Regulation and Innovative Finance for Sustainable Energy

Achieving greater renewable energy usage, energy efficiency, and energy security are practically universal goals today. This Article introduces business models to illustrate the roles of multiple actors in a decentralized smart grid system. It identifies interactions between the various players, the tools they will manage, the added value in using the functionalities of such a system, and ways to maximize profits for those involved. The Article also examines the United Kingdom (UK) as a case study.

It explores where the UK stands in terms of introducing tools and technologies for decentralization, including electric vehicles, smart grids, and demand response mechanisms. It also examines regulation in the UK to assess how conducive it is for decentralized energy. In addition, the Article identifies specific concerns related to data protection stemming from smart metering and analyses relevant regulation in this regard.