Search Results (24)

The main objective of this article is to conduct a literature review on the use of open innovation (OI) for green transition to identify tools and methods that can make green transition more effective, efficient, and socially acceptable. This review is accompanied by an attempt to answer the following research questions: R1. How can open innovation be used in the economy and by individual entities to achieve the goals of the green transition? R2. How can individual stakeholders be activated and motivated to participate in the process of creating open innovation for the green transition? and R3. What are the real effects of using open innovation on a macroeconomic, social, and individual scale? The results allow concluding that OI is used by enterprises, cities, regions, and entire economies. Among the methods of activating and motivating individual stakeholders to engage in the process of creating OI for green transition, the following can be selected: (1) internal resources and competencies (knowledge management, internal programs, open leadership, trust, complementarity of resources); (2) partnership characteristics (modern business models, involvement of partnership intermediaries, strengthening relationships with suppliers and customers, involvement of prosumers, cooperation with universities and research institutions); (3) external legal and regulatory conditions (protection of intellectual property rights, pro-innovation and pro-environmental education systems, creation of a legal framework for cooperation between science and business); and (4) external technical and organizational solutions (online platforms, social media, Living Labs, external sources of knowledge). The most frequently mentioned individual effects of open innovation in the energy sector include: improved efficiency, effectiveness and competitiveness in environmental management and the implementation of sustainable development, as well as the use of modern technologies. At the economic level, OI supports investment and economic growth. It can also have a positive impact on reducing energy poverty and developing renewable energy sources, including in emerging economies. This form of innovation also promotes social integration and the creation of social values. The findings of this review can be utilized by scholars to identify current and future research directions. They may also prove valuable for practitioners as both an incentive to engage in open innovation and guidance for its design and implementation. Furthermore, the results can contribute to disseminating knowledge about open innovation and its role in the green transformation. Full article

Efficient scheduling of virtual power plants (VPPs) is essential for the integration of distributed energy resources into modern power systems. This study presents a CUDA-accelerated Multiple-Chain Simulated Annealing (MC-SA) algorithm tailored for optimizing VPP scheduling. Traditional Simulated Annealing algorithms are inherently sequential, limiting their scalability for large-scale applications. The proposed MC-SA algorithm mitigates this limitation by executing multiple independent annealing chains concurrently, enhancing the exploration of the solution space and reducing the requisite number of sequential cooling iterations. The algorithm employs a dual-level parallelism strategy: at the prosumer level, individual energy producers and consumers are assessed in parallel; at the algorithmic level, multiple Simulated Annealing chains operate simultaneously. This architecture not only expedites computation but also improves solution accuracy. Experimental evaluations demonstrate that the CUDA-based MC-SA achieves substantial speedups—up to 10× compared to a single-chain baseline implementation while maintaining or enhancing solution quality. Our analysis reveals an empirical power-law relationship between parallel chains and required sequential iterations (iterations ∝ chains^{−0.88±0.17}), demonstrating that using 50 chains reduces the required number of sequential iterations by approximately 10× compared to single-chain SA while maintaining equivalent solution quality. The algorithm demonstrates scalable performance across VPP sizes from 250 to 1000 prosumers, with approximately 50 chains providing the optimal balance between solution quality and computational efficiency for practical applications. Full article

Solar photovoltaic (PV) net energy metering (NEM) scheme adoption is generally known for its advantages. However, limited research has been conducted on the prosumers’ behaviors, especially in the industrial and commercial sectors. This study is exploratory and explanatory in identifying the variables; therefore, preliminary research was conducted by interviewing 15 firms and collecting 372 usable responses from the cross-sectional survey questionnaires. The conceptual framework consists of antecedents and outcomes of prosumers’ energy-conserving behaviors (PECB). The antecedent consists of theories conceptualized from the extended TOE called STOPE and institutional theory (INT), with energy-saving culture (ESC) as a moderator. Meanwhile, the outcomes include sustainable energy consumption and production (SECP) and provider–consumer relationships (PCR) as moderators. The outcomes of SECP further revealed the significant results of energy-conserving behavior on the economic, environmental, social, governance, and technical aspects of the sustainable outcome of PECB. Additionally, the findings offer a transformative power and valuable knowledge for policymakers, scholars, and stakeholders in the industry that can significantly contribute to realizing sustainable practices. Future research may explore other variable factors, theories, sampling techniques, and larger samples. Also, different analytic approaches were considered and mixed methods were used to investigate the long-term impacts of prosumers’ energy-conserving behavior patterns and overall sustainability. Full article

Due to the dynamic increase in the number of prosumer electrical installations in Poland, one may observe many negative effects of their development, including the deterioration of energy quality parameters and the reliability of the existing distribution network. The installation of solar panels in Polish homes was mainly motivated by economic reasons. One of the most important problems of the distribution network is the increase in voltage. The aim of this work was to develop a practical method for determining the maximum voltage changes caused by the connection of photovoltaic installations. To accomplish this, a representative low-voltage overhead line, typical of those found in Poland, was modeled using the NEPLAN software. More than 100 distinct simulations were conducted, exploring various locations and power capacities of photovoltaic installations and utilizing authentic annual profiles for both electrical loads and photovoltaic generation. From the analysis of the data obtained, relationships that enable the determination of voltage changes induced by photovoltaic connections at any node within the low-voltage circuit were established. The computational results derived from this simplified model demonstrate sufficient accuracy for practical applications, and the required input data is accessible to distribution system operators. Full article

With the increasing connection between integrated natural gas, thermal energy, and electric power systems, the integrated energy system (IES) needs to coordinate the internal unit scheduling and meet the different load demands of customers. However, when the energy subjects involved in scheduling are engaged in conflicts of interest, aspects such as hierarchical status relationships and cooperative and competitive relationships must be considered. Therefore, this paper studies the problem of achieving optimal energy scheduling for multiple subjects of source, storage, and load under the same distribution network while ensuring that their benefits are not impaired. First, this paper establishes a dual master-slave game model with a shared energy storage system (SESS), IES, and the alliance of prosumers (APs) as the main subjects. Second, based on the Nash negotiation theory and considering the sharing of electric energy among prosumers, the APs model is equated into two sub-problems of coalition cost minimization and cooperative benefit distribution to ensure that the coalition members distribute the cooperative benefits equitably. Further, the Stackelberg-Stackelberg-Nash three-layer game model is established, and the dichotomous distributed optimization algorithm combined with the alternating direction multiplier method (ADMM) is used to solve this three-layer game model. Finally, in the simulation results of the arithmetic example, the natural gas consumption is reduced by 9.32%, the economic efficiency of IES is improved by 3.95%, and the comprehensive energy purchase cost of APs is reduced by 12.16%, the proposed model verifies the sustainability co-optimization and mutual benefits of source, storage and load multi-interested subjects. Full article

The main aim of the article was to examine the relationship between food waste and variables describing the socio-demographic characteristics of households in Poland, including reference to the prosumer behaviour of households. Do we respect food more if we produce it ourselves? That is the research question the authors have asked themselves. Consumer behaviour related to running a household, including the production of food for own needs and food waste by end consumers, is an interesting research area, especially in this combination. Food prosumption, alongside the issue of food waste, is part of new consumer trends that are an element of sustainable development. In order to explore the issue, our study was conducted using the diagnostic survey method with the CAWI (Computer-Assisted Web Interview) survey technique. The survey was conducted in July 2022 among 1112 respondents. This is a representative population of households in Poland (in terms of gender, age, size of place of residence, and education), with non-random quota sampling. The answers to the questions received were analysed with a chi-square correlation, supported by the Yule effect (φ) and Cramer’s coefficient (V). The correlations, significant though weak, showed a link between food waste and the variables of age, number of children, and number of people in the household. In addition, the majority of respondents believe that food prosumption contributes to reducing food waste within the household where food is produced for own needs. Full article

The technical complexity of organizing energy systems’ operation has recently been compounded by the complexity of reconciling the interests of individual entities involved in interactions. This study proposes a possible solution to the problem of modeling their relationships within a large system. Our solution takes into account multiple levels of interactions, imperfect information, and conflicting interests. We present a mathematical statement of the problem of optimal interactions between the centralized system and prosumers in the integrated energy system (IES) with due consideration of the layered architecture of the IES. The paper also contributes a model for arranging the interactions between centralized and distributed energy sources for cases when IES prosumers form coalitions. The implementation of this model is based on multi-agent techniques and cooperative game theory tools. In order to arrive at a rational arrangement of the interactions of prosumers in the IES, the model implements different approaches to the allocation of the coalition’s total payoff (the Shapley value, Modiclus, PreNucleolus solution concepts). Furthermore, we propose a criterion for deciding on the “best” imputation. We contribute a multi-agent system that implements the proposed model and use a test IES setup to validate the model by simulations. The results of the simulations ensure optimal interactions between the entities involved in the energy supply process within the IES and driven by their own interests. The results also elucidate the conditions that make it feasible for prosumers to form coalitions. Full article

The release of greenhouse gases has led to increases in global temperatures and triggered an unprecedented array of environmental disasters. The aim of net-zero emissions is to increase the share of the world’s energy supplied by renewable sources as well as to influence consumer behavior to improve the balance between energy supply and demand. Appropriate energy policies can encourage consumers to take a proactive role in the transition to more sustainable forms of energy. Given the circumstances, an increasing number of demand-side users now function as prosumers who produce, store, consume, utilize, and manage energy. To understand the state of the energy prosumers’ business model in this changing sector, a review of the literature related to energy prosumers is made, with a focus on energy efficiency, net-zero emissions, Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7), energy management efficiency, and Energy prosumer systems. The purposes of this review are (1) to explore the shared models of the energy prosumers, (2) to gain insight into the energy prosumer in different areas, and (3) to identify any gaps in the energy management efficiency research. Finally, we examine the major difference between energy prosumers and their respective relationships to energy sources. The results reveal that for energy prosumer systems, there is still some room regarding how they will financially, equitably, and efficiently adapt to the impact of the new increased renewable energy prosumer business model. Full article

Second-hand trading platforms are helpful to the recycling of resources. It is important to accelerate the construction of second-hand trading platforms and improve people’s willingness to buy second-hand goods. However, due to the uncertainty of second-hand goods, it is difficult to establish the trust between users and complete second-hand transactions. Nowadays, more and more platforms use community-based governance mechanisms to promote relationships between users. Taking the second-hand trading platform Xianyu as an example, this study explores the influence of three specific community-based mechanisms (interest group, feedback mechanism and dispute resolution mechanism) on trust and transaction intention from three dimensions of relational governance. This study compares the different effect between consumers and prosumers. Based on 721 valid questionnaires, a structural equation model was used to analyze the data. The results show that interest group, feedback mechanism and dispute resolution mechanism all have significant positive effects on trust in sellers and platforms. In addition, the impact of a dispute resolution mechanism on trust in sellers and platforms is higher for prosumers than for consumers. This study extends the previous research on community-based governance, contributes to the design of second-hand trading platforms and promotes more users to participate in recycling economy. Full article

Peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading facilitates both consumers and prosumers to exchange energy without depending on an intermediate medium. This system makes the energy market more decentralized than before, which generates new opportunities in energy-trading enhancements. In recent years, P2P energy trading has emerged as a method for managing renewable energy sources in distribution networks. Studies have focused on creating pricing mechanisms for P2P energy trading, but most of them only consider energy prices. This is because of a lack of understanding of the pricing mechanisms in P2P energy trading. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of pricing mechanisms for energy and network service prices in P2P energy trading, based on the recent advancements in P2P. It suggests that pricing methodology can be categorized by trading process in two categories, namely energy pricing and network service pricing (NSP). Within these categories, network service pricing can be used to identify financial conflicts, and the relationship between energy and network service pricing can be determined by examining interactions within the trading process. This review can provide useful insights for creating a P2P energy market in distribution networks. This review work provides suggestions and future directions for further development in P2P pricing mechanisms. Full article

This paper describes the present and the future of the energy sector in relation to the dominant and constantly evolving form of the global economic system. These considerations have their starting point in transformations of the energy sector in prosumer capitalism, which has dramatically changed the picture of the global economy in recent years. Subsequently, a futuristic approach is applied to determine the role and importance of energy from renewable sources for further human development. The main objective of the paper is to explain the current situation of the energy sector in prosumer capitalism and to extrapolate these relationships for the future, considering the need to enter the path of sustainable development to eliminate the global warming processes and climate changes. A review of the existing scientific literature was applied as the research method. The historical wave concept, proposed by Toffler, was found to be highly useful because of its high potential in futurology, where it enables one to study megatrends. The Fourth Wave was linked to prosumer capitalism, and it provided the base for defining the next ones: the Fifth Wave of Computing (ecosocialism) and the Sixth Wave in the form of technological and energy communism (solar communism). It also turned out that the key to solving mankind’s energy problems lies in the global mean entropy budget. The literature review shows that founding the global energy system on solar radiation is the only known method for eliminating the anthropogenic greenhouse effect, which is the source of global warming and, consequently, of climate change. Therefore, the second law of thermodynamics provides a physical, economic, and logical justification for introducing a new and ultimate management form—solar communism—by 2050. Full article

This article was aimed to answer the question of whether local energy communities have a sufficient energy surplus for storage purposes, including hydrogen production. The article presents an innovative approach to current research and a discussion of the concepts of the collective prosumer and virtual prosumer that have been implemented in the legal order and further amended in the law. From this perspective, it was of utmost importance to analyze the model of functioning of an energy cluster consisting of energy consumers, energy producers, and hydrogen storage, whose goal is to maximize the obtained benefits, assuming the coopetitive nature of the relationship. The announced and clear perspective of the planned benefits will provide the cluster members a measurable basis for participation in such an energy community. However, the catalogue of benefits will be conditioned by the fulfillment of several requirements related to both the scale of covering energy demand from own sources and the need to store surplus energy. As part of the article, the results of analyses together with a functional model based on real data of the local energy community are presented. Full article

Load forecasting is a procedure of fundamental importance in power systems operation and planning. Many entities can benefit from accurate load forecasting such as generation companies, systems operators, retailers, prosumers, and others. A variety of models have been proposed so far in the literature. Among them, artificial neural networks are a favorable approach mainly due to their potential for capturing the relationship between load and other parameters. The forecasting performance highly depends on the number and types of inputs. The present paper presents a particle swarm optimization (PSO) two-step method for increasing the performance of short-term load forecasting (STLF). During the first step, PSO is applied to derive the optimal types of inputs for a neural network. Next, PSO is applied again so that the available training data is split into homogeneous clusters. For each cluster, a different neural network is utilized. Experimental results verify the robustness of the proposed approach in a bus load forecasting problem. Also, the proposed algorithm is checked on a load profiling problem where it outperforms the most common algorithms of the load profiling-related literature. During input selection, the weights update is held in asymmetrical duration. The weights of the training phase require more time compared with the test phase. Full article

Motivated by the growing demand for distributed energy resources (DERs), peer-to-peer (P2P) electricity markets have been explored worldwide. However, such P2P markets must be balanced in much smaller regions with a lot fewer participants than centralized wholesale electricity markets; hence, the market has inherent problems of low liquidity and price instability. In this study, we propose applying a market maker system to the P2P electricity market and developing an efficient market strategy to increase liquidity and mitigate extreme price fluctuations. To this end, we construct an artificial market simulator for P2P electricity trading and design a market agent and general agents (photovoltaic (PV) generators, consumers, and prosumers) to perform power bidding and contract processing. Moreover, we introduce market-maker agents in this study who follow the regulations set by a market administrator and simultaneously place both sell and buy orders in the same market. We implement two types of bidding strategies for market makers and examine their effects on liquidity improvement and price stabilization as well as profitability, using solar PV generation and consumption data observed in a past demonstration project. It is confirmed that liquidity and price stability may be improved by introducing a market maker although there is a trade-off relationship between these effects and the market maker’s profitability. Full article

Internet media may exacerbate public confusion and anxiety about COVID-19. New media health literacy (NMHL) is considered to play a protective role against health-related misinformation from the media for individuals to maintain their health. The current study aims to examine the relationship among Taiwanese adults’ NMHL, health status, anxiety, and prevention behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional study was conducted through an online survey, and 342 responses were included in the analysis. The survey tools include Health Status, COVID-19-Related New Media Health Literacy, COVID-19 Anxiety, and COVID-19 Preventive Behaviors. The research showed that both functional and critical prosuming literacy had positive relationships with health status. Functional consumption literacy had a weak negative correlation with COVID-19 anxiety. Furthermore, critical consumption literacy had a positive relationship with COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Therefore, individuals’ health, anxiety, and prevention behaviors are affected by different aspects of COVID-19-related new media health literacy. Compared to their consuming media literacy, Taiwanese adults have insufficient prosuming media literacy in regard to COVID-19 health issues. Full article