“Eneco and LichtBlick are strong believers in and supporters of the four megatrends changing the global energy markets: decarbonisation, decentralisation, digitalisation and democratisation. These trends are going to shift power to the customers and are changing the role of energy companies. LichtBlick and Eneco will jointly develop leading-edge smart energy products and services for consumers and businesses.”
“With this partnership, Eneco and LichtBlick are a strong force in the European energy market, with substantial investment capabilities, combined experience in key energy markets and a large customer base. The partnership builds on the talents of highly motivated and creative employees in both companies with a shared vision on the new energy world.”
Eneco and LichtBlick join forces to speed up energy transition in Europe
New partnership for digital innovation and new energy leadership
Netherlands based renewable energy company Eneco has acquired a 50% interest in energy and IT company LichtBlick. LichtBlick is the leading green energy retailer in Germany, providing renewable energy to over 645,000 customers. With SchwarmEnergie, the company develops digital energy solutions for consumer and business customers. Eneco is a frontrunner in renewable energy production and retail, serving more than two million customers. The Dutch company also has operations in Belgium, France and the United Kingdom.
The joint ambition of both companies is to grow business in Germany, the Netherlands and other countries in Europe by providing green and digital products and services to meet customers’ changing needs.
Eneco invented the Toon thermostat, a user-friendly Smart Home platform that gives consumers better understanding of and control over their energy consumption. At present, this platform is being used by 320,000 households. The IT platform ‘SchwarmDirigent’, the leading digital technology for intelligent energy developed by LichtBlick, connects distributed energy sources like combined heat and power plants, electric cars, heat pumps, solar power and storage to the energy market. The partners will explore the potential for Toon-expansion in the German market and the integration of SchwarmEnergie functionalities into the Smart Home device.
The companies also seek to scale up LichtBlick’s services, such as the management and optimization of combined heat & power plants (CHP), to the European level. Further areas for cooperation are the joint development of solar and storage products, services and the smart electric charging of green energy. In addition, the partners will team up to develop energy-sharing solutions, based on SchwarmDirigent, enabling future prosumers to share their locally produced clean energy.
Eneco supports LichtBlick’s strategy of profitable growth, including acquisition of customer portfolio’s to expand the company's green energy market leadership in Germany. The partnership will not affect management, operations or the companies' brands. Eneco will have three representatives in LichtBlick’s Supervisory Board.
Note to the editor
This press release is also published in German; the English version will prevail over the German version.
Both companies will not disclose any further financial details. The partnership is subject to approval by German Bundeskartelamt.
For more information please contact:
Eneco Group
Toby Ellson, manager media relations
T: +31 (0)6 310 447 63
LichtBlick SE
Ralph Kampwirth, Head of Communication
T: +49 170 / 565 15 56
About Eneco Group
Eneco is an international renewable energy company, headquartered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. With 6,700 employees we operate in the Netherlands, the UK, Germany, France and Belgium. In addition to energy production, purchasing and trade, Eneco supplies energy to over two million companies and households. Our mission is to make ‘sustainable energy for everyone’ a reality by ensuring that energy will be sustainable, available and affordable in the long term. Eneco is developing into a leading energy services supplier, for which innovation is the key to success. In 2015 Eneco realised a turnover of nearly EUR 4,3 billion.
About LichtBlick
LichtBlick SE is an energy and IT company. Our vision is to provide clean energy - anytime, anywhere and to anyone. LichtBlick was founded in 1998. Today, we are Germany's largest independent green energy retailer. We supply 645,000 consumer and business customers with certified green energy. In answer to increasing use of distributed energy resources LichtBlick has developed the IT platform ‘SchwarmDirigent®’. LichtBlick cooperates with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Germany to promote the energy transition. The company employs 500 passionate staff members. The headquarters is in Hamburg, Germany. In 2015, the company realised a turnover of EUR 670 million. Greentech Capital Advisors acted as exclusive financial advisor to LichtBlick.