Enerfip publishes its energy transition crowdfunding barometer

On the occasion of European Sustainable Development Week, Enerfip, the number 1 in crowdfunding for the energy transition in Europe, is publishing its first barometer of the most dynamic and promising regions and sectors in terms of crowdfunding for sustainable development.

Green crowdfunding: spectacular growth in collections

368 million euros. This is the amount invested through crowdfunding in France in 2023 in sectors and projects related to the energy transition, an increase of 11,5% compared to the previous year. Crowdfunding in the energy transition sector now represents 17,6% of the overall crowdfunding collection in the country, compared to 14% in 2022[2].

While several factors must be taken into account, this excellent dynamic demonstrates an awareness among individuals, who no longer hesitate to direct their savings towards more environmentally friendly products. More and more citizens are thus using their investment choices as a means of pressure to encourage companies to meet their expectations – for more ethics, social and ecological considerations.

Faced with this growing demand, crowdfunding in the field of energy transition is experiencing strong growth. Enerfip, the European leader with 40% of the market share, is a good illustration of this trend. Since its launch in 2014, the platform has raised nearly 540 million euros from individuals to finance energy transition projects, such as solar, wind, hydraulic and biomass. And what is good for the planet is good for people and the economy: the proposed return is between 7% and 10% per year, depending on the projects.

Île-de-France, Occitanie and Auvergne on the podium

To help clarify things, Enerfip has just published a barometer of the regions that invest the most in renewable energies. And the results hold some surprises. In terms of the number of investors, Île-de-France comes out on top, unsurprisingly, with 20% of the platform's users since its creation, followed by Occitanie and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, which respectively bring together 18% and 16% of individual investors.

However, if we look at the level of funds committed, the ranking is somewhat different. Occitanie, whose stated objective by its president, Carole Delga, is to be the first region with Positive Energy (REPOS) in Europe, climbs to the top step of the podium with 120 million euros invested over more than 10 years. Next comes Île-de-France, with 85,5 million euros, closely followed by Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and its 80 million euros. These two regions, despite limited capacities to install renewable energy projects on their restricted territory, have, on the other hand, a real investment dynamic in the energy transition and are a real driving force in financing the French energy transition.

This top 3 is also firmly established. Nouvelle-Aquitaine (53 million euros), Grand Est (35 million euros), Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur (33 million euros) and Pays de la Loire (28,5 million euros) respectively 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th are indeed far from the winning trio.

Investments in renewable energy at their highest level

In detail, the projects and companies financed mainly focus on renewable energies (469 million euros), first and foremost solar energy, which comes out on top and represents 390 million euros. In Occitanie alone, the total capital invested by individuals amounts to nearly 85 million for solar energy out of the 120 million euros invested.

And this trend is not slowing down! In July 2024, the operations mainly concerned solar energy projects, raising €76,5 million alone.

For Julien Hostache, president and co-founder of Enerfip: "We are enthusiastically observing the growing interest in financing energy transition projects. Every year, more and more individuals choose to get directly involved by channelling their savings into green energy, and thus contribute to a sustainable future. However, it is crucial to remember that the sector is still growing and that the investment needs are immense. To successfully reduce the environmental footprint of our activities, it is essential to support an ever-increasing share of projects that are compatible with ecological challenges, and crowdfunding plays a key role in this objective."

[1] Annual barometer of crowdfunding in France produced by Mazars and the association Financement Participatif France (FPF) [February 2024].

[2] Ibid.