DECCI is a Czech energy group founded in 2007, focused on modern and renewable energy sources. DECCI pioneered renewables with one of the first solar power plants in the Czech Republic.
Sustainability for many companies is still treated as a complex reporting exercise that sits apart from the day-to-day business decisions. In the energy industry, that separation is becoming harder to sustain. Resilience, competitiveness, and long-term value creation now depend on how well companies can turn sustainability from ambition into action. Darina Merdassi, CEO of DECCI, explains to Pavel Krejčíř, Head of SME at GrECo Czechia how her company is building sustainability into its business model, combining technologies, partnerships, and strategic courage to support a more secure and sustainable energy future.
Sustainability Moves into the Business Model
Krejčíř: Sustainability is often treated as a side topic. At DECCI, how has it become a core part of your business strategy?
Merdassi: Sustainability is not something we added to our strategy, it is one of the pillars DECCI was built on from day one. It shapes every decision we make. For us, it was always about asking: how can we do better, be better? How can we reduce the environmental footprint of what we build? If we cannot achieve 100%, then 80% is better than nothing, and 80% today can become 90% tomorrow. We are constantly pushing towards something more responsible and more sustainable.
Krejčíř: How do you ensure sustainability decisions also deliver economic value and scale?
Merdassi: As investors, we must ensure our numbers stack up, energy projects require significant capital and time. That’s why we have deliberately diversified our portfolio across solar, wind, battery storage, and gas turbines, and use smart algorithms that enable different technologies to work together. The ecosystem we have built within DECCI allows us to pursue sustainability while delivering real economic value.
I will be honest though, I wish we had greater stability in the Czech legislative framework. Ad hoc regulatory changes are slowing the industry down at exactly the moment it needs to accelerate.
When Innovation Means Taking the Harder Route
Krejčíř: Can you share a decision where DECCI chose a more innovative but riskier path, and why?
Merdassi: Energy nest is a good example. Launched in 2024, it is a hybrid energy source that combines battery storage and gas turbines to provide ancillary services that guarantee grid stability. In the Czech Republic, these services are traditionally provided by coal power plants with significantly higher emissions. Energy nest produces zero emissions in standby mode, and our gas turbines are already prepared for hydrogen fuel. It is a solution that is both environmentally conscious and technologically forward-looking. Taking the riskier, more innovative path is simply part of DECCI’s DNA.
Krejčíř: Many companies struggle to move from ambition to execution. What makes implementation work at DECCI?
Merdassi: I was recently at a business breakfast where a chief economist said: “if you have a plan B, you are calmer and your plan A is more likely to succeed.” I was sitting there thinking that is exactly it. At DECCI, we do not just have plan B. We regularly find ourselves developing plan C or plan D to get a project over the line. We have become masters at this. Execution is not just about ambition; it is about relentless problem-solving and the willingness to adapt without ever losing sight of the goal.
Building the Energy System as an Ecosystem
Krejčíř: You’ve said energy is no longer about single sources, but how they interact. How is this changing the way you design solutions?
Merdassi: There is no linear planning. We start with an idea and then we iterate. Often, we already have the puzzle pieces assembled, the technology, the concept, the plan, and then someone walks in and says: what about this? And, in those moments, we’re not afraid to break the puzzle apart and start again. That openness, that willingness to question what you’ve already built, is what allows us to design solutions that are truly unique.
Krejčíř: Beyond business success, how do your projects contribute to energy security and the broader sustainability transition?
Merdassi: Energy is a fundamental security topic – everything starts and ends with energy. We take that responsibility seriously. We work with quality, long-term suppliers, we use local technology partners including Czech battery producers, and since the very beginning, we’ve collaborated with the Czech Technical University in Prague. Together we develop smart algorithms and solutions that push the boundaries of what modern energy technology can do.
Krejčíř: Looking forward, what will distinguish the winners in the energy transition, and where does DECCI aim to lead?
Merdassi: I don’t like thinking in terms of winners and losers. Everyone brings something to the table, different sources, different advantages at different costs. What I hope for is that modern and sustainable energy sources are given a greater chance at success. These are the resources we have available to us, so let’s use them wisely in smart combinations with other sources. That is where DECCI wants to lead: not by competing, but by showing what is possible when you build the right ecosystem and have the courage to keep pushing forward.
About Darina Merdassi
Darina Merdassi is CEO of DECCI Group and has built her career in the renewable energy sector, combining strategic leadership with extensive experience in managing complex energy projects and business development. She is also a recognized advocate for greater diversity in the energy industry and is a frequent speaker on the future of sustainable energy and innovation.
About DECCI
DECCI is a Czech energy group founded in 2007, focused on modern and renewable energy sources. DECCI pioneered renewables with one of the first solar power plants in the Czech Republic. The company develops, builds, operates, and manages solar and wind power plants, along with hybrid decentralised energy solutions for grid stability and battery storage. DECCI also delivers smart energy systems for households, businesses, and municipalities transforming Czech energy sector one project at a time.
Pavel Krejčíř
CZ Practice Leader & Head of SME
T +420 702 202 170
Darina Merdassi
CEO
DECCI
