Enablers and barriers for energy prosumption: Conceptual review and an integrated analysis of business models

Abstract

Energy transition is a crucial issue for sustainable development in the energy sector. It is also the main instrument to meet climate change goals. The development of energy technologies and economic instruments has created new interactive forms for prosumers involvement. The paper systematically analyzes new business models for energy prosumption and performs SWOT analysis from the prosumers’ perspective. The systematic literature review was applied to outline the main business models for energy prosumption. The performed analysis also allowed the main policy directions for the further development of prosumerism to be identified. The paper presents integrated analysis of Aggregator, Demand Response, Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Trading Platforms, Energy as a Service, Collective Services and Pay as You Go models. It was revealed that the main enablers encouraging energy prosumption are environmental concern, energy independence, control over energy (micro)generation, new and user-friendly technologies, energy saving and monetization of surplus energy, and stable and clear regulatory framework. The main barriers include lack of effective support initiatives, quite slow market penetration of innovative technologies, and low level of public awareness and acceptance. Finally, the main policy directions to encourage further development of energy prosumption are provided.