Browsing by Author "Strid, Mats"

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    Energitjänster på en avreglerad marknad: För en effektivare energianvändning?
    (2004) Strid, Mats; Bergmasth, Mikael; Department of Business Administration
    This thesis studies the efforts made by society to achieve more efficient energy use in order to better utilise resources and lessen the stress on the environment. Despite the value to society promised by more efficient energy use, too few attempts are made at realising this value. One instrument available to governments in their efforts to stimulate efficiency schemes, is to encourage energy companies to supply Energy Efficiency Services (EES). It may seem paradoxical that energy companies would both deliver energy and offer EES, i.e. on the one hand try to increase their sales volume and on the other hand advise on and implement schemes aiming at decreasing energy use. The fundamental problem at the heart of this thesis is whether EES offer a viable mechanism for society to achieve more efficient energy use. This problem is examined by studying how energy companies present, deliver, and carry out EES, and further how customers assess them. Our overarching research question, therefore, is: Does the supply of energy efficiency services lead to a more efficient use of energy from a public and business economics point of view? The theoretical frame of reference is Transaction Cost Economics and Resource Based View and the research methods used are surveys and case studies. Questionnaires were sent to all the energy companies in Sweden and the United Kingdom in order to map out and compare EES operations in these two countries. Some survey questions have been explored further through case studies in the form of interviews. Questionnaires were also sent to 752 manufacturing- and real estate companies in Sweden to better understand the demand for EES. The key findings are (1) The purpose of EES is to support energy sales rather than contributing to more efficient use of energy, (2) The demand for EES is weak and it is not stimulated, (3) The sale of direct EES involves high transaction costs, (4) The energy companies lack strategic resources aimed at direct EES and (5) EES are an insignificant part of energy companies’ activities. Our findings lead to the following answer to the overarching research question: the supply of EES does not result in a more efficient use of energy – neither from the viewpoint of public economics nor from the viewpoint of business economics. EES do not result in a economic, efficient use of energy, since managing these services requires too many resources. In addition, primarily indirect EES are sold, with limited effects on energy efficiency. Apart from this, the few direct EES that are put into practice bring about high transaction costs meaning that society’s costs for increasing energy efficiency exceed what is gained in terms of better performance. The comparative study of EES concerning the Swedish and the British market shows that it is likely that supply of EES on other deregulated markets will have similar consequences.
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    Energitjänsters betydelse på en avreglerad energimarknad: en kartläggning av energiföretagens energitjänstverksamhet i Sverige och Storbritannien
    (1999) Bergmasth, Mikael; Strid, Mats; Department of Business Administration
    Rapporten bygger på en enkätundersökning som genomförts hos energiföretag i Sverige och Storbritannien. Det övergripande syftet med studien är att kartlägga, beskriva och jämföra energiföretagens energitjänster och energieffektiviseringar i dessa länder. Studiens delsyfte är att belysa de bakomliggande faktorerna, t ex prissättnings- och investerings-bedömningar och deras inverkan på energieffektiviseringarnas existens. Energitjänsternas framkomst är till stor del en reaktion av avregleringen. Det är över hälften av företagen som började att erbjuda energitjänster i samband med eller efter avregleringen. De energitjänster som erbjuds i Sverige domineras av energirådgivning, energianalyser och serviceavtal. Energitjänsternas roll är att skapa en bra relation med kunden och i första hand är det inte vinstsyftet som prioriteras. Energiföretagen i Storbritannien arbetar i större utsträckning med de kraftfullare energitjänsterna; effektiviseringar, laststyrning och energitjänstavtal. De här tjänsterna erbjuds för att de är lönsamma och innebär tillväxtmöjligheter på nya marknader. De energiföretag som erbjuder dessa tjänster i Sverige ger liknande svar. Den betydelse effektiviseringar har på en avreglerad energimarknad är att stärka företagens konkurrenskraft och skapa bra kundrelationer. Vi tror att konkurrensen på marknaden är avgörande för energieffektiviseringarnas existens. Om inte konkurrensen kommer att infinna sig i de olika kundkategorierna kommer inte energieffektiviseringar att erbjudas, åtminstone inte av energiföretagen själva.
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    The Role of Energy Efficiency in the Deregulated Swedish Electricity Market
    (Proceedings from the ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings. American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, Washington, DC., 2000) Bergmasth, Mikael; Nilsson, Lars; Lewald, Anders; Strid, Mats; Department of Business Administration
    Four years have passed since January 1996 when retail competition was introduced in the Swedish electricity market. These years have been characterized by a rapid restructuring of the electricity supply industry through mergers and acquisitions, lower electricity prices, and a search for new marketing strategies in the competitive market. General trends and the results of two market surveys, undertaken in 1999, of energy efficiency services from electricity suppliers in Sweden are reported here. One survey targeted a sample of industrial and commercial customers, and one survey targeted all electricity suppliers. Energy services, in particular energy efficiency services, are offered by 83 per cent of the surveyed electricity suppliers. Customer relations and building customer loyalty is reported by 88 per cent of the suppliers as a motivation for offering energy services. Nearly half of the customers report a great confidence in the suppliers' ability and sincerity to deliver energy efficiency services. 22 per cent of the customers have contracted for energy efficiency services and those customers that have contracted for energy services have often contracted for several services. Less than 20 per cent of the customers think energy services is a way for suppliers to distract customers and remove focus from electricity price. In both surveys, roughly half of the respondents report that services are priced separately from electricity. The future role of government to facilitate and support the market for energy efficiency services is discussed based on market experiences so far.