxes).
• Solar PV installations (Panneaux solaires / Smart Solar) Photovoltaic solar panel installation and self-consumption solutions for individual homes, multi-tenant buildings (Smart Solar collective self-consumption), and large-scale industrial solar parks, supplied and operated via Groupe E Greenwatt SA.
• Heat pumps (Pompes à chaleur) Design, supply, installation, and maintenance of heat pump systems for residential, commercial, and industrial customers transitioning from fossil-fuel heating.
• District heating (Chauffage à distance / CAD) Development, ownership, and operation of district heating networks in Fribourg, Neuchâtel, and Vaud, distributing heat sourced from local wood, recovered industrial heat, lake-water heat pumps, biogas, and waste-heat recovery.
• Electric vehicle charging stations (Mobilité électrique) EV charging stations and infrastructure for individual homes, condominiums (PPE), and rental buildings, supporting the transition to electric transportation.
• Habitat — home solutions (water softeners, home automation, electrical installations) Residential home solutions encompassing water softeners (adoucisseurs d'eau), home automation / domotics, and electrical installations for new construction and renovations.
• Natural gas supply (Gaz) Natural gas supply and distribution in selected service territories via the Groupe E Celsius SA subsidiary, with bi-annual meter reads and annual billing settlement.
• EcoSolutions — energy services for large consumers Bespoke energy audit, optimization, and implementation services for industrial, commercial, public-infrastructure, and building-owner clients, combined with facility management and performance contracting (CPE).
• Green hydrogen — Centrale à hydrogène Schiffenen Production of green hydrogen via electrolysis powered by renewable electricity from the Schiffenen dam, serving industrial and transport decarbonization with zero CO2 emissions.
• 100% renewable thermal power plants Renewable thermal power generation plants supplying heat through the district heating network, displacing fossil-fuel-based heat sources.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,865 GWh of electricity distributed in 2025
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• SAIDEF (Posieux)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Groupe E acquired the SAIDEF waste-to-energy plant at Posieux in 2025, integrating its steam turbine (electricity and heat recovery) into the local energy system. The facility's waste heat is distributed via Groupe E Celsius's district heating network, contributing to renewable heat supply in the Fribourg region.
• Électricité de France (EDF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEDF co-owns the Société des Forces Motrices du Châtelot (SFMC) with Groupe E and other partners. The Châtelot dam on the Doubs river (74m high, 150m long) produces 87 GWh/year split equally between the Swiss and French grids, supplying approximately 20,000 households. Groupe E manages operations on behalf of all partners including EDF.
• Energie AG OberösterreichcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnergie AG Oberösterreich and Groupe E co-own the Timelkam combined-cycle gas power plant in Austria (420 MW capacity, operational since 2008). The plant also supplies a district heating network for more sustainable energy production. Energie AG is a diversified energy provider active in electricity and gas trading, CO2 certificate management, fuel supply, and green energy development.
• VARO Energy (Cressier refinery)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Cressier solar park (19,064 panels, 7,800 kW, 37,200 m²) was developed in partnership with VARO Energy at the Cressier refinery. The installation achieves approximately 98% self-consumption, with the solar power used directly in refinery operations — a landmark co-located renewable energy project in Switzerland.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Romande Energie: Swiss vertically integrated utility operating across Vaud and neighboring cantons - directly comparable regulated DSO + renewable generation + multi-energy services business in Suisse romande, with overlap on customer segments (residential, business, municipalities) and similar hydropower/district heating footprint.
• Repower AG: Swiss-Italian vertically integrated utility (Graubünden/St. Gallen/Italy) with hydropower generation, distribution, and energy services including PV and EV charging - directly comparable integrated utility model with hydropower and end-customer services, though operating across the Swiss-Italian border.

Broad incumbents

• BKW Energie AG: Swiss energy group covering generation, distribution, and services with a regulated grid in Bern and broader German-speaking Switzerland - comparable vertically integrated utility with renewable generation and energy services, but operating across a larger geography and broader product set.
• Axpo Holding AG: Largest Swiss electricity producer and a major generator-trader with hydraulic generation and renewables - comparable on hydropower production scale and Swiss wholesale trading, but significantly larger and operates without a regional monopoly DSO.
• Alpiq Holding AG: Swiss power generator and trader with significant hydro and flexible generation - comparable on hydropower portfolio and energy trading/marketing, but a generation-led rather than distribution-led business model.

Others

• Groupe E Celsius SA (internal): The district heating and gas distribution subsidiary of Groupe E - comparable as a peer on heat network and gas supply economics, included for completeness rather than external comparability.

Regional players

• Services Industriels de Genève (SIG): Multi-utility serving the canton of Geneva with electricity, gas, water, and thermal networks - directly comparable DSO and district heating model but operating in a different Swiss region (Lake Geneva basin).
• Industrielle Werke Basel (IWB): Multi-utility serving Basel with electricity, gas, district heating, and water - comparable vertically integrated utility structure including cogeneration, but anchored in northwestern Switzerland rather than western Switzerland.
• Centralschweizerische Kraftwerke (CKW): Regional Swiss utility owned by Axpo with distribution and energy services in central Switzerland - similar regulated DSO + customer solutions model but serving a non-adjacent geography.
• Energie AG Oberösterreich: Austrian multi-utility partner that co-owns Timelkam combined-cycle plant with Groupe E - comparable multi-energy operator with generation, grid, and services, though serving Upper Austria rather than western Switzerland.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/groupeesa
• Facebookfacebook.com/groupe.e.ch
• LinkedInfr.linkedin.com/company/groupe-e
• Instagraminstagram.com/groupe_e/?hl=fr
• TikToktiktok.com/@groupe_e
• Xx.com/groupe_e

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Groupe E