THE IMPACT OF A TAILORED END USER ENGAGEMENT FRAMEWORK ON A PEER-TO-PEER ENERGY SHARING INITIATIVE: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY

The peer-to-peer (P2P) energy sharing concept refers to electricity exchanges between end users connected by the same energy network. In this sense, prosumers that have surplus distributed generation (i.e., providers) can share or trade this excess electricity with other end users who are in need of electricity (i.e., receivers), instead of selling it to the main energy grid. This innovative market model is rooted in the sharing economy concept and can either be driven by economic profit or prosocial behaviour. In any case, this paper argues that the successful implementation of P2P energy sharing models is fundamentally associated with the proactive participation of end users. The Community S project represents the first P2P energy sharing demonstration project trialled in Portugal under real market conditions. This paper aims to present empirical evidence about the impact of a planned end user engagement framework in the Community S project, as means to facilitate and guide the development of future P2P energy sharing initiatives across the globe. Namely, the implementation of the end user engagement framework was divided in 2 distinct phases: (i) Activation and (ii) Continuation phases. For each phase, different key end user engagement strategies and mechanisms were identified and promoted in 3 distinct pilots. Results from the assessment of the impact of the proposed end user engagement framework in each pilot are presented and discussed.