Defining the business ecosystem of peer-to-peer electricity trading

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to introduce the value proposition and structure of the business ecosystem of peer-to-peer electricity trading through a future oriented approach. Design/Methodology/Approach: This study follows a qualitative approach. It conducts conceptual analyses by utilizing previously validated tools in similar contexts. First, different views on business ecosystems are introduced and an argument is made to justify an ecosystem perspective for peerto-peer electricity trading. Second, the value proposition of the peer-to-peer electricity trading ecosystem is identified by utilising a meta-model which consists of four elements: end customer value, business value (shareholder value), collaborative value (business value to the supply chain) and societal value (value creation in the supply chain and control of negative externalities). Third, based on the structural view of business ecosystems, the study identifies actors, positions, links, and activities in the traditional electricity trading. And last, (structural) changes of the ecosystem for peer-to-peer electricity trading are discussed. Findings: This paper elaborates the business ecosystem of peer-to-peer electricity trading and highlights the structural changes it imposes to the status quo. Practical and social implications: The ecosystem construct adds insights into actors’ ecosystem strategy regarding their business models for peer-to-peer electricity trading as well as into the governance of this type of trading. It provides a comprehensive view for policy makers. It enhances the research designs in detailed aspects of the peer-to-peer electricity trading by providing a wide lense. Originality/Value: The identified business ecosystem of peer-to-peer electricity trading provides a comprehensive, multi-stakeholder perspective to incorporate complexities and include externalities

Valuing the value: An affordances perspective on new models in the electricity market

Prosumers can actively participate in electricity markets through new market models. Peer-to-peer, community self-consumption, and transactive energy are the three market models which are said to complement traditional electricity markets, enabling prosumers to create and capture value. To date, however, the characteristics of these models and incentivisation opportunities for prosumers cannot be easily distilled. Here, we propose a framework to distinguish between these market models based on involved parties (peers, communities, and grid operators) and traded commodities (electricity and flexibility). Furthermore, we compare the capacity of the different models in value generation for and by prosumers, which extend beyond financial benefits, by differentiation. In doing so, we systematically draw out the value generation potential in the dynamic between market models' capacities and prosumers business models. In doing so, a larger number of prosumers can be engaged and empowered in becoming active market actors, stimulating the ongoing energy transition towards achieving sustainability goals

Barriers for prosumers’ open business models: a resource-based view on assets and data-sharing in electricity markets

This article explores the barriers for open business models in support of sustainability in electricity markets. It puts forward privacy and data protection concerns about sharing prosumers’ physical assets as well as data due to to their critical role in decentralized modes of electricity/flexibility trading. In particular, it uses a multiple case study approach to identify actors’ resources, examine other interested actors in each resource, define their objectives, and consider privacy and data protection concerns of sharing prosumers’ physical assets and data. The findings yield new insights into sharing opportunities beyond electricity/flexibility trading. In doing so, our study contributes to theories of the firm by applying the resource-based view in a new context and to the business model literature by shedding light on barriers in applying open business models

Peer-to-peer, community self-consumption, and transactive energy: A systematic literature review of local energy market models

Peer-to-peer, community or collective self-consumption, and transactive energy markets offer new models for trading energy locally. Over the past five years, there has been significant growth in the amount of academic literature examining how these local energy markets might function. This systematic literature review of 139 peer-reviewed journal articles examines the market designs used in these energy trading models. A modified version of the Business Ecosystem Architecture Modelling framework is used to extract market model information from the literature, and to identify differences and similarities between the models. This paper examines how peer-to-peer, community self-consumption and transactive energy markets are described in current literature. It explores the similarities and differences between these markets in terms of participation, governance structure, topology, and design. This paper systematises peer-to-peer, community self-consumption and transactive energy market designs, identifying six archetypes. Finally, it identifies five evidence gaps which require future research before these markets could be widely adopted. These evidence gaps are the lack of: consideration of physical constraints; a holistic approach to market design and operation; consideration about how these market designs will scale; consideration of information security; and, consideration of market participant privacy

Emerging business models in local energy markets: A systematic review of peer-to-peer, community self-consumption, and transactive energy models

The emergence of peer-to-peer, collective or community self-consumption, and transactive energy concepts gives rise to new configurations of business models for local energy trading among a variety of actors. Much attention has been paid in the academic literature to the transition of the underlying energy system with its macroeconomic market framework. However, fewer contributions focus on the microeconomic aspects of the broad set of involved actors. Even though specific case studies highlight single business models, a comprehensive analysis of emerging business models for the entire set of actors is missing. Following this research gap, this paper conducts a systematic literature review of 135 peer-reviewed journal articles to examine business models of actors operating in local energy markets. From 221 businesses in the reviewed literature, nine macro-actor categories are identified. For each type of market actor, a business model archetype is determined and characterised using the business model canvas. The key elements of each business model archetype are discussed, and areas are highlighted where further research is needed. Finally, this paper outlines the differences of business models for their presence in the three local energy market models. Focusing on the identified customers and partner relationships, this study highlights the key actors per market model and the character of the interactions between market participants

Social and economic value in emerging decentralized energy business models: A critical review

In recent years, numerous studies have explored the opportunities and challenges for emerging decentralized energy systems and business models. However, few studies have focussed specifically on the economic and social value associated with three emerging models: peer-to-peer energy trading (P2P), community self-consumption (CSC) and transactive energy (TE). This article presents the findings of a systematic literature review to address this gap. The paper makes two main contributions to the literature. Firstly, it offers a synthesis of research on the social and economic value of P2P, CSC and TE systems, concluding that there is evidence for a variety of sources of social value (including energy independence, local benefits, social relationships, environmental responsibility and participation and purpose) and economic value (including via self-consumption of renewable electricity, reduced electricity import costs, and improved electricity export prices). Secondly, it identifies factors and conditions necessary for the success of these models, which include willingness to participate, participant engagement with technology, and project engagement of households and communities, among other factors. Finally, it discusses conflicts and trade-offs in the value propositions of the models, how the three models differ from one another in terms of the value they aim to deliver and some of the open challenges that require further attention by researchers and practitioners

Corrigendum to “Emerging business models in local energy markets: A systematic review of peer-to-peer, community self-consumption, and transactive energy models” [Renew Sustain Energy Rev 179 (2023) 113273]

Schwidtal, J. M., Piccini, P., Troncia, M., Chitchyan, R., Montakhabi, M., Francis, C., Gorbatcheva, A., Capper, T., Mustafa, M. A., Andoni, M., Robu, V., Bahloul, M., Scott, I. J., Mbavarira, T., España, J. M., & Kiesling, L. (2023). Corrigendum to “Emerging business models in local energy markets: A systematic review of peer-to-peer, community self-consumption, and transactive energy models” [Renew Sustain Energy Rev 179 (2023) 113273](S1364032123001296)(10.1016/j.rser.2023.113273). Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 185(October), [113523]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2023.113523 ---Funding Information: Ian Scott was supported by national funds through FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia), under the project - UIDB/04152/2020 - Centro de Investigação em Gestão de Informação (MagIC)/NOVA IMS. Funding Information: Merlinda Andoni received funding from the EPSRC DecarbonISation PAThways for Cooling and Heating (DISPATCH) project (grant number EP/V042955/1 ) and the InnovateUK Responsive Flexibility (ReFLEX) project [ref: 104780]. Funding Information: Valentin Robu was supported by the project “TESTBED2: Testing and Evaluating Sophisticated information and communication Technologies for enaBling scalablE smart griD Deployment”, funded by the European Union Horizon2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions ( MSCA ) [Grant agreement number: 872172 ].The authors regret that there were developments in affiliations and funding acknowledgements during the time from initial submission to final acceptance which have not been reported correctly. Specifically, the affiliations of the co-authors R. Chitchyan, M. Montakhabi, M. Andoni, and I. Scott were not up to date. The corrected affiliations of all authors are as follows. Concerning funding acknowledgements, the information of M. Andoni, V. Robu, and I.J. Scott were not up to date. In addition to the provided information, the following to fundings should be acknowledged. Merlinda Andoni received funding from the EPSRC DecarbonISation PAThways for Cooling and Heating (DISPATCH) project (grant number EP/V042955/1) and the InnovateUK Responsive Flexibility (ReFLEX) project [ref: 104780]. Valentin Robu was supported by the project “TESTBED2: Testing and Evaluating Sophisticated information and communication Technologies for enaBling scalablE smart griD Deployment”, funded by the European Union Horizon2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions ( MSCA) [Grant agreement number: 872172]. Ian Scott was supported by national funds through FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia), under the project - UIDB/04152/2020 - Centro de Investigação em Gestão de Informação (MagIC)/NOVA IMS. The authors would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.publishersversionpublishe

Sweetness in the Belly: A Saidian and Post Saidain Post-Colonial Reading

This study aims to offer a postcolonial reading of Camilla Gibb’s Sweetness in the Belly based on the critical theory of Edward Said’ Orientalism as well as his advocate, Albert Memmi’s post-post-colonial notions. To that end, the study commences with a detailed explanation of Edward Said’s theory of postcolonial literature considering the descriptions of “orientalism”, “culture and imperialism”, “hegemony”, “othering”. This research also casts light on Sweetness in the Belly with Albert Memmi’s ‘mythmaking’ and ‘nominal generalization’. To commence with, the researcher believes that the character of Lilly as the alter-ego of the writer Camilla Gibb is consciously trying to depict the people of Africa in a positive attitude. However, using the critical theories, the researcher delves into analyzing the novel with a critical Saidian eye and claims that Lilly represents Africans not as the way they really are but, in contrast, as an imaginary construct which consists of some inferior creatures compared to their European counterparts. Furthermore, although Lilly seems to be considering herself as one member of the African community, she is, in fact, making them an “Other” although this process of Othering is depicted in a way that Lilly is both the other and the one who displays others to the reader. The researcher, at this point, turns towards the question of discourse and argues that the colonial discourse causes nominal generalizations and myths about the Africans and Muslims, resulting in their subjugation and suppression

Trust, transparency and security in the sharing economy: What is the role of the government?

To obtain access to goods or services between people or stakeholders, some collaboration between actors is a necessary component. Sharing and a sharing economy is closely related to trust. Within the context of 'the' sharing economy, especially digital trust is assumed to play a crucial role. Access to information is a crucial digital cue which can lead to trust yet, sharing economies are subject to asymmetry of information, wherein certain actors have limited access to market information on the consumption behaviour of users, the pricing of a product and, the reliability of peers. The lack of confidential market information between actors is thus limiting the potential for collaboration, as it reduces trust between them. Governments are amongst the (usually more trustworthy) candidates to undertake critical roles in enhancing the sharing of sensitive data. This paper aims to identify the role of government in facilitating and enabling data sharing between various actors in sharing economies. In this paper, we analyse the adequacy of a government's potential role in enabling transparency, trust and security, while operating within a sharing economy scenario, based on two case studies. Additionally, the role of technology is briefly defined for digital platforms and for blockchain-based opportunities for sharing economies. The use cases for the paper concern a digital platform for industrial symbioses, and peer-to-peer electricity trading based on blockchain technology

Leveraging blockchain for energy transition in urban contexts

This article explores the potential of leveraging blockchain technology to facilitate energy transition within urban settings. It explores three innovative market models – peer-to-peer, community self-consumption, and transactive energy – which hold promise for a shift in (local) electricity trading due to decentralized and digital transactional characteristics. Utilizing a scenario building framework, this research scrutinizes these market models, their corresponding trading mechanisms, and the advantages and disadvantages of implementing blockchain technology. The results provide valuable insights into investment necessities, market democratization, service quality and reliability, urban governance, civic engagement and citizenry welfare. Consequently, this study offers a novel conceptualization of market models, laying the groundwork for a systematic understanding of blockchain’s potentiality in ecosystem governance in the context of energy transition