The objectives shall be achieved by the Participants in the following Subtasks:
Subtask 0: Task Definition Phase
The focus of this Subtask was on making a first inventory of issues of common interest regarding business models and Service Value propositions on Energy efficiency and defining an initial working scope and definition. Success and failure of these services is highly dependent on country specifics. Already many studies are conducted that are valuable for this Task. This Subtask main objective was to map valuable knowledge, identify country specifics and general objectives. After agreement on this task, country expert will be lined up and prepared for their part in this Task.
Activities
- Writing work plan, in close cooperation with interested countries and their experts
- Performing a quick scan of country specifics (relevant policy and regulation, research,business models. Energy targets etc.)
- Attendance (virtual) of Executive Committee meetings in 2014
Subtask 1: Task Management
This Subtask is dealing with all management issues.
Activities
- Overall project coordination and management, including contact relationship management
- Attendance at Executive Committee meetings, conferences and reporting to IEA DSM Executive Committee
- Set-up Task Advisory Board (AB) of stakeholders (Executive Committee, IEA, intermediaries from research, industry, government, community sectors)
Subtask 2: Identify proven and potential business models for energy services
There are many energy service business models “out there” and often they are closelylinked to existing market structures and policies. In other words, business models are often country and context specific. We will start with an inventory of different existing business models, both in the participating countries and also including global
examples of successful business models. In the different participating countries we will analyse what business models exist, and what frameworks (market and policy) accompany them.
Activities
- Identifying country specific suppliers, clients, and their stakeholder networks andtrying to establish national advisory expert networks to continue working with throughout the task. These actors will receive frequent webinars, but also quite some face-to-face time and be the first to ask for relevant case studies. Members include policymakers in the field, end-user representatives, collectives, SME suppliers and receivers of energy services, academia, business developers, consultants, technology developers and NGOs in the field. All relevant expertise needs to be present, from economic to policy making.
- Narrowing down the focus of both services, target groups and typology of business models in close cooperation with national experts and other relevant stakeholders.
- Clarifying how the different parameters of success of business models and services will relate to each other in the analysis – economic profitability, scale of impact and real savings, business creation, growth rate, synergies with other values, adoption rate etc.
- Developing a task specific typology or categorisation of business models and services for EE.
- Developing an overview of existing energy service business models in the participating countries and their frameworks/ecosystems and how they meet and incorporate client needs.
- Reviewing global existing business models and their frameworks/ecosystems with a clear focus on quantifying and qualifying effectiveness (e.g. amount of customers reached, market share, savings aimed for, other outcomes, ROI).
- In-depth comparative analysis of around 4 similar business models in different countries and around 12 per country. Determining patterns, drivers and pitfalls.
- Identifying key factors that make services (and their vendors) succeed in the participating countries through an in-depth analysis of country specific markets and policies for energy services and their influences on business models;
- Organising regular country workshops with service providers and clients.
- Creating a report with all the national examples, the best practices and the analysis including useful tips and tricks etcetera.
Subtask 3: developing business model canvas and country specific policy guidelines for up-scaling and mainstreaming business models in participating countries
When the key factors that make services (and their vendors) succeed have been identified in the different countries we will need to start applying this knowledge to help creating a mass market for energy services. This will be achieved through the co-creating of potential effective business models and services with national stakeholders, in addition we will define guidelines for policymakers to allow a more effective up-scaling of proven business models and services.
Activities
- Develop frameworks for potentially effective business models and services in co creation with national stakeholders, e.g. suppliers and clients. We will do so in face to face workshops, with the national experts and other relevant stakeholders.
- Creating policy guidelines with necessary policies and strategies of different stakeholders, and their timing, to encourage market creation and mainstreaming of selected business models in participating countries
Subtask 4: Expert platform
This subtask is about creating effective means to disseminate, engage, collaborate and share learnings with the experts and stakeholders from participating or contributing countries and the wider community.
It is both important to disseminate the findings about effective business models and energy services for EE as widely as possible to contribute to a market uptake of EE services, though without the country specific recommendations and foci; and to learn as much as possible from other stakeholders and countries and collect as many relevant best and bad practices as possible.
The connection to existing IEA expert platforms and dissemination channels is aimed to create a learning culture and social network among the experts from various countries, disciplines and stakeholder groups and to foster collaboration within and outside this Task.
Activities
We will disseminate, engage, collaborate and share learnings through two activities:
- Set up a stakeholder communication and engagement plan
- Traditional dissemination to external stakeholders and academia
- Creating and facilitating a good connection to existing digital and off-line expert platforms within the IEA, e.g. the expert platforms of Tasks 16, 24 and other relevant tasks and the expert platforms for other Implementing Agreements. This connection is meant to provide a ‘matchmaking’ service to enable trans-national, inter-disciplinary teams of experts and end users to collaborate and learn.