Consumer Engagement in Virtual Power Plants through Gamification

Virtual power plants (VPPs) are defined as an aggregator of different types of energy resources and flexibility, coordinated by VPP owner through a smart control system. A correct establishment of a VPP will result in reduced electricity costs for the consumers within the VPP. One of the key aspect of VPP’s success is the consumer engagement in order to manage their flexibilities effectively. Gamification is an efficient way of learning and engagement, which can efficiently change the behavior of consumers towards participating in programs provided by VPPs for energy cost reduction. In this paper, a gamification-based approach for consumer engagement is proposed and a methodology based on Fogg’s behavior model and Kim’s model on player types is developed to examine the suitability of available gamification applications for energy saving/efficiency in the context of a VPP. Seven gamification applications are analyzed and evaluated based on the developed methodology and the results are provided.