Aponergy

2 co-founders, 15 employees

Aponergy was founded in 2016 by Analia Guitart and Guénaël Cottais. Analia Guitart holds an MBA from Schiller International University in Florida. She has extensive experience, including roles as Administrative and Financial Manager at Earth Energy Finances and as right-hand to the CFO at Vendome International Partner. Her diverse background highlights her versatility and expertise in finance and renewable energy. She currently serves as the President and CFO of Aponergy. Guénaël Cottais, the Director of Sales and Operations, has a background as CEO of Côté Finances for 13 years. He brings significant expertise in business development and team management to his role at Aponergy. Additionally, the founding duo is supported by the International Director of Aponergy, who brings strong expertise in project management and energy efficiency. In 2017, JOHES, a French investment company focused on energy transition, acquired a stake in Aponergy. Founded in 2011 by Jean-François Vaury, a former major shareholder of Greensolver (sold to Voltalia in 2020), JOHES invests directly in infrastructure projects and holds equity stakes in companies within the sector. The company also has stakes in Kyotherm, a firm specializing in energy efficiency and renewable heat.

Analia Guitart

Co-founder, President, and Chief Administrative and Financial Officer

Guénaël Cottais

Co-founder and Chief Commercial and Operations Officer

In France, the building sector is the largest energy consumer among all economic sectors: 70 million tonnes of oil equivalent, accounting for 43% of total final energy consumption (source: Ademe). This sector has significant potential for improving energy efficiency, up to 20% in France according to the General Commissariat for Sustainable Development. Despite numerous opportunities, such as recovering waste energy or replacing energy-intensive production tools, operators face long-term, sometimes uncertain, returns on investment and are constrained by limited financial resources. Furthermore, the energy services market in France is currently subject to a series of regulations aimed at promoting a transition to more sustainable practices. Among these, the Elan Law passed in July 2019 represents a major advance, mandating a 40% reduction in energy consumption by 2030. In the real estate market, the ban on renting or selling energy-inefficient buildings by 2024 adds further pressure to improve the energy efficiency of buildings. In this complex regulatory environment, actors in the energy services market must navigate these new standards with agility while exploring the incentive opportunities offered by these structural changes, thereby contributing to a more sustainable energy transition.

In a favorable legislative environment, Aponergy is a highly integrated player across the entire value chain, offering a comprehensive range of services that span from consulting, third-party financing, to operation. Specifically, Aponergy audits each situation, recommends technical solutions to reduce energy consumption, invests in these solutions, and then installs and operates them at the client's site. The company also stands out by providing third-party financing solutions, which involve annual royalties. This approach helps alleviate the immediate financial burden for the client while ensuring long-term energy benefits. As an operator, Aponergy ensures continuous monitoring of installations, implementing remote management and operation. To illustrate its offerings, Aponergy provides: 

- Transition to energy-efficient lighting, such as installing LED lighting systems. 

- Installation of hot water reservoirs for greenhouses, allowing precise temperature control to optimize crop growth conditions. 

- Transformation of refrigeration systems by changing refrigerant loads and recovering the produced heat. 

- Integrated solar energy solutions, including photovoltaic panel installation and promotion of self-consumption. 

- Regulation of heat to contribute to more efficient energy use. Aponergy's expertise extends to a wide range of tasks, reflecting its holistic approach aimed at promoting energy efficiency and sustainability across various sectors.

Aponergy operates with a vertically integrated business model, offering a comprehensive suite of energy efficiency services: audit, recommendation, implementation, and monitoring. The company delivers its energy efficiency services through a European legal framework known as the Energy Performance Contract (EPC), ensuring an "obligation of results." Aponergy’s compensation is solely based on sharing the energy savings achieved by its clients. Since the summer of 2023, through its vehicle Apo Invest, co-owned with the Banque des Territoires and JOHES (a specialized investment company), Aponergy covers the cost and financing of energy performance and decarbonization projects. This is compensated by royalties derived from the energy savings realized.  The platform provides a third-party financing solution for businesses in the industrial and tertiary sectors aiming to reduce their carbon footprint and energy bills. This includes EPCs and cogeneration contracts (for combined heat and power). Aponergy also facilitates access to subsidies such as Energy Savings Certificates (CEE) and offers comprehensive support from feasibility studies to ongoing monitoring. Recognized as a leading French expert in the financed EPC model, Aponergy stands out in its field with its deep technical and economic expertise.

Aponergy assists professionals and local authorities in achieving significant energy savings by defining solutions that generate such savings and financing their implementation costs. The company enables:

- Deployment of Existing and Future Energy Savings Solutions: Through optimized management and continuous monitoring of performance improvements over the duration of the contract. 

- Support for the Energy Efficiency Sector: By partnering with numerous industry players (refrigeration technicians, heating engineers, installers, etc.), Aponergy contributes to job creation and strengthens the sector in France by structuring over 100 projects. 

- Promotion of Energy Independence and Diversification of Supply Sources: By reducing reliance on imported fossil fuels, thus supporting energy independence and a broader range of energy sources.