Co-value Creation Within the Business Model for Smart Grids: Case of Russian Autonomous Energy Complex

摘要

The trend on electricity grids digitalization is gradually leading to the shift of business value towards more sustainable and efficient electricity services. Sustainability and efficiency are challenged by the increasing demand for electricity which is followed by a dramatic transformation of energy systems. While smart grids seem to be crucial in this process, there is a discrepancy in understanding the costs and benefits for the multiple actors involved. In addition, there are benefits of smart grids that cannot be measured directly in terms of money, such as higher energy system reliability or commitment to carbon reduction. Despite the rise of interest to the managerial aspects of smart grids implementation and development, many aspects remain out of the scope. This paper contributes to the research of smart grids by providing a conceptualized business model that would allow for value co-creation, delivery and capture. A Russian energy sector perspective is primarily considered throughout the paper and the results are supported by evidence from interviews with of industrial experts.