Green technology (or 'cleantech') describes any hardware, software, or process designed to reduce environmental impact - most often emissions, but also water, waste, and .
The examples below are not aspirational. Each is deployed commercially in the EU today and has a defensible impact per euro invested.
Energy generation and storage
Utility-scale solar with battery storage - now cheaper than new gas in most EU markets.
Offshore wind - approaching 100 GW installed in Europe.
Green hydrogen electrolysers - moving from pilot to first commercial fleets in Iberia and northern Europe.
Buildings and heat
Heat pumps (air-source and ground-source) - three to five times more efficient than gas boilers.
Smart building controls - AI-driven HVAC optimisation cutting building energy 15-30% with no capex on the fabric.
Passive-house retrofits and mineral-based insulation.
Transport
Battery electric vehicles - now cheaper on TCO than diesel for most fleet use cases.
eBikes and last-mile electric cargo bikes - decarbonising urban delivery.
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) - blended into commercial flights since 2024.
Industry and agriculture
Direct air capture (DAC) - Climeworks and 1PointFive at first commercial megatonne scale.
Precision agriculture and variable-rate fertiliser - cutting N₂O and input costs simultaneously.
Green steel via hydrogen DRI - SSAB and H2 Green Steel shipping first tonnes to European automakers.
Software and data
and reporting software - including Vuneli - turning compliance into measurable reduction.
Grid-optimisation software - shifting industrial load to renewable hours.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What's the easiest green tech to deploy in an SME?
LED lighting, sub-metering, and heat pumps are typically the fastest payback. Rooftop solar follows once tariff structures suit the business.
Is green hydrogen ready?
For hard-to-electrify heavy industry, first commercial fleets are operating in 2026. For SMEs, direct electrification is almost always cheaper.
Does 'green' technology actually reduce emissions?
The examples above have measurable, third-party-verified lifecycle emissions well below the fossil incumbents they replace.
Track the impact of every green tech deployment
Vuneli measures emission reductions from your green tech investments in real time so you can prove ROI and reduce financing cost.
