What CLEEN Energy does

CLEEN Energy AG was an Austrian B2B provider of integrated commercial and industrial energy efficiency solutions, founded in 2014 as CLEEN Energy GmbH and converted to a public limited company (AG) ahead of its April 2018 listing on the Vienna Stock Exchange (ticker CLEN, ISIN AT0000A38M45). The company served enterprises and mid-market businesses across the DACH region (with historical entries into Croatia, Bulgaria, Italy, and the UAE) with a horizontal portfolio of photovoltaic systems (rooftop, ground-mounted, carport, agri-PV), LED lighting retrofits, lithium-ion battery storage, EV charging infrastructure, and heat pumps. Individual project sizes ranged from approximately 90 kWp to 3,000 kWp in PV and hundreds to over 1,600 LED light points, with named reference customers including Donauwell Wellpape (958.7 kWp), Welser Profile (3,000 kWp), Schwarzmüller, Lekkerland, Billa Plus, Stadtbetriebe Steyr, and Julius Kiennast.

The business model combined direct enterprise field sales with three customer-facing pricing structures: direct purchase, equipment leasing, and the differentiated "Einspar-Contracting" outcome-based model, in which CLEEN financed, installed, and operated systems with no upfront cost to the customer and recovered revenue from realized energy savings. The company bundled planning, subsidy/funding management, installation, and maintenance into a "Rundum-Sorglos" (turnkey) package delivered through subsidiaries including CLEEN Energy Einsparcontracting GmbH, CLEEN Energy Energiewende GmbH, and CLEEN Energy Helios GmbH. Customers reported outcomes such as a 94% electricity cost reduction at Donauwell Wellpape, €18,064/year savings and zero net investment at Julius Kiennast, and a 3.03-year ROI on a 1,617-light-point LED retrofit at FZB Fahrzeugbedarf.

Despite reporting its first profitable half-year in 2024 and securing one of its largest contract wins (a 13 MW+ PV order with Stadtbetriebe Steyr and Fronius under the "Green Forward" initiative), CLEEN Energy entered restructuring proceedings at the Regional Court St. Pölten on December 20, 2024. The reorganization plan was withdrawn in February 2025 and the company was ordered fully closed (Konkurs) on April 16, 2025, with the Vienna Stock Exchange revoking share admission effective April 25, 2025. As of the input data, the company has ceased operations.

Name

CLEEN Energy

Legal name

CLEEN Energy AG

Website

https://cleen-energy.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CLEEN Energy AG was an Austrian B2B energy efficiency integrator serving commercial and industrial customers in the DACH region with photovoltaic systems, LED retrofits, battery storage, and EV charging, delivered via turnkey project execution and savings-based contracting. Operations ceased in April 2025 following insolvency.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial & Industrial Energy Efficiency Solutions (ESCO / Energy Contracting)

NAICS

Solar Electric Power Generation (221114)

SIC

Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900), Electric Lighting & Wiring Equipment (3640)

akta.pro primary industry

Solar Balance-of-Plant EPC (Piles/Foundations, Trenching, Combiner Networks) (EUAEADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Microgrid Development, EPC & Integration (EUAMAJAB), Microgrid, DER & Building Electrification Energy Controls (Solar/Storage/EV Load Orchestration) (BPABAGAJ)

Keywords

• Commercial solar installations
• Industrial LED retrofits
• Battery storage systems
• EV charging infrastructure
• Energy savings contracting

Headquarters

HQ city

Haag

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Photovoltaik (Solar PV) Systems: Design, installation, and sale of photovoltaic systems for commercial and industrial rooftops, free-field sites, carports, and agri-PV installations. Revenue is generated from equipment sales and installation services. Includes projects ranging from ~100 kWp to 3,000 kWp.
2. LED Beleuchtung (LED Lighting Retrofits): LED lighting system retrofits for commercial and industrial facilities (warehouses, cold storage, logistics halls). Revenue from project-based installation and equipment sales.
3. Stromspeicher (Battery Storage): Commercial battery storage systems for increasing PV self-consumption, peak shaving, and backup power. Revenue from hardware sales and installation.
4. Ladeinfrastruktur (EV Charging Infrastructure): Electric vehicle charging stations installed at commercial sites, integrated with PV and battery storage. Revenue from hardware and installation.
5. Leasing-Finanzierung (Equipment Leasing): Equipment leasing model where customers avoid upfront capital expenditure and instead pay fixed lease installments over the contract term. CLEEN Energy retains ownership of the equipment during the lease period.
6. Einspar-Contracting (Energy Savings Contracting): Contracting model where CLEEN Energy finances, installs, and operates the energy systems at customer sites at no upfront cost to the customer. The company earns fees from the realized energy cost savings. This is a growing revenue stream and a core differentiator.
7. Dienstleistungen (Advisory & Project Management): Services including project planning and supervision, financing advice, subsidy/funding management, and existing installation analysis. These services are offered as part of bundled packages or as standalone consulting.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CLEEN Energy AG plans, finances, installs, and maintains integrated energy efficiency systems for commercial and industrial (C&I) customers in the DACH region. Its product portfolio spans photovoltaic (PV) systems, LED lighting retrofits, battery storage, and electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. Projects are delivered turnkey — including planning, subsidy management, hardware procurement, installation, financing (purchase, leasing, or Einspar-Contracting), and ongoing operation — enabling customers to upgrade energy infrastructure with no or limited upfront capital outlay.

Product overview

CLEEN Energy offers a comprehensive portfolio of B2B energy efficiency solutions centered on renewable energy generation, storage, and consumption optimization. The core offerings include Photovoltaic systems (rooftop, ground-mounted, agri-PV, and carport configurations), EV Charging Infrastructure, Battery Storage Solutions, and LED Retrofit Solutions. The company provides end-to-end services from planning and financing through installation and maintenance, offering flexible financing models including leasing and savings-based contracting (Einspar-Contracting) to eliminate upfront investment costs for customers. The product portfolio is designed as an integrated energy ecosystem where PV systems, battery storage, EV charging, and LED lighting work together to maximize energy self-consumption and reduce operational costs for commercial and industrial clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Photovoltaik / Solar PV Systems (CLEEN Photovoltaik) Planning, financing, installation and maintenance of rooftop and ground-mounted photovoltaic systems sized for commercial and industrial customers (hundreds of kW to MW scale), including integration with battery storage and EV charging. Targeted at C&I businesses in Austria and Germany seeking to reduce grid electricity consumption via on-site solar generation.
• LED Beleuchtung / LED Lighting Retrofits (CLEEN LED) Commercial-grade LED lighting retrofits using PHILIPS LED technology, including planning, financing, installation and after-sales service. Offered to industrial, commercial, retail, hospitality, and public-sector customers under Einspar-Contracting, leasing or direct-purchase models. Awarded a Bundesbeschaffung framework contract in 2017.
• Stromspeicher / Battery Storage Systems (CLEEN Speicher) Stationary battery energy storage systems deployed at commercial and industrial sites for peak shaving, self-consumption optimization of on-site PV generation, and grid-services participation (including innovative business models in partnership with utility partners such as EVN).
• Ladeinfrastruktur / EV Charging Infrastructure (CLEEN E-Mobilität) Planning, installation and operation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure for commercial and industrial sites, including fleet charging, employee charging, and customer/visitor charging at retail, hospitality and real-estate locations.
• Einspar-Contracting (Energy Savings Contracting) Savings-based contracting model through which CLEEN finances, installs and operates energy-efficiency upgrades at customer sites; the customer repays through a share of the energy-cost savings, removing the need for upfront capital expenditure. Applicable across the PV, LED, storage and EV charging product lines.
• Advisory, Planning & Subsidy Management Services Consulting, project planning, energy audits, and subsidy/funding administration services bundled (or sold standalone) with CLEEN's hardware installations, covering Austrian and German federal and state energy-efficiency incentive programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Donauwell Wellpape GmbH achieved 94% reduction in electricity costs following PV and LED installation with zero upfront investment through contracting.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers21 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Stadtbetriebe SteyrmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 August 2024Municipal utility of Steyr, Upper Austria, partnered with CLEEN Energy and Fronius under the 'Green Forward' initiative. The partnership resulted in new PV orders exceeding 13 MW for the city utility, representing one of CLEEN Energy's largest contract wins. The collaboration aims to advance Steyr's climate goals through solar energy deployment.
• FroniuscoreTechnology or Integration · 5 August 2024Fronius is a leading solar inverter and energy storage technology provider. The company partnered with CLEEN Energy and Stadtbetriebe Steyr for the 'Green Forward' initiative, providing inverter technology for large-scale PV installations. CLEEN Energy works with leading industry technology partners including Fronius for solar inverters.
• voestalpineminorOthersListed as a reference customer on the CLEEN Energy 'Über uns' page. Voestalpine is a major Austrian steel corporation. While presented as a client/reference, the exact nature of the commercial relationship (size, scope) is not detailed.
• KontronminorOthersListed as a reference customer on the CLEEN Energy 'Über uns' page. Kontron is an Austrian IT/systems company. Presented as a client reference, but exact project scope is not detailed.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Fronius International: Austrian inverter and welding technology manufacturer that was a partner in CLEEN's Green Forward 13 MW initiative. Comparable as a leading energy-transition technology provider in the DACH region; upstream supplier rather than direct competitor.

Direct peers

• 1Komma5°: German energy transition platform offering integrated PV, storage, heat pumps and EV charging for residential and commercial customers, with dynamic-tariff energy contracting. Closest direct competitor to CLEEN in DACH, with significantly more capital and scale.
• Enerix: German franchise network specializing in residential and commercial photovoltaic installations with storage integration. Competes head-to-head with CLEEN in PV EPC for C&I customers across Germany and Austria.
• Enpal: German solar leasing company offering PV + battery + heat pump + EV charger bundles on a no-upfront-cost model for homeowners and increasingly commercial customers. Operates the same contracting/leasing economics as CLEEN's Einspar-Contracting.

Broad incumbents

• VERBUND AG: Largest Austrian utility and one of Europe's largest hydroelectric generators, increasingly active in PV, storage and e-mobility for commercial customers. Austrian incumbent and potential competitor for municipal and large C&I energy contracts.
• Wien Energie: Largest regional energy utility in Austria offering PV, storage, EV charging and energy services to commercial and municipal customers in CLEEN's home market. Strong incumbent competitor for municipal and large C&I contracts.
• E.ON Energie Deutschland: One of Europe's largest energy utilities with broad portfolio of energy services for commercial and industrial customers including PV, storage, EV charging and energy efficiency contracting. Competes with CLEEN on enterprise C&I energy solutions at much greater scale.

Emerging players

• Solarwatt: German solar module and integrated PV + storage + EV charging provider offering complete rooftop solutions with financing for residential and small commercial customers. Adjacent competitor in CLEEN's mid-market segment.
• Sonnen (by Shell): German residential and small-commercial battery storage specialist (now owned by Shell) offering integrated PV + storage solutions including virtual power plant aggregation. Overlaps with CLEEN's BESS business and contracting approach.
• Zolar: German digital-first solar marketplace and installer network offering PV and storage with online configuration and financing. Overlaps with CLEEN on the residential/small commercial segment rather than large C&I.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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• Xx.com/cleen_energy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 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 CLEEN Energy