Gruyère Energie

What Gruyère Energie does

Gruyère Energie SA is a Swiss regional multi-utility company headquartered in Bulle, Canton of Fribourg, owned by communal shareholders and operating under concession agreements across approximately 46 communes in southern Fribourg. The group delivers electricity distribution, district heating (a 170 km network supplying 16,000 inhabitants and 1,000+ buildings), drinking water (4.7 billion liters annually), building installations and maintenance, solar PV (6.5 MW across 25+ sites), green hydrogen production, and EV charging access (2,500+ points). Operations are organized through specialized subsidiaries: Ensapp SA (electrical panels), Philippe Andrey (sanitary and heating installations), MDT (HVAC and industrial maintenance), EauSud SA (water services), and Gruyère Hydrogen Power SA (green hydrogen).

The business generates revenue through regulated, subscription-based utility tariffs charged to residential customers, businesses, and municipalities within its concession territories, supplemented by project-based revenue from solar PV installations, building heating and sanitary work, electrical panel sales, and emerging hydrogen production. Gruyère Energie's sustainability footprint includes 40,000 tonnes of CO2 avoided annually, replacement of 13 million liters of heating oil, and a target green hydrogen capacity of 300,000 kg/year. The company employs more than 450 people across three regional offices in Bulle, Pays-d'Enhaut, and Glâne, supported by an apprenticeship pipeline and recognized as the first BIM-certified operator in Canton of Fribourg.

The customer base is structurally diversified: regulated utility revenue derives from a long tail of residential, commercial, and municipal subscribers across 46 communes, while newer verticals — particularly green hydrogen (Liebherr as anchor customer) and solar PV (Gétaz-Miauton, Groupe Grisoni) — exhibit higher single-customer concentration. The group's strategy is anchored by a multi-year bolt-on M&A pattern (Ensapp 2014, Philippe Andrey 2020, MDT 2021), the launch of Gruyère Hydrogen Power in 2021 with facility inauguration in September 2024, and infrastructure expansion including the ESSOR logistics base (2020–2023) and district heating capacity growth toward 200 GWh.

Name

Gruyère Energie

Legal name

Gruyère Energie SA

Website

https://gruyere-energie.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1893

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Gruyère Energie SA is a Swiss communal multi-utility headquartered in Bulle, Fribourg, serving ~46 communes across electricity distribution, district heating, water, solar PV, EV charging, and green hydrogen, with 450+ employees and revenue diversified across residential, business, and municipal subscribers via regulated tariffs and project-based installations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bulle

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Energy Distribution and Supply: Supply of electricity (100% renewable) and district heating to residential, commercial, and municipal customers across the Gruyère region. Revenue generated through tariff-based consumption billing with quarterly advances and annual settlement.
2. Building Installation Services: Electrical installations, sanitary systems, heating systems (heat pumps, boilers), ventilation, solar photovoltaic systems, fiber optic connections, and building automation. Provided to individuals, businesses, and municipalities through project-based engagements.
3. Maintenance and Technical Services: 24/7 emergency repair services and preventive maintenance contracts for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and electrical systems through subsidiaries MDT and Philippe Andrey.
4. Electric Mobility Infrastructure: Installation and operation of charging stations for electric vehicles, including private home charging solutions and access to public charging network of over 2,500 stations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Gruyère Energie is a regional Swiss energy utility that supplies 100% renewable electricity, operates a 170 km district heating network, and provides drinking water across approximately 46 communes in Canton of Fribourg. The company also delivers building technical installations (electrical, sanitary, heating, ventilation, solar PV, and domotics), electric mobility charging infrastructure, multimedia services, and operates green hydrogen production through its subsidiary Gruyère Hydrogen Power SA.

Product overview

Gruyère Energie is a regional energy company providing an integrated portfolio of energy solutions for individuals, businesses, and municipalities. The offering comprises core utility services (electricity supply, district heating, drinking water via subsidiary EauSud, and electric mobility infrastructure) combined with technical building services (electrical installations with over 130 years of experience, sanitary, heating with heat pumps and wood boilers, ventilation, and building automation/domotics). The product suite includes solar photovoltaic installations with battery storage and self-consumption solutions, energy sharing communities (CA, RCP, CEL), and green hydrogen production through subsidiary Gruyère Hydrogen Power SA. Multimedia services are delivered through partner net+ FR. Technical services are supported by three key subsidiaries: Ensapp SA (custom electrical panels), Philippe Andrey Installations sanitaires et chauffage SA (sanitary and heating), and MDT Maintenance SA (HVAC and technical services). The company operates the largest district heating network in the region (170 km, serving ~16,000 residents) and manages 26 solar sites totaling 6.5 MW capacity, with hydrogen production added in 2024.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gruyère Hydrogen Power SA (GHP): Subsidiary focused on the production and distribution of green (decarbonized) hydrogen, contributing to the decarbonization of industry, mobility, and energy storage sectors in Switzerland.

Products and services

• Electricity Supply
• District Heating
• Solar & Energy Sharing
• Drinking Water Supply
• Electric Mobility
• Electrical Installations
• Sanitary Installations
• Heating Installations
• Ventilation Installations
• Solar Photovoltaic Installation
• Battery Storage & Self-Consumption
• Building IT & Domotics
• Multimedia Services
• Green Hydrogen Production
• Engineering & Design Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 40,000 tonnes of CO2 saved annually through district heating network
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• Liebherr Machines Bulle SAcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 September 2024First customer of Gruyère Hydrogen Power SA, receiving green hydrogen deliveries for test benches in hydrogen combustion engine development. Inaugurated September 2024 with ongoing supply relationship for decarbonization of industrial processes.
• EauSud SAcoreOthers · 1 January 2005Subsidiary managing spring water capture and drinking water supply for over 40 communes in southern Fribourg. Founded 2005, distributing 4.7 billion liters annually with rigorous quality monitoring from source to tap.
• net+ FR SAcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with 100% Fribourg telecommunications company to provide multimedia services including internet, telephony, mobile, and TV. Gruyère Energie develops and maintains the multimedia network for Gruyère and Glâne communes while net+ FR delivers consumer and business telecommunications services.
• SwissrocstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Swissroc on the Gétaz-Miauton solar installation project, one of the largest rooftop photovoltaic systems in the region at 1.5 MW capacity.
• Groupe GrisonistrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical partner for the new wood hub construction project at Vuadens, providing multi-trade building technical services including electrical, sanitary, heating, CVC, BIM coordination, and energy optimization as part of sustainable construction initiative.
• Ensapp SAcoreOthersSubsidiary specializing in custom electrical distribution and control panel design and manufacturing. Integrated into Technical Building Direction since 2014, providing comprehensive services from quotation to on-site installation for Swiss Romandie clients.
• Philippe Andrey Installations sanitaires et chauffage SAcoreOthersSubsidiary providing sanitary, heating, and ventilation installation services. Employing approximately 50 collaborators, acquired as sole shareholder in 2020 after partnership beginning in 2016. Provides 24/7 emergency services.
• MDT Maintenance, Dépannage, Technique SAcoreOthersSubsidiary specializing in heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and sanitary maintenance with 24/7 emergency service across French-speaking Switzerland. Integrated into headquarters in 2024 to enhance collaboration.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Groupe E: Fribourg-based regional energy utility serving the Canton of Fribourg with electricity distribution, heat networks, and energy services. Closest comparable in geography and integrated multi-service model to Gruyère Energie.
• Romande Energie: Major Swiss Romandy utility providing electricity generation, distribution, heating networks, and energy services across Canton of Vaud. Comparable vertically integrated regional utility with similar offerings and customer base.
• Services Industriels de Lausanne (SiL): Municipal multi-utility of Lausanne operating electricity distribution, district heating (CAD), gas, water, and EV charging. Comparable municipal ownership structure and integrated utility profile to Gruyère Energie.
• St. Galler Stadtwerke: Municipal utility of St. Gallen providing electricity, district heating, water, and telecom services. Comparable integrated municipal-utility model with similar scale and renewable energy offerings.
• Energie Wasser Bern (ewb): Bern municipal utility providing electricity, district heating, water, gas, telecom, and EV charging. Comparable publicly-owned integrated multi-utility with similar service breadth and renewable energy focus.
• Industrielle Werke Basel (IWB): Basel municipal utility delivering electricity, district heating, water, and EV charging with strong renewable energy positioning. Comparable ownership (cantonal) and integrated service portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• BKW Energie AG: Large Swiss energy group with generation, distribution, and services across multiple cantons. Overlaps with Gruyère's offerings but operates at much larger scale with broader geographic footprint.
• Axpo Holding AG: Switzerland's largest producer of renewable energy and a major grid operator. Overlaps with Gruyère's renewable generation and distribution activities but at national scale with a fundamentally different ownership structure.

Regional players

• AEW Energie AG: Regional energy utility serving Canton of Aargau with electricity distribution, telecommunications, and energy services. Comparable regional utility footprint though operating in a different Swiss canton.

Emerging players

• H2 Energy AG: Swiss pioneer in green hydrogen production and refueling infrastructure. Comparable emerging focus on green hydrogen value chain but specialized in mobility applications rather than integrated utility services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC761klUE0yC11PtihKWINaw
• Facebookfacebook.com/gruyereenergie
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gruyere-energie-sa/posts/?feedView=all&viewAsMember=true
• Instagraminstagram.com/gruyereenergie

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries5 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 Gruyère Energie