Renewable energy and cleantech businesses for sale

Demand for energy solutions moves with energy prices, interest rates and political decisions. So the first question is how resilient the revenue is. Does the business live on one-off installations for households, on regular commercial clients, or on service and maintenance contracts that bring recurring income? A large service portfolio keeps a business standing when sales of new systems slow down.

Then look at the order book: how many orders are confirmed, at what price and with what expected margin? Ask how much of recent sales was driven by grants or subsidy schemes. Schemes change, and a business that only works under one particular scheme is more exposed.

Energy and cleantech businesses with employees are usually priced on operating profit. Sitavo’s indicative range is 3–6 times profit (EBITDA: earnings before interest, tax and depreciation, after a market salary for the owner), cross-checked against 0.5–1.5 times annual revenue. Growth, recurring service income and a solid order book push the price up. Reliance on one supplier, one subsidy scheme or the owner’s personal authorisations pulls it down. These are general market ranges, not a guarantee. Use the price estimate and the market data for the category.

• Revenue split between installations, service and consulting.
• Contribution margin per job after materials, labour and subcontractors.
• Order book with confirmed orders and expected margin.
• Warranty provisions and the cost of complaints.
• Client mix between households, businesses and public sector clients.

• Authorisations and certifications: who holds them, and are they personal?
• Warranty obligations on completed installations, and who is liable after the sale.
• Supplier agreements and dealer status: can they be transferred, and are there exclusivity terms or minimum purchases?
• Service contracts with clients: term, price and notice.
• Order book, work in progress and customer prepayments.
• Environmental permits and approvals, if the business handles waste or operates facilities.

Sellers can share contracts and accounts in a data room behind an NDA, so you can review them before making an offer. See also the pre-purchase checklist.

Electrical and plumbing work in Denmark requires an authorisation and a designated responsible professional. If that is the owner, a replacement must be in place before you can keep operating, and work with refrigerants in heat pumps requires specific certificates held by the technicians. Foreign qualifications do not automatically count, so check early what Danish approval is needed. In a share purchase, warranties on past installations stay with the company. In an asset purchase, agree who is liable and whether part of the price is held back. Employees transfer on their existing terms under the Danish transfer of undertakings rules. Read more in the handover guide.

Larger energy businesses are often bought with a mix of equity, bank loans and vendor financing. An earn-out, where part of the price depends on future earnings, can share the risk when the market is uncertain. Messaging sellers and making offers on Sitavo is free, and price and terms are agreed in the deal workflow. The purchase price is paid directly to the seller — Sitavo never holds the money. Set up a search alert if the right business is not listed yet, or browse trade businesses for sale.