CIRENA

What CIRENA does

CIRENA is a non-profit association (association loi 1901) headquartered in Bordeaux, France, operating as the regional network for citizen-owned renewable energy projects in Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Founded in 2014, the organization mobilizes three primary constituencies: individual citizens seeking to participate in or invest in renewable energy projects, project leaders requiring support for collective structuring and development, and local authorities (collectivités) pursuing territorial energy transition strategies. Its stated mission is to enable local communities to reclaim governance over energy production through democratic, locally-financed renewable projects.

CIRENA's portfolio of products and services is service-oriented rather than software-based. Core offerings include an interactive regional map of citizen energy projects, the documentary 'Le lien et l'étincelle' used for community screenings, a formalized service package (Offre de services CIRENA 2026) covering workshops, collective emergence facilitation, and advisory accompaniment, plus training sessions for local officials (priced at €700/day or €500/half-day per group). The organization operates without proprietary technology platforms, patents, or AI/ML capabilities, relying instead on community organizing, events, a monthly Gazette newsletter, and social media.

Revenue mechanics are typical of a French association: membership dues, fee-for-service training and accompaniment, and public funding from regional partners including Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine (with calls covering up to 70% of certain expenses) and ADEME Nouvelle-Aquitaine. With 8 employees and a distributed network of 2,760 citizen shareholders across 30 projects producing 269.3 GWh/year, CIRENA's operating scale is modest but regionally significant.

Name

CIRENA

Legal name

CIRENA

Website

https://cirena.fr

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CIRENA is a Bordeaux-based non-profit association founded in 2014 that serves as the regional network promoting citizen-owned renewable energy projects in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, supporting citizens, project leaders, and local authorities through training, advisory, and community organizing services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Citizen Renewable Energy Network Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEUAGADAC

Retail & Community PPAs (Community Solar/Shared Renewables)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Energy Trading, Marketing & Retail Supply/Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) & Structured Energy Products

Keywords

• Citizen renewable energy
• Energy transition support
• Community energy networks
• Project facilitation services
• Renewable energy training

Headquarters

HQ city

Bordeaux

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Association services and membership: CIRENA operates as a non-profit association providing support services, training, and network facilitation for citizen-owned renewable energy projects. Revenue appears to come from membership fees, service fees for training and accompaniment, and potentially public funding from regional partners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CIRENA is a non-profit association that supports the emergence and structuring of citizen-owned renewable energy projects (solar, wind, hydraulic, biomass) in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of France. It provides accompaniment, training, networking, and educational resources to citizens, project leaders, and local authorities, enabling democratic, locally governed energy transition initiatives.

Product overview

CIRENA is a regional network organization (association) for citizen-owned renewable energy projects in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France. It does not operate a software product but rather provides a portfolio of services including: (1) a map of citizen energy projects in the region, (2) a documentary titled "Le lien et l'étincelle" (The Link and the Spark) showcasing citizen collectives, (3) a service offering document ("Offre de services CIRENA 2026") for project leaders and local authorities, and (4) training workshops for citizens, project leaders, and local officials on citizen-owned renewable energy development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Carte des projets citoyens d'énergies renouvelables (Map of Citizen Renewable Energy Projects) Interactive map of citizen renewable energy projects across the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, allowing citizens to locate and join existing collectives in their area.
• Offre de services CIRENA 2026 (CIRENA Service Package 2026) Comprehensive service package offering support for project leaders and local authorities, including workshops, presentations, collective emergence facilitation, and training for local officials on citizen-owned renewable energy projects.
• Formation énergie citoyenne (Citizen Energy Training) Training sessions for local officials and community agents on developing citizen-owned renewable energy projects, providing practical tools and examples for transitioning from technical management to political and territorial energy governance.
• Accompagnement des porteurs de projet (Project Leader Support) Support services for individuals and groups wishing to launch citizen-owned renewable energy projects, including collective structuring, practical tools, and territorial networking with local stakeholders.

Quantifiable outcome

• 269.3 GWh/year electricity production from 30 citizen projects involving 2,760 citizen shareholders

Named customers6 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

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ADEME Nouvelle-AquitainecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional office of the French Environment and Energy Management Agency providing support and funding for citizen energy projects and CIRENA's activities.
• Région Nouvelle-AquitainecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional council providing financial support including calls for projects covering up to 70% of certain expenses for citizen energy initiatives.
• Les Générateurs Nouvelle-AquitainecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of advisors providing free, neutral, and independent support to local authorities for photovoltaic, wind, and hydroelectric projects.
• Énergie PartagéecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational association supporting citizen-owned renewable energy projects; co-organizer of Rencontres nationales de l'Énergie Citoyenne with CIRENA, RECIT, Taranis, and Énergies Citoyennes en Pays de Vilaine.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fabri K Watt: Citizen photovoltaic cooperative near Angoulême featured as a CIRENA member/partner project. Directly comparable as a small citizen renewable cooperative in CIRENA's region.
• Taranis: Regional citizen-energy network in Occitanie that co-organizes national citizen-energy events with CIRENA. Comparable as a regional network fostering citizen-led renewable projects.
• Les Générateurs Nouvelle-Aquitaine: In-region partner network offering neutral advisory support to local authorities for renewable projects. Operates in the same territory and customer segments as CIRENA, with overlapping project-development services.
• Énergie Partagée: National French association promoting and financing citizen-owned renewable energy projects. Co-organizes the Rencontres nationales de l'Énergie Citoyenne with CIRENA and is the closest national-level counterpart, sharing the same citizen-energy mission and member-project model.
• Énergies Citoyennes en Pays de Vilaine: Regional citizen-energy network in Brittany that, like CIRENA, supports local project collectives through training, financing tools, and accompaniment. A direct structural analog operating in another French region.
• Coopec: Wind-farm citizen cooperative east of La Rochelle listed among CIRENA's member projects. Comparable as a citizen-owned renewable cooperative that CIRENA helps accompany and represent within the network.
• RECIT: Regional citizen-energy network in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Structurally comparable to CIRENA: regional association supporting emergence, financing, and governance of citizen renewable projects.

Others

• ADEME: French Environment and Energy Management Agency that funds and supports CIRENA's activities. Relevant as a key funder and policy actor shaping the citizen-energy ecosystem in which CIRENA operates.
• Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine: Regional council that provides grant programs covering up to 70% of qualifying citizen-project expenses. Acts as both principal funder and a key customer segment (collectivités) for CIRENA's training offerings.

Regional players

• Energy Cities: European network of municipalities driving the local energy transition. Comparable as a peer organization supporting local authorities in citizen-led and decentralized renewable energy strategies across Europe.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cirena.nouvelleaquitaine
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cirena

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 CIRENA