Developing Competitive Business Opportunities
The following strategies have helped utilities develop business opportunities with existing and new customers. These strategies are especially effective when used with renewable-energy technologies like photovoltaics (PV).
Fixed-Rate Energy Bills
Offer a new product where a customer s energy bills are fixed for 30 years. Consumers could choose fixed-rate energy bills in much the same way that they purchase homes using fixed-rate loans instead of variable-rate loans. Investments in PV could give service providers the flexibility to safely offer such a product.
Business Development
Work with housing developers to build houses that are attractive to environmentally sensitive customers by installing PV on the roofs. The opportunity to offer fixed-rate energy bills could be linked with this product.
Micro-Grids
Use PV as part of a micro-grid. Micro-grids could allow a utility to extend the grid to areas that are currently not served (such as new housing developments), to improve the reliability of targeted areas of the system, or to provide service outside the utility's service territory.