NTT SMILE ENERGY

What NTT SMILE ENERGY does

NTT Smile Energy is a Japanese renewable energy technology company established in June 2011 as a joint venture between NTT West and Omron Corporation, now majority-owned by NTT Anode Energy Co., Ltd. (51%), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT). Headquartered in Osaka, the company operates as the distributed energy management arm of the NTT Group, serving residential homeowners, commercial enterprises, local governments, solar equipment sales companies, and retail electricity providers across Japan (excluding Okinawa Electric Power service areas and remote islands).

The company's core product is "eco-megane," a cloud-based IoT solar PV monitoring platform launched in November 2011 as Japan's first such service. The platform has scaled to monitor over 100,000 installations totaling 3GW of capacity. The product portfolio has expanded to include AI-powered battery optimization (Chikuden eco-megane), commercial PPA billing (eco-megane Smart ONE), remote DER control services for retail electricity providers (Saru-ru Control, launched June 2025), battery-equipped commercial PPA (Smile Soraeru Denki), EV management (N.mobi), power conditioner rental (POWER CONTINUE), and maintenance tools (Equipment Checker). The technology stack integrates ECHONET Lite protocol communication with smart meter B-route data and is trained on over a decade of generation and consumption data.

Revenue is generated through subscription-based monitoring services (Okawari Plan at 1,500-3,000 yen/month), PPA electricity sales under 10-12 year contracts (2 billion yen Phase I investment), aggregated DER control services for retailers, O&M support services, and surplus power purchase from post-FIT residential systems. The go-to-market combines direct enterprise sales with channel partnerships through construction companies, NTT DOCOMO retail stores, NTT Business Solutions, and specialized channel partners such as Shika Medical (60,000+ dental clinics).

Name

NTT SMILE ENERGY

Legal name

株式会社NTTスマイルエナジー

Website

https://nttse.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

NTT SMILE ENERGY is a Japanese NTT Group subsidiary that provides IoT-based solar PV monitoring, AI-powered battery optimization, commercial power purchase agreements (PPAs), and virtual power plant aggregation for residential, commercial, government, and retail electricity customers across Japan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Distributed Energy Management Services

NAICS

Solar Electric Power Generation (221114), Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211)

SIC

Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991), Electric Services (4911)

akta.pro primary industry

DER Monitoring, Telemetry & Communications (IEEE 2030.5, DNP3, SunSpec) (EUADALAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Solar Project Development & IPP (Utility-Scale & Rooftop) (EUAMABAA), Renewable Energy Asset O&M (Wind, Solar, Hydro, Geothermal) (EUAEAGAB), Community Solar Development & Subscription Management (EUAMAJAA)

Keywords

• Solar monitoring services
• Power purchase agreements
• Battery aggregation services
• Distributed energy resources
• Virtual power plant

Headquarters

HQ city

Osaka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Solar Monitoring Hardware and Subscription Services: Sale of eco-megane monitoring devices combined with monthly/annual subscription fees for remote monitoring services. Revenue from residential and commercial solar installations under 50kW.
2. PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) Services: Company invests in and installs solar PV systems on customer facilities at no upfront cost. Revenue generated from selling electricity to customers at rates below grid electricity. Contract terms typically 10-12 years.
3. DER Control Services for Retail Electricity Providers: B2B service providing remote battery control capabilities to retail electricity companies. NTT Smile Energy aggregates ~3,400 batteries for coordinated control to help retailers reduce capacity charges and procurement costs.
4. O&M Support Services: Operation and maintenance support services for sales companies including remote monitoring delegation, monthly/annual reports, billing agency services, on-site response, and periodic inspections.
5. Surplus Power Purchase (Post-FIT): Purchasing surplus electricity from post-FIT residential solar systems and reselling to Enenet for environmental value monetization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NTT SMILE ENERGY provides cloud-based solar power generation monitoring (eco-megane), zero-upfront solar and battery Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) installation for commercial facilities, and remote distributed energy resource (DER) aggregation/control services for retail electricity providers in Japan. It operates Japan's largest residential battery aggregation platform with approximately 3,400 simultaneously controllable units and over 100,000 monitored solar installations representing 3GW of capacity.

Product overview

NTT SMILE ENERGY offers a comprehensive energy management platform centered around the eco-megane product family. The core eco-megane service provides cloud-based solar power monitoring, while specialized variants address different market segments: Chikuden eco-megane for homes with solar+battery (with AI optimization), Self-consumption eco-megane for commercial PPA operations, and Smart ONE for PPA billing measurements. Supporting services include the new Saru-ru Control for remote DER management by retailers, Smile Soraeru Denki PPA service for free solar installation, POWER CONTINUE power conditioner rental, and N.mobi for EV solutions. Add-on modules enhance the platform with Equipment Checker for remote maintenance, Eco Kanban for environmental visualization, Okawari Plan for extended warranty, and Sot-FIT Plus for surplus power purchase. The product ecosystem enables the full lifecycle of distributed energy resource management from generation monitoring to VPP aggregation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• eco-megane（エコめがね）: Solar power remote monitoring service for residential and commercial properties, providing power generation visualization, alarm notifications for anomalies, and energy management support
• ちくでんエコめがね
• さるるコントロール
• N.mobi（エヌモビ）
• エコめがね Smart ONE

Products and services

• eco-megane (エコめがね) Cloud-based solar power generation monitoring service providing real-time visualization of power generation, consumption, and CO2 reduction through the Eco-graph, with alert notifications for anomalies, supporting long-term stable operation of solar equipment for residential and commercial customers.
• Chikuden eco-megane (ちくでんエコめがね) Home energy management system combining solar power generation and battery storage with AI-controlled optimization for electricity bill reduction and disaster preparedness, targeting residential households with solar+battery installations.
• Self-consumption eco-megane (自家消費エコめがね) Self-consumption solar monitoring service supporting high-voltage equipment for commercial and industrial facilities, enabling PPA model billing and energy management for self-consumption optimization.
• Saru-ru Control (さるるコントロール) Remote control service for retail electricity providers enabling remote charging and discharging control of distributed energy resources (DER) including storage batteries to reduce electricity costs through demand response, capacity charge reduction, and JEPX arbitrage.
• Smile Soraeru Denki (スマイルそらえるでんき) On-site PPA service providing free solar power equipment installation for commercial properties, including battery storage and disaster emergency power supply capability. Customers purchase generated electricity at rates below grid power over 10-12 year contracts.
• POWER CONTINUE Fixed-fee rental service for power conditioners provided jointly with OMRON Social Solutions and Tokyo Century, including exchange, maintenance, and insurance with no initial cost, designed for low-voltage solar operators.
• eco-megane Smart ONE (エコめがね Smart ONE) PPA-specialized measurement system retrieving smart meter electricity quantity data for billing purposes via CSV download or API, supporting a wide range of equipment from low to high voltage capacity with API service for system integration.
• N.mobi (エヌモビ) EV introduction and operation support solution for local governments and corporations, providing total support for optimal utilization of EVs and electricity combined with PPA solar power equipment.

Quantifiable outcome

• CO2 reduction of 220.3t achieved through Miyako city subsidy program (60 households)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered strategic and core.

• Miyako New Power (宮古新電力株式会社)strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2026Partnership for Miyako city decarbonization initiative, supplying eco-megane EMS for residential solar+battery subsidy program. Joint promotion of 'Dekabon Denki' green electricity menu.
• Retail Electricity Providers (小売電気事業者)coreTechnology or Integration · 25 June 2025Saru-ru Control service provides remote DER control to retail electricity providers, enabling them to reduce capacity charges, optimize JEPX procurement, and minimize imbalance costs through aggregated battery control.
• City of Miyako (宮古市)strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2024Local government partner for 2026 subsidy program for residential solar+battery installation in decarbonization pioneer area, providing 2/3 subsidy for PV, 3/4 for battery.
• OMRON Social Solutions (オムロン ソーシアルソリューションズ株式会社)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2024Partnership for POWER CONTINUE service, combining OMRON power conditioners with NTT Smile Energy's eco-megane remote monitoring. Joint subscription service for low-voltage solar operators.
• Tokyo Century (東京センチュリー株式会社)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2024Financial services partner for POWER CONTINUE subscription model, providing lease financing and insurance for power conditioner replacement service.
• NTT Business Solutions (NTTビジネスソリューションズ株式会社)strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 October 2022Collaboration for N.mobi EV solution, combining NTT Smile Energy's PPA and energy management with NTT Business Solutions' EV fleet management capabilities.
• J-Net Rent-a-Lease (J-netレンタリース株式会社)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 29 March 2022Customer and partner for solar PPA at J-Net Car Rental locations. Installation by Bird Light Neo, sales promotion by Architecture Gallery.
• Bird Light Neo (株式会社ビーライトネオ)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 29 March 2022Construction partner handling electrical installation work for PPA projects at car rental and other facilities nationwide.
• Shika Medical (株式会社歯愛ンメディカル)strategicChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 16 September 2021Healthcare distributor offering PPA services to 60,000+ member dental clinics nationwide, combined with Enenet electricity supply.
• Denga Shinki (株式会社デンカシンキ)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 16 September 2021Construction partner with nationwide 5,000 residential PPA installations experience, handling design, construction, and maintenance for Shika Medical PPA program.
• Nippon Life Insurance (日本生命保険相互会社)strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 June 2021First life insurance company to achieve ZEB certification through PPA partnership, providing solar+battery systems at branch offices for CO2 reduction and disaster resilience.
• Chugoku Industrial (長州産業株式会社)coreTechnology or Integration · 10 June 2021Battery manufacturer partner with ~350 sales agency network for VPP demonstration. Connected batteries can be controlled through eco-megane platform.
• Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (経済産業省)strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 October 2020Selected as Zero Emission Challenge Company by METI for decarbonization innovation contributions, announced at TCFD Summit 2020.
• NTT DOCOMOcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 August 2019Selected as solar PPA installer for DOCOMO Shops nationwide, providing disaster-resilient solar installations with free emergency charging for affected residents during disasters.
• Enenet (株式会社エネット)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 July 2019Electricity retail partner for post-FIT surplus power purchase and PPA services. Enenet purchases aggregated surplus electricity and provides green electricity menus to end customers.
• Kitakyushu Power (株式会社北九州パワー)strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 May 2019Regional energy company partner for Kitakyushu city local energy consumption initiative, purchasing post-FIT surplus electricity for supply to local public facilities.
• Kansai Electric Power (関西電力株式会社)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 July 2016Aggregation coordinator for VPP demonstration project, receiving control instructions from transmission/distribution operators and directing resource aggregation.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• NextDrive: Taiwan/Japan-based DER energy IoT platform offering smart energy management, residential battery control, and VPP aggregation. Directly comparable to NTT SMILE ENERGY's eco-megane monitoring and Saru-ru Control battery orchestration capabilities in the Japanese market.
• Sunnova Energy International: US residential solar and battery storage service provider offering long-term PPAs and leases with integrated monitoring and grid services. Closely mirrors NTT SMILE ENERGY's multi-segment residential solar+storage subscription model.
• Sunrun: Largest US residential solar PPA and energy services company with subscription-based solar+battery leases. Comparable business model to Smile Soraeru Denki PPA service, including long-duration contracts (typically 20–25 years), zero upfront cost customer acquisition, and grid services aggregation.
• Ennet: Japanese electricity retailer and post-FIT surplus power purchaser that aggregates residential solar output and supplies green electricity menus. Direct peer in post-FIT electricity aggregation business model overlapping with eco-megane Sot-FIT Plus.
• Omron Social Solutions: Power conditioner manufacturer and NTT SMILE ENERGY's POWER CONTINUE partner, which provides power conditioners for solar and battery systems with monitoring capabilities. Competes in adjacent hardware-enabled monitoring layers and was an original 34% shareholder of NTT SMILE ENERGY.

Broad incumbents

• Sharp Corporation: Japanese electronics manufacturer with established residential solar PV business and energy solutions portfolio. Competes in rooftop solar hardware while overlapping with NTT SMILE ENERGY's downstream monitoring and PPA service layer.
• Enphase Energy: Global leader in solar microinverters and the Envoy-based monitoring platform for distributed residential solar. Comparable technology stack and recurring monitoring subscription model, scaled across millions of installations globally rather than concentrated in Japan.
• Kansai Electric Power: Major Japanese utility serving as VPP aggregation coordinator in partnership with NTT SMILE ENERGY. As an incumbent with millions of meters, grid assets, and capital, it represents both a partner and a potential competitor in residential DER control and demand response markets.
• Tesla Energy: Global provider of solar PV (Solar Roof), Powerwall residential batteries, and the Tesla app ecosystem for monitoring/control. Offers an integrated solar+battery+EV solution analogous to NTT SMILE ENERGY's eco-megane + Smile Soraeru Denki + N.mobi stack.
• Panasonic Corporation: Major Japanese electronics conglomerate producing solar PV panels, residential battery storage systems (e.g., EverVolt), and energy management platforms. Competes in the broader residential solar+battery ecosystem that NTT SMILE ENERGY serves through monitoring and PPA.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 NTT SMILE ENERGY