Joulen secures first export contract with £4million deal in Germany

Economy Minister Conor Murphy has announced that Belfast-based energy services company Joulen has secured its first major export deal with a £4million contract in Germany.

(L-R) Steve Harper, Invest NI; Sharon Cousins, Invest NI; Chris Doherty, Managing Director, Joulen; Economy Minister Conor Murphy; and Hans Jörg Hölzenbein, SonneNext.

The deal will see Joulen provide its AI platform, PARIS, to SonneNext, a leading German energy company. This contract will also lead to the creation of 13 new high quality jobs.

Making the announcement, the Minister said: “Joulen’s success in the German market highlights how companies from the north are leading the way in the green economy, leveraging cutting-edge digital solutions to drive international growth. The creation of 13 new jobs, supported by Invest NI, will further boost Joulen’s ability to expand its PARIS platform and meet the evolving needs of its customers.

"During my recent visit to Germany, I saw first-hand the significant opportunities available to local businesses in this key market. My economic plans prioritise innovation, sustainability, and the creation of high quality jobs, and this announcement is an excellent example of how we can achieve these goals.”

Joulen’s PARIS platform leverages machine learning and data analytics to optimise battery storage, offering customers smarter ways to reduce energy costs and earn income from energy markets, maximising the value of their renewable investments.

The company has ambitious plans to expand its product offering, including developing new features to meet the evolving needs of the global renewable energy market.

Chris Doherty, Managing Director at Joulen, said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with SonneNext, a leader in the German renewable energy market. This contract is not only a significant commercial achievement for Joulen, but also shows how our platform can enable new innovative energy services to customers across Europe.

“Our PARIS platform is already making a huge impact in optimising renewable energy, and we’re excited to bring that expertise to Germany through this new partnership. The new jobs we are creating are open to people from across Northern Ireland due to our hybrid working approach, and will further enhance our ability to innovate and grow in the green energy sector.”

Steve Harper, Executive Director of International Business and Skills at Invest NI, emphasised the role of Invest NI in supporting Joulen's growth: “Invest NI has been proud to support Joulen from its early stages, offering R&D support, technical expertise, and helping the company expand its team in 2021. Our latest support will now enable the creation of 13 new high-value jobs.

“This successful contract win with SonneNext highlights the vital role our in-market teams play globally, with our team in Düsseldorf instrumental in offering support with market research, due diligence, and navigating the complexities of the German business landscape. This partnership represents a significant milestone for Joulen and sets a strong foundation for its future growth in international markets.”

Notes to editors: 

1. Photo caption: Pictured at Joulen's Belfast office are (l-r) Steve Harper, Executive Director of International Business and Skills at Invest NI; Sharon Cousins, Client Manager, Invest NI; Chris Doherty, Managing Director, Joulen; Economy Minister Conor Murphy; and Hans Jörg Hölzenbein, CEO and co-founder, SonneNext.

2. The Department may take photographs and videos at announcements and events to publicise its work. Photographs, interviews, videos or other recordings may be issued to media organisations for publicity purposes or used in promotional material, including in publications, newspapers, magazines, other print media, on television, radio and electronic media (including social media and the internet). Photographs and videos will also be stored on the Department’s internal records management system. The Department will keep the photographs and recordings for no longer than is necessary for the purposes for which they have been obtained. The Department’s Privacy Policy is available on our website.

3. To keep up to date with news from the Department for the Economy you can follow us on the following social media channels:

X – @Economy_NI
Facebook – @DeptEconomyNI
Instagram – economy_ni
LinkedIn – Department for the Economy NI 

4. For media enquiries contact the Department for the Economy Press Office at pressoffice@economy-ni.gov.uk 

5. The Executive Information Service operates an out of hours service for media enquiries only between 1800hrs and 0800hrs Monday to Friday and at weekends and public holidays. The duty press officer can be contacted on 028 9037 8110.

Share this page