Certinergy

About Certinergy

Certinergy, established in 2008 by Frédéric Utzmann and Edouard Jounet, operates as a service provider in the energy efficiency sector. The firm was founded to capitalize on the emerging market for energy savings, specifically through the French government's Energy Savings Certificates (Certificats d'Economies d'Energie or CEE) program. This governmental initiative obligates certain entities to achieve energy savings while incentivizing others through the issuance of these tradable certificates.

The company's business model is centered on facilitating access to and financing for energy efficiency projects. It serves a diverse client base that includes industrial companies, private and public tertiary sector entities, collective housing managers, and transport companies. Certinergy generates revenue by designing, implementing, and financing energy-saving projects, leveraging the CEE mechanism to offer cost-effective solutions. Its services range from identifying energy-saving opportunities and devising customized technical solutions to managing the financing through white certificates and monitoring the long-term performance of implemented projects. In some cases, the company undertakes the initial investment and is compensated based on the energy savings achieved.

A significant milestone in the company's history was the 2013 launch of the "Pacte Energie Solidarité" program, an initiative offering attic insulation for a nominal fee to low-income households, which earned an innovation award. The company expanded internationally with the opening of a subsidiary in Italy in 2011 and another in the UK in 2013. In 2016, the parent group holding Certinergy was rebranded as Effy to reflect its broader scope, while the CEE-focused entity retained the CertiNergy SAS name. Subsequently, in 2019, Certinergy and its sister company CN Solutions were acquired by the ENGIE Group for $58.2M, integrating their CEE and energy efficiency expertise into ENGIE's broader portfolio.