- 1KOMMA5°, Deutsche Bank and NORD/LB are joining forces to deliver renewable energy projects across public buildings in Germany, making up to EUR 500 million in financing available to support a resilient, secure and intelligent energy system.
- A comprehensive electrification of public infrastructure – combining photovoltaic systems, battery storage, e-mobility and smart energy management – can reduce energy costs for the public sector by 30–40 per cent. The model is fully privately financed and requires no public funding.
- The partnership has already seen a strong start in Lower Saxony: 1KOMMA5° has been awarded a large-scale contract covering 550 state-owned buildings and has mandated NORD/LB to arrange approximately EUR 25 million in financing.
- At the latest Energy Ministers’ Conference in Lower Saxony, 15 federal states reaffirmed that expanding renewables is a key lever to reduce dependence on fossil fuel imports and accelerate decarbonisation.
- Projects are planned nationwide, with the potential to expand into additional European markets over time.
The partners are making up to EUR 500 million available to fund renewable energy solutions for public buildings across Germany. The ambition is to participate in public tenders in the near term and jointly deliver projects at scale.
Within the partnership, 1KOMMA5° contributes its expertise in renewable energy deployment and intelligent energy management, while NORD/LB acts as Mandated Lead Arranger alongside Deutsche Bank to structure and provide financing. The model is scalable and can be extended to include additional financing and strategic partners.
Reducing energy costs by 30–40 per cent – fully privately financed
Public sector buildings offer significant untapped potential for both emission reductions and cost savings, yet projects are often constrained by budget limitations, capacity constraints and implementation complexity. This is where the alliance provides a compelling solution: all investments are fully privately financed, combining equity and debt funding.
At the same time, public authorities can achieve electricity cost savings of between 30 and 40 per cent – without the need for taxpayer funding.
Under this model, federal states only provide suitable space. Planning, investment, installation and operation are fully managed by 1KOMMA5°, while NORD/LB and Deutsche Bank lead the financing consortium. This enables public institutions to access renewable energy quickly and efficiently, without requiring upfront capital or additional internal resources.
At the core of the model is 1KOMMA5°’s integrated technology platform, which uses artificial intelligence to optimize the generation, storage and consumption of electricity. This enables flexible use of solar energy, reduces costs, enhances grid stability and lowers CO₂ emissions.
EUR 25 million financing for photovoltaic rollout in Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony serves as a flagship project: in November 2025, 1KOMMA5° was awarded a contract by the state’s Ministry of Finance following a Europe-wide tender. The project covers the installation and operation of solar systems on 550 state-owned buildings in the south-eastern region. NORD/LB has been mandated to arrange financing of approximately EUR 25 million.
Marvin Endres, Managing Director of 1KOMMA5° Commercial Solutions, said: „Our model alone has the potential to reduce energy costs for the German public sector by up to EUR 3 billion over the next 20 years, significantly easing the burden on public finances. Following the successful launch in Lower Saxony, we are ready to scale this approach nationwide. Our highly digitalized planning and installation processes enable us to deliver photovoltaic projects quickly and reliably. In most cases, we combine solar installations with complementary technologies such as battery storage, EV charging infrastructure and our AI-based energy platform, Heartbeat AI, to maximize efficiency and further reduce costs.”
Jörg Frischholz, CEO of NORD/LB, said: „As a long-standing financier of the energy transition, we have supported the expansion of renewable energy in Germany and internationally for more than three decades. We are therefore particularly pleased to contribute to accelerating the transition in the public sector through this partnership. While we are starting in Lower Saxony, we clearly see this project as a blueprint. Together with our partners, we intend to roll out this model across additional federal states and make a meaningful contribution to achieving our shared climate ambitions.”
Deutsche Bank supports the initiative as a strategic financing partner, with the aim of enabling and scaling investment in renewable energy infrastructure for the public sector.
Michael Diederich, Co-Head of the Corporate Bank at Deutsche Bank, said: “Alternative financing models play a crucial role by lowering investment barriers and enabling the rapid deployment of effective energy and climate solutions – something that is more important than ever. This initiative represents a tangible step towards accelerating the transformation of Germany’s energy system.”
Energy Ministers’ Conference underscores urgency of renewable expansion
At the end of March, 15 German federal states stated at the Energy Ministers’ Conference that accelerating the expansion of renewables is essential to reducing dependence on fossil fuel imports, while strengthening energy security and affordability across Germany and Europe.
This requires consistent expansion and modernization of energy infrastructure, supported by reliable regulatory frameworks and robust financing solutions.2
Micha Grüber, CFO and Co-Founder of 1KOMMA5°, said: “We have developed a model that brings together energy security, cost efficiency and climate protection for the public sector. With more than 120,000 public buildings in Germany and millions more across Europe, we have a significant opportunity to make energy supply more affordable, resilient and independent.”
The partners aim to roll out this model across all 16 German federal states and, in the longer term, into other European markets, strengthening energy security while delivering sustainable cost reductions.
Sources
1 Press release by 1KOMMA5° dated 22 October 2025 | “1KOMMA5° erhält Zuschlag: Photovoltaik-Offensive auf über 500 öffentlichen Dächern in Niedersachsens Südosten”
2 Press release by the Lower Saxony Ministry for the Environment, Energy and Climate Protection dated 28 March 2026 | Sonder-EnMK in Berlin - Gemeinsame Erklärung von 15 Bundesländern
About 1KOMMA5°
1KOMMA5° is a leading provider of carbon-neutral energy, heating and mobility solutions. Its core technology, Heartbeat AI, currently optimises more than 60,000 systems, creating Europe’s largest virtual power plant by connecting private customers to the energy market and managing electricity generation and sales in line with wind and solar availability. To date, 1KOMMA5° has installed more than 300,000 decentralised, controllable energy systems. By 2030, the company aims to transition more than 1.5 million buildings to climate-friendly energy solutions, contributing to the achievement of the Paris climate targets. 1KOMMA5° is one of Europe’s fastest-growing and most profitable start-ups.
About Deutsche Bank
Deutsche Bank provides a wide range of financial services – from payments and lending to investment advisory and asset management, as well as a focused capital markets business. It serves private individuals, small and medium-sized enterprises, corporates, the public sector and institutional investors. Deutsche Bank is Germany’s leading bank, with strong European roots and a global network.
About NORD/LB
NORD/LB Norddeutsche Landesbank is one of the leading German commercial banks. The core business segments include business with corporate customers, private and commercial customers including private banking as well structured finance in the energy and infrastructure sector and commercial real estate finance. The bank is headquartered in Hanover, Brunswick and Magdeburg and has branches in Oldenburg, Hamburg, Schwerin, Düsseldorf and Munich. Outside Germany NORD/LB is represented by a Pfandbrief Bank (NORD/LB Covered Bond Bank) in Luxembourg and branches in London and New York.
