In Europe, small electricity consumers are not using the full potential offered by smart meters. Although the European Union requires Member States to provide consumers with their energy usage data, small consumers are not using this data for improving their energy efficiency. This paper proposes: first, the standardization of the electrical load curve offered to small energy consumers at European level. Second, the use of open innovation challenges as a policy instrument in the European Union to improve the energy efficiency of the small electricity consumers and to encourage the development of new market niches. Finally, the paper quantifies how ICT energy efficiency solutions for small electricity consumers can contribute to the achievement of the 2020 European Union energy efficiency targets.
Open innovation challenges are a challenging tool that allows institutions and organizations to access external talent and to boost their innovation processes. Being widely used in past centuries, they get out of use throughout the twentieth century due to the rise of patents. However, due to the possibilities currently offered by the Internet the private sector is using them again with remarkable success. This work uses the scientific method to analyse the new potential offered by open innovation challenges, and how these can be adapted to the public sector to incorporate them as a novel strategic instrument that stimulates innovation, fosters synergies with the private sector and promotes development of new market niches. Los retos de innovación abierta constituyen una desafiante herramienta que permite a las instituciones y entidades acceder a talento externo y acelerar sus procesos de innovación. Siendo muy utilizados en siglos pasados, caen en desuso a lo largo del siglo XX debido al auge de las patentes. Sin embargo, gracias a las posibilidades que actualmente ofrece Internet, el sector privado ha vuelto a utilizarlos con notable éxito. Este trabajo utiliza el método científico para analizar el nuevo potencial que ofrecen los retos de innovación abierta, y como estos pueden ser adaptados al sector público para incorporarlos como un novedoso instrumento estratégico que permita estimular la innovación, fomentar sinergias con el sector privado e impulsar el desarrollo de nuevos nichos de mercado.
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