CLEANWATTS DIGITAL SA

Their core work

Cleanwatts Digital is a Portuguese energy technology SME that develops software platforms for managing smart grids, demand response, and local energy communities. They build tools that allow energy consumers and prosumers to participate actively in electricity markets — aggregating flexible loads into virtual power plants and optimizing energy distribution at the community level. Their technical stack combines blockchain, AI, and big data analytics to enable decentralized energy trading and grid balancing services.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their earlier H2020 work (2015–2018), Cleanwatts focused on the technical backbone of smart grids: network modelling, predictive control, demand response optimization, and cross-functional platform development for distribution grids. From 2019 onward, their focus shifted decisively toward the business and community layer — energy flexibility business models, blockchain-enabled trading, virtual power plants, energy citizenship, and decarbonization of islands. The trajectory shows a company that matured from building grid-level technology to deploying market-ready platforms for energy communities and prosumer aggregation.

Cleanwatts is moving from technical grid infrastructure toward community-scale energy platforms, positioning itself as a software provider for the EU energy community market that is expanding under the Clean Energy Package.

How they like to work

Cleanwatts operates predominantly as a project partner (6 out of 7 participations), contributing specialized software and platform capabilities to larger consortia. They coordinated one significant Innovation Action (FleXunity, their largest project at nearly €1M), suggesting they can lead when the topic is squarely in their domain. With 108 unique partners across 18 countries, they are well-networked and comfortable operating in large European consortia rather than small bilateral arrangements.

Cleanwatts has built a broad European network of 108 unique consortium partners spanning 18 countries, giving them connections across most major EU energy research ecosystems. Their base in Coimbra, Portugal, places them within a strong national cluster of energy innovation actors.

What sets them apart

Cleanwatts occupies a specific niche at the intersection of smart grid technology and energy community business models — they don't just build the platform, they understand how to monetize flexibility at the community level. As an SME, they bring agility and product focus that larger partners or research institutes typically lack. Their progression from grid-level R&D to blockchain-enabled community energy platforms makes them a credible technology provider for any consortium working on local energy markets or citizen energy initiatives.

Highlights from their portfolio

• FleXunity
  Their only coordinated project and largest funding (€956K) — focused on scaling energy community business models using blockchain and AI, representing their strategic direction.
• inteGRIDy
  Multi-year smart grid integration project that established their core technical capabilities in cross-functional grid optimization, predictive control, and demand response.
• IANOS
  Island decarbonization project running until 2025, deploying virtual power plants and renewable integration — their most recent large-scale deployment context.