First, the comprehensive distribution mode
China has opened the incremental distribution network business, and integrated distribution companies with distribution network assets can not only get income from sales business, but also get distribution income from distribution network business.
Compared with ordinary power sales companies, power sales companies with integrated distribution have more guaranteed profit sources, which is the guarantee for the company's sustainable development. And because of the distribution resources, it is easier to take the lead in the electricity sales market and become a guaranteed electricity sales company, laying a solid foundation for the company to obtain more electricity customers; At the same time, we can actively use distribution network resources to carry out value-added services such as contract energy management and demand-side response, and we can also use customer resources to participate in the auxiliary power market.
However, this model of power selling companies also bears greater costs and risks. First of all, it needs to invest more money to build or transform the distribution network, and daily operation and maintenance also need professionals and advanced management technology.
Second, the mode of supply and marketing cooperatives
Power sales companies under the supply and marketing cooperative mode combine power generation with power sales. Cooperative members have power generation resources and sell electricity directly to other members through supply and marketing cooperation. At the same time, part of the electricity sales revenue obtained by the electricity sales company will continue to be invested in power plant construction to achieve a win-win situation for both parties.
The biggest advantage of adopting the supply and marketing cooperative model for power sales companies is that they can obtain high-quality power generation resources, especially those distributed renewable power stations. By assembling distributed power stations, a power selling company selling pure green electricity will be formed to attract people with environmental awareness or companies with carbon emission limits to buy electricity. On the other hand, because a part of the income obtained by the power selling company will be invested or distributed to the power station, the power station operators will be more willing to join the power selling company in the mode of supply and marketing cooperatives, and the power buying cost of the power selling company will be relatively reduced.
However, the power selling companies under the supply and marketing cooperative mode also have corresponding risks. Choosing which power stations to invest in will greatly affect the company's benefits, and the power selling company must have corresponding risk management and control and appropriate investment strategies.
Third, the comprehensive energy service model.
In some foreign countries, some power companies not only sell electricity, but also provide other energy and even public transportation, facilities and other services to the region, that is, urban comprehensive energy companies.
Generally, such companies provide power supply and gas supply services. Customers can sign electricity or gas contracts with the company separately, and the company will also provide comprehensive energy packages and sign separate contracts. At the same time, signing power supply and gas contracts with companies can get more benefits, which is also an important means for such companies to attract and retain customers. In addition, some regional comprehensive energy companies also provide heating, water supply, public transportation and other services, so that customers can enjoy multi-faceted energy services to enhance customer loyalty and more diversified profit sources.
In order to build such a regional comprehensive energy service company, in addition to providing power supply and gas supply services, the company often needs to operate other public basic services with little or no profit, such as local public transportation, which will increase the financial burden of such companies and lead some regional comprehensive energy service companies to fall into financial difficulties.
However, this type of diversified integrated energy companies can often accelerate the process of electricity marketization.
Fourth, the green electricity selling mode.
Green electricity sales is an inevitable mode of electricity sales after the development of renewable energy to a certain stage.
Green electricity sales are usually operated by independent e-commerce companies or small renewable energy power generators, and the difference income is obtained by selling green electricity sales certified electric packages. The price of green power is usually higher than the ordinary electricity price, and the main cost lies in the certification cost and transaction cost of green power certificate. No matter which way to obtain green power certification, it will generate additional costs, which will be transferred to the ready consumers through the terminal electricity price.
In order to improve consumer acceptance, the marketing cost of green e-commerce is also high. The target customers of green power are mainly people who are concerned about climate change and enthusiastic about environmental protection, people who have no great economic pressure and want to contribute to renewable energy, and people who care about the growth environment of the next generation (usually families with newborns or the elderly). Only with the efforts of the government and the whole industry, and only when the power selling companies dare to innovate and open up the atmosphere, can the concept of green power selling be accepted by ordinary consumers. Although industrial and commercial users are sensitive to electricity prices, they can also cooperate with green e-commerce to promote products by using green electricity to achieve a win-win or win-win situation.
Verb (abbreviation of verb) electricity sales discount mode
Winning customers through low-cost electricity is the initial development strategy of most independent e-commerce.
Before the most basic cooperative relationship between power selling companies and customers has been established, helping customers save money is one of the core competitiveness of power selling companies, and the power selling discount model came into being in this price war. Independent power selling companies can provide cheaper electricity, mainly from the following two aspects: on the one hand, because of the inflexibility and compulsion of guaranteed power supply, the government also has restrictions on the lowest and highest electricity prices for this kind of power supply, and the power selling companies that provide guaranteed power supply have relatively low purchase costs. On the other hand, a well-regulated electricity market improves the efficiency of electricity production and trading, and effectively reduces the cost of electricity production. This part of the dividend can be transferred to consumers through electricity sales companies. Therefore, power selling companies with strong bidding ability also have lower power purchase costs and offer more attractive power selling packages.
The main risk of power discounters is liquidity risk. Power selling companies are the link between large-scale electricity production and small-scale electricity sales, and must participate in both wholesale and retail markets. However, there are huge differences in the way and time of electricity settlement between the two markets. If the power sales company does not handle these time differences properly, it is likely to have a huge impact on its own operations because of insufficient liquidity.
Independent electronic commerce, as a link between wholesale trading and end users, is a key link for the power industry to break monopoly and enhance competitiveness. They shoulder the heavy responsibility of tapping users' needs, enhancing market vitality, developing new business models of electricity sales and improving the quality of electricity sales services. After gaining market share through low-cost electricity and gaining a firm foothold, we will use a large number of customers accumulated in the early stage, combined with users' energy consumption habits and historical data, and attract customers with personalized packages. Diversified pricing methods and services are the key to the success of such power sales companies.
Six, virtual power plant monthly electricity sales mode
The establishment of large-scale virtual power plant is based on the control rights of many distributed renewable energy power generation equipment, a series of flexible equipment such as distributed energy storage equipment, the market-oriented sales mechanism of renewable energy and a set of accurate software algorithms. The power pool system based on this virtual power plant provides a new mode of selling electricity.
In this mode, the end users who join the power sharing pool can conveniently trade power with each other, maximize the use of distributed renewable energy power through their respective distributed energy storage devices, and reduce the outsourcing power, thus significantly reducing the power consumption cost.
Generally speaking, the * * * power sharing mode based on virtual power plant requires very high equipment, communication, measurement and algorithm, and must be based on certain users. At present, power big data analysis, machine learning algorithm and other technologies have a good application in it. In this mode, once a closed loop of power sharing is formed, the addition of new users will bring more stability and security to the system, and this mode also has great vitality and development space.
To sum up, we can clearly see that the business model that power sales companies can have is closely related to the four elements of resource endowment, technical support, price competition and service scope. It is not difficult to infer from foreign experience that after the first stage of pursuing quantity and speed development, both policies and the will of the market itself will promote the in-depth development of power sales companies in these four dimensions and bring more innovation to this industry.