Demand response plays a very important role in balancing the intermittent production of an increasing share of renewable energy sources on the energy market. This article analyses the importance of demand response and the role of aggregators for the new development of the electricity market, where the renewables will play a more important role. The main objective of this research is to determine the acceptance level of demand response and its implementation on the energy consumer side. This acceptance should include a professional actor, the aggregator which is assuming the role of optimizing the relation between energy producers and consumers, and to monitor the implementation and use of demand response. The research is based on semi-structured interviews with experts in energy from Hungary, Romania and Serbia, on workshops with experts and a wider online survey with end customers for electricity. The results indicate that there is a willingness potential to implement demand response programs with aggregators as intermediaries between energy providers and end consumers of electrical energy.

Consumer behaviour in the energy field is playing a more important role in the new approach dominated by the proliferation of renewable energy sources. In this new context, the grid has to balance the intermittent and uncertain renewable energy generated, and find solutions, also, on the consumer side for increasing the stability and reliability of the energy system. The main de-mand response solutions are price and incentive based, but there is a need to identify the main factors which can influence their efficiency due to the fact that there is a lack of knowledge about the preferences of consumers. The main goal of this article is to identify the main demand response solutions and the related key factors which influence the participation of consumers in demand response programs and may contribute to the spread of renewable energy sources. For this research, semi-structured interviews were organised with experts in energy from Romania, Hungary and Serbia, as well as workshops with experts in energy, and an online survey with customers for electricity. This article reduces the gap between the results of technical studies, related in demand response programs, and their practical implementations, where the consumer behaviour and its social dimensions are neglected even though, in reality, they are playing the main role. The results suggest that the consumer’s participation in demand response programs is highly influenced by different aspects related to the promotion of the renewable energy and the reduction of CO2 emissions and the global warming impact.

The aim of the paper research is to identify and improve business models in energy trading by analyzing the current situation and developing scenarios for the evolution of business models in the Digital Era. It is very important to analyze, identify and track those directions that we believe will drive energy trading in order to be able to design and create new sustainable business models. We highlight the possibilities and ways of improving the energy trading, analyzing the rapid evolution of the field, generated by the emergence of several new factors that can influence this industry. Beside those directions at which electricity trading is heading in the Digital Era, the research also describes main innovations in the field such as Smart Grids, Blockchain Technology, Peer-to-peer trading platforms and Demand Response through which the purpose is to attract final consumers to the energy trading on web platforms or mobile applications with which they can properly control their electric appliances and self-generation units in their homes, all these supervised and guided by artificial intelligence. The type of research proposed to identify the current condition and to be able to develop new trading models is empirical research through qualitative analysis. Beyond incentives and monetary benefits, the focus is on final consumer education and increased awareness towards a more conscious, optimal and rational consumption of electricity that can lead to both a better use of the energy production from renewable sources and a reduction of pollutant fossil fuel electricity generation and carbon dioxide emissions without endangering the proper functioning of the electricity systems. Previous researches are based more on incentivizing or penalizing end consumers in present paper, more emphasis is placed on attracting the end consumer to his own electricity trading through mentioned innovation, but also supervised and guided by artificial intelligence.

Nowadays electricity trading and supply are evolving rapidly due to the digitalization of the electricity industry. This evolution is also generated by the development of many new business models in the field and also by new technologies in the form of smart meters, smart grids, smart homes, demand response, artificial intelligence, peer-to-peer trading, Internet of Things or Blockchain. All these technologies together have a huge contribution to the field of electricity and jointly create the digitalization of the electricity generation, transportation, supply and trading. The aim of the research paper is to determine the degree to which consumers agree to work with an Aggregator to implement demand response. In addition, we have an interest in searching what makes them more attractive to electricity prosumers and consumers (both households and industry) as well as identifying those triggers which make electricity consumers or prosumers to start utilizing them. We have to bear in mind that Demand Side Management besides offering incentives and monetary benefits also assists end consumers and prosumers in energy management in the meaning of decreasing energy wastes and increasing the level of optimal generation and consumption. Beyond the above mentioned facts, the focus is on the decrease of carbon dioxide emissions generated by pollutant fossil fuel electricity generation and positively affecting global warming, without endangering the proper functioning of electricity systems. Education and awareness have a huge role in achieving a more rational, optimal and conscious consumption of electricity through Demand Side Management. The issue has to be raised to the level of importance and acceptance similar to what recycling of other recyclable materials have nowadays, such as paper, plastic, various metals and glass.

Global warming is one of the biggest challenges of our times. This phenomenon is largely due to the emissions coming from the burning of polluting fossil fuels in the process of electricity generation. In 2019 generation of electricity and heat, together with transportation accounted for more than two thirds of total emissions from fuel combustion. In addition, these sectors were mainly responsible for most of the global growth since 2010. According to the EU’s green vision, Member States have to decrease their CO2 emissions by 55% until 2030, compared to levels from 1990 and by 2050 they have to become carbon neutral. In recent years we could observe positive trends in the increase of green energy generation. The only issue is that by phasing out dispatchable polluting generation and adding non-dispatchable generation units to the electricity grids more demand flexibility is needed. Low-cost solutions to generate the mandatory flexibility necessary for system stability and reliability are Demand Response (DR) programs. The implementation of DR programs usually is made via a new market participant and new service provider entitled aggregators. Aggregators’ main role is to manage directly or indirectly end consumers’ electricity consumption flexibility. Electricity consumers can obtain incentives or can pay less for their electricity bills if they agree to shift or curtail their electricity consumption. In order to promote DR programs, as well as to increase the contribution of aggregators, the EU supports these programs through Directives. Energy Efficiency Directive 2012/27/EU encourages implementation of DR in energy markets, while Directive (EU) 2019/944 defines the independent aggregator. Further, to support these programs, a large-scale smart metre rollout is going on in EU countries. The objective of current research is to analyse the implementation level of DR in Central and South East (CSE) Europe, as well as to provide a comparative analysis in regards of smart metres rollout in developed countries versus those under development. In order to test the hypothesis, during the research the author used qualitative analysis methods such as comparative studies, desk research and case studies. The novelty of this research consists in the presentation of DR programs and aggregators development together with current state in CSE Europe.