E3 International

What E3 International does

E3 International (E3I) is a privately held sustainable energy advisory firm headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, with field operations spanning more than 20 countries across the Western Balkans, Eastern and Central Europe, North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia, and the Americas. Founded in 2010 as an alliance of existing climate and energy consultancies, the firm provides professional services across five core practice areas: (1) Energy/Water Management and Resilience Strategies — including the proprietary Nextep Solution web-based energy monitoring platform; (2) Sustainable Energy Project Development across solar PV/thermal, wind, microgrids, storage, biomass, biogas, and cogeneration; (3) Green Banking and Finance Mechanisms, including blended finance facilities and green bank establishment (e.g., the EBRD Western Balkans Sustainable Energy Finance Facility managed 2009–2021, generating €162M in facilitated loans); (4) Capacity Building and Training for institutions and regulators; and (5) Nature Based Solutions via the SLLES initiative. E3I also delivers specialized smart grid technology deployments — including a Fault Location, Isolation, and Service Restoration (FLISR) system for Tunisia's STEG national utility — under a $5M U.S. Department of State award.

The firm's business model is contract-based professional services delivered to government agencies, development finance institutions (USAID, USTDA, EBRD, World Bank, U.S. Department of State), state-owned utilities, municipalities, healthcare and educational institutions, and commercial/industrial enterprises. Pricing is fee-for-service per multi-year engagement, with typical contract values ranging from the high hundreds of thousands to several million euros/dollars. Revenue is concentrated in international development mandates — anchored by long-standing relationships with bilateral and multilateral development organizations — supplemented by direct commercial advisory engagements (e.g., Montgomery County Green Bank, Children's National Health System, Moldova Railroad). E3I leverages a small core permanent staff supplemented by an extended network of domain experts assembled per assignment, enabling flexible scaling without proportional fixed-cost growth.

Name

E3 International

Legal name

E3 International, LLC

Website

https://eeeinternational.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

E3 International is a privately held sustainable energy and water management advisory firm headquartered in Bethesda, MD, serving governments, development finance institutions, municipalities, and enterprises across 20+ countries with technical consulting, green finance facility management, and smart grid technology deployment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bethesda

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. International Development Consulting Contracts: E3I derives the majority of its revenue from contracts with international development organizations (USAID, USTDA, EBRD, World Bank, U.S. Department of State) for sustainable energy advisory, project development, and technical assistance. Projects are typically multi-year engagements with defined scopes and budgets.
2. Commercial Advisory Services: Direct consulting engagements with commercial and industrial enterprises, municipalities, and governments for energy management strategies, project finance structuring, and capacity building. Revenue is project-based with fee-for-service arrangements.
3. Green Banking and Finance Facility Management: E3I manages finance facilities (e.g., WeBSEFF) as project consultant, providing marketing, capacity building, project identification, due diligence, and business plan development services for sustainable energy credit lines disbursed through partner banks.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

E3 International (E3I) is a sustainable energy advisory and consulting firm delivering professional services in energy and water management, renewable energy project development, green banking and finance mechanisms, smart grid implementation, and capacity building. The firm primarily executes multi-year contracts awarded by international development organizations (USAID, USTDA, EBRD, World Bank, U.S. Department of State) and direct engagements with utilities, municipalities, and commercial enterprises across 20+ countries. E3I combines an extended expert network with deep domain expertise to deploy solutions such as FLISR smart grid systems, energy monitoring platforms, and sustainable energy finance facilities.

Product overview

E3 International (E3I) is a sustainable energy advisory firm offering professional services rather than a software product company. Their portfolio consists of five core advisory service lines: Energy/Water Management and Resilience Strategies (including the Nextep Solution monitoring platform), Sustainable Energy Project Development, Green Banking and Finance Mechanisms, Capacity Building and Training, and Nature Based Solutions (SLLES). They also provide Smart Grid Solutions/FLISR system implementation as a specialized technology service. These services are delivered through consulting engagements across 20+ countries, with flagship programs including the Western Balkans Sustainable Energy Finance Facility (WeBSEFF) and Tunisia Smart Grid initiative.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sustainable Land, Livelihoods, and Energy Initiative (SLLEI): An initiative promoting integrated bioeconomy model combining short-rotation energy crops, agroforestry, and forest restoration to supply clean biomass for district heating while revitalizing degraded land and supporting rural livelihoods.

Products and services

• Energy/Water Management and Resilience Strategies Advisory services providing bankable strategies for energy and water management, risk reduction, and reliability across enterprises or geographies. Includes the Nextep Solution web-based energy monitoring system for energy auditing and facility benchmarking.
• Sustainable Energy Project Development Development and delivery of sustainable energy solutions including solar PV and thermal, wind, microgrids, distributed generation, energy storage, small hydro, geothermal, co-generation, biogas, LNG, and biomass projects for utilities, municipalities, and commercial clients.
• Green Banking and Finance Mechanisms Advisory services for financial institutions and governments including blended finance facilities, credit mechanisms, green banks, and public-private partnerships for energy efficiency and clean energy investment.
• Capacity Building and Training Technical assistance and tools for project identification, development, finance, implementation, and monitoring, including legal, policy, and regulatory gap analysis and advice to facilitate market adoption of energy efficiency and clean energy solutions.
• Nature Based Solutions (SLLES) Sustainable Land, Livelihoods and Energy Initiative (SLLES) promoting sustainable bioenergy cultivation and landscape/biodiversity restoration for climate mitigation and rural development.
• Smart Grid Solutions / FLISR System Advanced smart grid technology deployment including Fault Location, Isolation, and System Restoration (FLISR) systems for power distribution automation, grid modernization advisory, advanced management systems, and cybersecurity for utilities.
• Western Balkans Sustainable Energy Finance Facility (WeBSEFF) Credit facility managed by E3I providing loans for sustainable energy projects up to EUR 2 million in industrial, commercial, residential, and municipal sectors across Western Balkans.

Quantifiable outcome

• 800+ completed sustainable energy projects in 20+ countries
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 August 2020Technology partner in Tunisia smart grid pilot, providing advanced smart grid equipment and solutions as part of the U.S.-Tunisia smart grid initiative. SEL is a U.S.-based company specializing in power system protection and automation.
• G&W ElectriccoreTechnology or Integration · 1 August 2020Technology partner in Tunisia smart grid pilot, providing grid infrastructure technology solutions. G&W Electric is a U.S.-based manufacturer of power distribution equipment.
• NokiasupportingTechnology or Integration · 1 August 2020Provides private LTE communications network for Tunisia smart grid pilot, enabling reliable connectivity for grid monitoring and automation systems.
• DeloittesupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAdvisory partner in Tunisia smart grid project, providing consulting support as subcontractor to E3I on the U.S. Department of State contract.
• EnerNexsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAdvisory partner in Tunisia smart grid project, providing technical expertise as part of the implementation team.
• Chemonics InternationalcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPrimary implementation partner on USAID Serbia Better Energy Activity (5-year, $3.7M project). E3I serves as lead subcontractor, providing technical expertise for municipal heating efficiency and residential building energy improvements.
• Tetra TechcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerImplementation partner on USAID Serbia Energy Efficiency Activity. E3I supported Tetra Tech in delivering district heating system improvements and pilot projects in Serbian municipalities.
• Green for Growth Fund (GGF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for sustainable energy finance in Southeast Europe. E3I supported GGF as subcontractor to Ernst & Young, building EE lending capacity at financial institutions and developing EE loan products across 14 countries.
• Government of TunisiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner for smart grid modernization initiative, working in collaboration with STEG to deploy advanced technologies in the Moknine region.
• Société Tunisienne de l'Électricité et du Gaz (STEG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTunisia's state-owned electricity and gas company. E3I serves as primary advisory and implementation support partner for smart grid roadmap development and deployment of advanced solutions in STEG's distribution network.
• CIFOR-ICRAF (Center for International Forestry Research)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScience-based partner for the Sustainable Land, Livelihoods, and Energy Initiative (SLLEI), ensuring environmental, social, and governance standards compliance for bioeconomy and landscape restoration components.
• Olof Palme International CentersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner for Just Transition round table in Sarajevo, supporting stakeholder dialogue on social dimensions of energy transition in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• Montgomery County Green BanksupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerE3I President Bonnie Norman serves as Chairperson of the Board. E3I provided pre-launch market assessment, funding, and governance advisory for the first county-level green bank in the United States.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Tetra Tech: Global consulting and engineering firm with a large international development practice in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and water. Already a named partner/subcontractor relationship with E3I on USAID Serbia projects, and a direct competitor for donor-funded sustainable energy mandates worldwide.
• Chemonics International: Major implementer of USAID-funded energy and economic growth programs globally. E3I serves as lead subcontractor to Chemonics on Serbia Better Energy; the two firms compete for and collaborate on USAID energy portfolio assignments.
• ICF International: U.S.-headquartered consultancy with deep international development energy practice serving USAID, USTDA, and the World Bank. Directly competes for the same type of donor-funded sustainable energy and climate advisory engagements that E3I pursues.
• DAI Global: International development company implementing donor-funded programs in energy, environment, and economic growth. Competes with E3I for USAID, DFC, and FCDO energy and climate finance assignments.
• Environmental Resources Management (ERM): Global sustainability consulting firm advising corporates, financial institutions, and governments on energy transition, climate finance, and clean infrastructure. Overlaps with E3I in green banking, sustainable energy finance, and capacity building engagements.

Broad incumbents

• Deloitte: Global professional services firm with a sizeable Sustainability and Climate practice advising governments, multilaterals, and corporates. Already a named partner on E3I's Tunisia smart grid project and a competitor for large donor-funded advisory mandates.
• Ernst & Young (EY): Global professional services firm with sustainability, climate finance, and energy transition advisory practices. E3I partnered with EY on the GGF sustainable energy finance program and competes with EY's broader green-finance and climate-advisory teams for institutional clients.
• WSP: Global engineering professional services firm with a major energy transition and sustainability practice. Competes with E3I on donor-funded infrastructure and energy efficiency programs requiring technical engineering depth.
• AECOM: Global infrastructure consulting firm with established energy and environment practices serving multilateral and bilateral development clients. Overlaps with E3I in grid modernization, renewable energy advisory, and donor-funded program implementation.

Emerging players

• Greenlight Consulting Group: Smaller U.S. consultancy focused on international clean energy and climate finance advisory. Competes with E3I on a subset of donor-funded renewable energy, energy efficiency, and capacity building assignments in emerging markets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/e3-international-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 E3 International