EaaS: Electricity as a Service?

Abstract

1   Purpose

Innovative business models have been transforming and disrupting traditional industries in an unprecedented speed. The energy industry is no exception. The advent of smart grid has initiated paradigm shifts from traditional product-based business models to service provision. An essential question is that, “How can energy industry create and capture new value from service business, turning the existing product-based business model to service orientation?”

2   Research gaps

This study addresses research gaps regarding 1) the value perspective for business model; 2) the ecosystem thinking for complex industries; 3) maximising systemic value for an ecosystem rather than a focal firm.

3   Research design, data collection, and approach

The study collects business model case data from BRIDGE, a high-level initiative of the European Commission uniting 31 major European energy projects. The research includes the full 50 business model cases contributed by experts from 15 EU Horizon 2020 innovation projects.

4   Findings

The study utilises the 4C ecosystemic framework and the XaaS (Everything as a Service) digital service business model typologies. A key outcome is the proposition of Electricity as a Service (EaaS) concept with four service business model typologies for the energy sector, proposing a new service business paradigm for the energy ecosystem.

5   Originality and value

The study proposes a value-based approach and service-dominant logic towards business model research at ecosystemic level. For the first time, the study introduces the XaaS service business typologies, investigating how this well-established ICT (Information and Communication Technology) business concept can enable the digitalisation of the energy industry.