Prosumer flexibility as an enabler for ecosystem value co-creation: A resource integration approach from the Finnish electricity markets

Abstract

Energy ecosystems increasingly embrace prosumer flexibility to integrate intermittent renewable sources into the energy mix. However, our understanding of actor roles, interactions, and market dynamics related to prosumer flexibility integration remains limited. We address this gap by exploring how prosumer flexibility can facilitate value co-creation among ecosystem actors and the resources necessary for effective integration within the Finnish electricity ecosystem. To this end, we conducted an exploratory single case study in Finland, involving 24 semi-structured interviews, 18 with key stakeholders and six with flexibility platform operators active in various European markets. Our results reveal several challenges in implementing prosumer flexibility, including barriers to integrating novel actors such as aggregators in the value chain, limitations of rural distribution networks in supporting large-scale flexibility operations, and gaps in energy literacy programs. Despite these challenges, there is a generally optimistic outlook toward prosumer flexibility adoption. We further contribute to the energy prosumption literature by incorporating the Service-Dominant Logic concept into prosumer driven value co-creation. We identify a critical phase of ‘resource harmonization,’ where emerging and incumbent actors align their resources to adopt novel energy technologies and provide a comprehensive framework for facilitating value co-creation through integrating these technologies.