{
  "id": 9286158,
  "title": "CIOC Energy secures €3M for solar and battery optimisation",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/cioc-energy-secures-3m-for-solar-and-battery-optimisation",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-23T06:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Tech.eu",
    "slug": "tech-eu",
    "url": "https://tech.eu/2026/09/23/cioc-energy-secures-eur3m-for-solar-and-battery-optimisation/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Belgian energy optimisation firm CIOC Energy has secured €3 million in investment from renewable energy developer CleverNett, which will acquire a minority stake in the company. Despite this influx of capital, CIOC Energy will maintain its independence. Established in September 2023, the company offers a unified platform for businesses to monitor, control, and trade energy generated by solar panels and batteries. The market for these services is fragmented, with installation, battery management, and energy trading typically provided by separate entities often lacking coordination.\n\nAlexander De Bièvre, CIOC Energy's CEO, highlighted the challenges the company faced, stating that years of selling batteries themselves taught them the risks of inadequate oversight. Without continuous monitoring, issues can go undetected, and when failures occur, blame is frequently placed on others: the installer may lack software knowledge, and the control system operates solely based on the trader's instructions. To eliminate this fragmentation, CIOC Energy integrates monitoring, control, and trading under a single point of contact. The company has devised its own control module for electricity cabinets, enabling the management of solar panels, batteries, and charging points through a single system. This platform can direct solar power into batteries, mitigate demand peaks when multiple devices are in use, and trade stored energy on the market when financially advantageous for the customer.\n\nCIOC Energy distinguishes itself by comparing the company's energy costs with and without optimisation, charging only if it manages to generate additional returns after accounting for distribution and supply expenses. If optimisation does not yield extra savings, the company refrains from levying any fees. Currently, CIOC Energy manages over 100 business sites and an additional 2,000 home battery systems for private households, amounting to more than 100 megawatt-hours of battery capacity and 200 megawatt-peak of solar panels. The newly acquired funds will be utilized to bolster the company's commercial and technical teams and secure its own market access, enabling direct participation in energy markets across Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and Romania.",
  "summary": "Belgian energyoptimisation company CIOC Energy has raised €3 million from renewable energydeveloper CleverNett, which has taken a minority stake in the company. CIOCEnergy will remain independent.Foun...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}