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Induced by a societal decision to phase out conventional energy production - the so-called Energiewende (energy transition) - the rise of distributed generation acts as a game changer within the German energy market. The share of electricity produced from renewable resources increased to 31,6% in 2015 (UBA, 2016) with a targeted share of renewable resources in the electricity mix of 55%-60% in 2035 (RAP, 2015), opening perspectives for new products and services. Moreover, the rapidly increasing degree of digitization enables innovative and disruptive business models in niches at the grid's edge that might be the winners of the future. It also stimulates the market entry of newcomers and competitors from other sectors, such as IT or telecommunication, challenging the incumbent utilities. For example, virtual and decentral market places for energy are emerging; a trend that is likely to speed up considerably by blockchain technology, if the regulatory environment is adjusted accordingly. Consequently, the energy business is turned upside down, with customers now being at the wheel. For instance, more than one-third of the renewable production capacities are owned by private persons (Trendsearch, 2013). Therefore, the objective of this chapter is to examine private energy consumer and prosumer segments and their needs to derive business models for the various decentralized energy technologies and services. Subsequently, success factors for dealing with the changing market environment and consequences of the potentially disruptive developments for the market structure are evaluated.
Geschäftsmodelle in der Energiewirtschaft : ein Kompendium von der Methodik bis zur Anwendung
(2017)
Ob Student oder Angestellter, Forscher oder Unternehmer, Politiker oder Dozent, ob im Start-up oder im Unternehmens-Oldie „Energieversorger“ – heute kommt vermeintlich keiner ohne ein gutes Geschäftsmodell aus. Warum ist das so? Was macht Geschäftsmodelle zu „fleißigen Lieschen“ nicht nur der Betriebswirtschaftslehre, sondern auch der Ingenieure, Volkswirte oder Informatiker? Das Geschäftsmodell beschreibt das Prinzip, nach dem eine Organisation Werte schafft, vermittelt und erfasst. Es ermöglicht durch diese Vereinfachung und Strukturierung eine leichtere Kommunikation und Analyse des Gesamtkonstrukts oder seiner Bestandteile. Es dient als Planungsinstrument, mit dessen Hilfe Innovationen effizienter und gezielter identifiziert werden können. Geschäftsmodelle können auf Ebene von Unternehmen oder einzelner Geschäftseinheiten entwickelt werden. Das vorliegende Kompendium dient dem Studenten wie dem Praktiker der Energiewirtschaft als methodische Basis zur eigenständigen Entwicklung von Geschäftsmodellen. Daher wird im 1. Kapitel aus Wissenschaft und Forschung abgeleitet, was ein Geschäftsmodell ist und wie es angewendet wird. Kapitel 2 beschreibt die Herausforderungen der Energiewirtschaft. Die Branche ist seit Jahrzehnten im Wandel. Neue Technologien zur (dezentralen) Erzeugung, Digitalisierung, sich wandelnde politische Ziele und Instrumente (Liberalisierung, Kernkraftausstieg, Energiewende,…) und neue Kundenbedürfnisse erfordern, dass die Unternehmen – große wie kleine, etablierte wie neue Anbieter, in öffentlichem wie in privatem Eigentum – angesichts erodierender Margen und zunehmendem Wettbewerb in diesem Umfeld erfolgversprechende Wege in die Zukunft suchen. Schon mit dem Begriff „Geschäftsmodell“ wird heute die Hoffnung eines Heilsbringers in diesem Dickicht erhofft, dem natürlich ein Strukturierungsinstrument – mehr ist das Geschäftsmodell schließlich nicht – nicht gerecht werden kann. In Kapitel 3 werden im Prinzip bekannte Geschäftsmodelle der Energiewirtschaft geschildert, sowie ihre Patterns, angelehnt an andere Branchen, ausdifferenziert. Dies sollte dem relativen Neuling den Einstieg in die Branche erleichtern und dem nach neuen Geschäftsmodellen Suchenden die Basis für eigene Innovation bieten. In Kapitel 4 werden Geschäftsmodelle für virtuelle Kraftwerke geschildert. Anhand dieses Beispiels wird auch ausgeführt, wie Geschäftsmodelle von Partnern entlang der Wertschöpfungskette ineinander greifen müssen. Im letzten Kapitel 5 wird schließlich auf Erfolgsfaktoren zur Entwicklung und Umsetzung von Geschäftsmodellen eingegangen.
Based on a survey among customers of seven German municipal utilities, we estimate hierarchical multiple regression models to identify consumer motivations for participating in P2P electricity trading and develop implications for marketing strategies for this currently relatively unknown product. Our results show a low importance of socio-demographics in explaining differences between consumer groups, but high influence of attitudes, knowledge and likelihood to purchase related products. The most valuable target groups for P2P electricity trading marketing strategies of municipal utilities first and foremost should aim at are innovators, especially prosumers. They are well-informed about and open minded concerning electricity sharing and highly environmentally aware. They ask for transparency and are willing to purchase related products. They are attracted by the ability to share generation and consumption and to a lesser extent by economic reasons. Our results indicate that the marketing efforts should to a special degree take peer effects into account, as they are found to wield great influence on general openness towards and purchase intention for P2P electricity products. Finally, municipal utilities should build on the high level of satisfaction and trust of consumers and use P2P electricity trading as measure to keep and win customers willing to change their supplier.
Business opportunities for energy providers to utilize flexible industrial demand are platform-based, connecting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to a virtual power plant (VPP) in complex ecosystems. Unlike in other VPPs, the focus is on participation, data, and control sovereignty for the SMEs. An exemplary application for an existing cement mill demonstrates positive margins. Viable VPP business models for small and medium-sized utilities include the “orchestrator,” i.e., adding value by linking services of specialized providers, the “integrator,” i.e., incorporating internal and external processes and resources, as well as the “white label user,” i.e., using a turn-key VPP from an exclusive cooperation partner.
Based on a survey among customers of seven German municipal utilities, we estimate two regression models to identify the most prospective customer segments and their preferences and motivations for participating in peer-to-peer (P2P) electricity trading and develop implications for decision-makers in the energy sector and policy-makers for this currently relatively unknown product. Our results show a large general openness of private households towards P2P electricity trading, which is also the main predictor of respondents' intention to participate. It is mainly influenced by individuals’ environmental attitude, technical interest, and independence aspiration. Respondents with the highest willingness to participate in P2P electricity trading are mainly motivated by the ability to share electricity, and to a lesser extent by economic reasons. They also have stronger preferences for innovative pricing schemes (service bundles, time-of-use tariffs). Differences between individuals can be observed depending on their current ownership (prosumers) or installation probability of a microgeneration unit (consumers, planners). Rather than current prosumers, especially planners willing to install microgeneration in the foreseeable future are considered to be the most promising target group for P2P electricity trading. Finally, our results indicate that P2P electricity trading could be a promising niche option in the German energy transition.
Willingness-to-pay for alternative fuel vehicle characteristics : a stated choice study for Germany
(2016)
In the light of European energy efficiency and clean air regulations, as well as an ambitious electric mobility goal of the German government, we examine consumer preferences for alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) based on a Germany-wide discrete choice experiment among 711 potential car buyers. We estimate consumers’ willingness to-pay and compensating variation (CV) for improvements in vehicle attributes, also taking taste differences in the population into account by applying a latent class model with 6 distinct consumer segments. Our results indicate that about 1/3 of the consumers are oriented towards at least one AFV option, with almost half of them being AFV-affine, showing a high probability of choosing AFVs despite their current shortcomings. Our results suggest that German car buyers’ willingness-to-pay for improvements of the various vehicle attributes varies considerably across consumer groups and that the vehicle features have to meet some minimum requirements for considering AFVs. The CV values show that decision-makers in the administration and industry should focus on the most promising consumer group of ‘AFV aficionados’ and their needs. It also shows that some vehicle attribute improvements could increase the demand for AFVs cost-effectively, and that consumers would accept surcharges for some vehicle attributes at a level which could enable their private provision and economic operation (e.g. fast-charging infrastructure). Improvement of other attributes will need governmental subsidies to compensate for insufficient consumer valuation (e.g. battery capacity).
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine private households’ preferences for service bundles in the German energy market.
Design/methodology/approach
This investigation is based on survey data collected from 3,663 customers of seven mainly municipal energy suppliers in the German energy market. The data set was analyzed via a binary logistic regression model to identify the most prospective customers and their preferences regarding bundles of energy services.
Findings
The results indicate that potential adopters of energy-related service bundles have greater prior knowledge about service bundles; place higher importance on simplified handling, flat rates and long price guarantees; prefer to purchase a service bundle from an energy supplier; live in urban areas and have a gas tariff; are both less likely to have a green electricity tariff and to support the German energy transition; have a greater intention to purchase a smart home product; are less likely to already be prosumers; and prefer customer centers and social media as communication channels with energy providers.
Practical implications
This paper offers several implications for decision-makers in developing marketing strategies for bundled offerings in a highly competitive energy market.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to the sparse research on service bundles in the energy sector, despite the growing interest of energy suppliers and consumers in this topic. It expands the research focusing on the telecommunications sector.
The generous feed-in tariffs (FiTs) introduced in Germany—which resulted in major growth in decentralized solar photovoltaic (PV) systems—will phase out in the coming years, making many of the existing distributed generation assets stranded. This challenge creates an opportunity for community-focused energy utilities, such as Elektrizitätswerke Schönau eG (EWS) based in Schönau, Germany, to try a new approach to assist its customers, makes the transition to a more sustainable future. This chapter describes how EWS is developing products and offering community-based solutions including peer-to-peer trading using automated platforms. Such innovative offering may lead to successful differentiation in a competitive and highly decentralized future.
Wenn es um innovative energiewirtschaftliche Produkte und Dienstleistungen geht, steht das eigene Energieversorungsunternehmen (EVU) hoch im Kurs. Die Ergebnisse einer Umfrage mit über 7.000 ausgewerteten Fragebögen zeigen auch: für Eigen- und Communitystrom, Smart Home, E-Mobilität und Bündelangebote gibt es spezifische Zielgruppen. Mehr Kunden interessieren sich für zeitvariable Tarife als für Flatrates. Am liebsten kontaktiert man sein EVU über das Kundencenter oder das Online-Kundenportal. Zielgruppenspezifische und (regional) differenzierte Marktstrategien zahlen sich aus, wozu Produktentwicklung und Vertrieb weiter professionalisiert werden müssen.
Die Bereitstellung von Wärme ist für ungefähr die Hälfte des Endenergieverbruchs in Deutschland verantwortlich und, angesichts eines Anteils erneuerbarer Energien an der Wärmebereitstellung von heute 14%, auch für einen bedeutenden Anteil der Treibhausgasemissionen. Die Bundesregierung strebt an, bis 2050 die Wärmeversorgung klimaneutral zu gestalten, sodass drei Ziele den zukünftigen Wärmemarkt und seine Innovationserfordernisse prägen: Reduktion des Wärmebedarfs, Steigerung des Anteils erneuerbarer Energien, Ausbau der Nah- und Fernwärmenetze. Für attraktive Geschäftsmodelle nicht minder wichtig sind jedoch die Kundenbedürfnisse, die sich auch aufgrund technologischer Entwicklungen stetig wandeln. Dementsprechend eröffnen sich neue Optionen für Geschäftsmodelle im Wärmesektor, z.B. erneuerbare Wärme mit Flatrate oder partizipative Wärme mit Energiesparanreizen.
