A prosumer community is a group of households that are organized together to consume energy from a common decentralized generation system such as solar photovoltaic (PV). The development of prosumer communities poses a threat to electric utilities, which currently apply a business model for centralized generation, sales and distribution of electricity. This study uses a System Dynamics simulation approach to analyze the various factors influencing the diffusion of “prosumer communities”, based on a case study in Switzerland, and provides insights into potential business opportunities for electric utilities in managing this transition challenge.@en

Participative modelling (PM) is a promising approach to mutual learning about causal mechanisms and dynamics in socio-technical transitions. However, case-specific PM initiatives often fail to generate insights that inform related cases. We address this methodical limitation in a case study on the Swiss energy transition. The central question is as follows: How can a PM workshop series be designed to create insights that go beyond the single socio-technical transition case? Based on theorizing literature, we develop a process framework for generic PM based on system dynamics modelling and socio-technical transition frameworks. The framework differentiates the steps in theorizing and explains how to integrate different levels of theorizing into the PM process. We illustrate how we applied the framework in our PM workshop series. Our experiences show that workshop participants employ various conceptual tools (e.g. socio-technical frameworks or causal loop diagrams) to classify and clarify their own experience in general terms.@en