Forum Solarpraxis: New study on success models for energy companies

The primary finding: successful energy suppliers will be, in the future, bringing together different roles under one roof and will evolve to become Pool Managers.
They will produce their energy in a decentralized manner, will market renewable energy, finance new energy plants and steer flexible energy consumption. On one hand, these business models are tied to the usual tasks of the energy companies. On the other hand, companies can, via digital solutions and storage technologies, open up new business areas for themselves and combine the existent in a new way.
42 managers from research institutions, energy technology manufacturers, energy suppliers, state institutions, consultancies and organizations were polled for this study.
The marketing of electricity from renewable energy sources was cited by 47% of the polled participants as one of the most interesting new business models, load management was cited by 44% as the next interesting aspect and 28% cited financing solutions. The possible answers were not given, and multiple answers were possible.
“Renewable energy production was the energy-Eldorado in recent years. The new potentials lie in improved coordination of production and consumption. The technical solutions are already available from the standpoint of the respondents to the poll. This opinion is shared by the representatives of the renewable energy industry, as well as managers from classic utilities,” says Stephan Franz, founder of Büro F and author of the study.
The main technical solutions that will prevail in the next five years are storage, according to 97% of the respondents, and digitization according to 87% of the respondents. Only these technologies enable energy suppliers to fulfil their new role as Pool Managers as well. Their task areas revolve around the aggregation of electricity generation and electricity consumption as well as the marketing of energy.
When aggregating, the Pool Manager combines the energy derived from different sources via decentralized home- and large-storage facilities in virtual power plants. At the same time, the Pool Manager bundles and controls consumers in a flexible manner, especially in commercial and industrial facets. As part of the marketing, the Pool Manager then sells the aggregated electricity via supply contracts and the stock exchange. Additionally, the Pool Manager can market the bundled capacities of the decentral energy producer and storage in the markets for power regulation.
In the financing area, there is a rise in cooperation between partners to develop new offers for investors and prosumers, via channels that pool capital through crowdfunding or through cooperatives. Prosumers are referred to energy consumers who produce energy themselves.
Another business area is the sale of plants to prosumers, for example, as a complete product and services package that include the financing and marketing of excess electricity. The promising direct electricity products, such as regional electricity or tenant electricity, however, need appropriate policy frameworks in place in order to prevail. This is where the large deficit lies in Germany, according to Solarpraxis Neue Energiewelt AG, the organizer of the conference Forum Solarpraxis:
“New models whereby citizens and businesses can buy green electricity directly from the producer not only promotes investment, but also promotes the acceptance of the Energiewende. The recent rejection of the green electricity market model by the German Federal Ministry of Economics shows that once again the government has underestimated this enormous potential. It is high time for the necessary political decisions to be made so that electricity consumers no longer remain disconnected from the advantages of the Energiewende,” says Karl-Heinz Remmers, CEO of Solarpraxis Neue Energiewelt AG.
http://www.solarpraxis.de/en/conferences/forumsolarpraxis/program-16th-forum-solarpraxis/