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A key strategy in the European Union’s ambition to establish an ‘Energy Union’ that is not just clean, but also fair, consists of empowering citizens to actively interact with the energy market as self-consumers or prosumers. Although renewable energy sources (RES) prosumerism has been growing for at least a decade, two new EU directives are intend...
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... The literature found in the bibliometric analysis supported the development of the questionnaire. Specifically, the questions have been mostly adapted from Horstink et al. [38], who investigated the topic of RE prosumers from the perspective of collective prosumers in the European Union. ...
... (a) Self-identification of prosumers: as informed in the questionnaire to all participants, prosumers refer to citizens that not only consume electricity but also engage in energy production (e.g., generation, storage, and/or self-generated RE electricity sale) [38]. One can be an individual prosumer, such as in households with photovoltaic panels on the roof; or a group of individuals can be considered collective prosumers when households, for example, take a collaborative initiative to install photovoltaic panels on the roof of a multi-family building [27]. ...
The term "prosumers" coined by Toffler, relates to those customers who also engage in the co-creation of products, which they only partly consume, and whose balance is made available to a broader group. But even though the role of prosumers is increasingly relevant as a more comprehensive number of people are engaging in the production of products to be shared by others, there is a need for studies that aim at identifying how widespread they are, and the concrete contribution they are providing to some key area such as, for energy, energy generation and distribution. Based on the need to address this research gap, this paper reports on a study on prosumer behaviour in a sustainable development (SD) context, with a focus on the energy sector. The paper deploys a mixed-methods approach which entails a bibliometric analysis of prosumers from a sustainability perspective - to gain a better understanding of the topic -, a quantitative study of prosumers’ behaviour in the field of renewable energy involving respondents from 44 countries, and a set of case studies, supported by the literature, which illustrates current trends. The novelty of this paper resides in the fact that it explores the role of prosumers in an SD context across many countries in the critical area of energy generation and use, outlining the drivers of positive behaviour and identifying some further information needs.
... As indicated in the previous sections, the prosumer is the evolution of the classic consumer, who is now an energy system that not only consumes energy but also produces energy and contributes to the electricity grid. A prosumer can generate its own electricity from renewable sources, such as solar panels or wind turbines, and can also feed excess electricity back into the grid [37,38]. ...
With the aim of promoting the use of renewable energy sources, the new European directive has defined the
concept of Energy Communities. This new entity has the potential to transform the classic structure of the
electricity network, where a few large power plants supply the end users, to a structure where the end user is
not a passive actor but has the ability to take advantage of their own consumption or the flexibility of their
demand to consume their energy independently of the network, to share it, store it or sell it both to other
members of the community and to the network. All this is closely linked to energy self-consumption, new
management and distributed generation technologies, which are important factors in the energy transition.
This new entity opens the doors to new management models, new business models and the ability to provide
regulation services to the grid. This work explores all of these points, giving visibility to the wide range of
opportunities offered by Energy Communities.
... The region has embraced a combination of ambitious renewable energy targets, feed-in tariffs, and market-based mechanisms such as emissions trading. The EU's commitment to the Green Deal further emphasizes a holistic approach, aligning economic recovery with climate and environmental goals (Bocquillon & Maltby, 2021, Horstink, et al., 2020 [7,21] . In North America, policies vary among countries and states. ...
... The region has embraced a combination of ambitious renewable energy targets, feed-in tariffs, and market-based mechanisms such as emissions trading. The EU's commitment to the Green Deal further emphasizes a holistic approach, aligning economic recovery with climate and environmental goals (Bocquillon & Maltby, 2021, Horstink, et al., 2020 [7,21] . In North America, policies vary among countries and states. ...
As the world grapples with the pressing challenges of climate change and environmental degradation, the imperative for sustainable development and the adoption of renewable energy policies has become increasingly apparent. This comprehensive review explores the global landscape of sustainable development and renewable energy policies, shedding light on emerging trends and success stories that offer valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners. The paper begins by examining the evolving international discourse surrounding sustainable development, emphasizing the crucial role of renewable energy in mitigating the adverse effects of climate change. It delves into the key principles and frameworks that guide global efforts towards sustainable development, highlighting the interconnectedness of economic, social, and environmental dimensions. The review identifies and analyzes the diverse approaches and strategies employed by countries worldwide to integrate renewable energy into their policy frameworks. Case studies from various regions showcase successful initiatives, emphasizing the impact of well-designed policies on fostering a transition to cleaner and more sustainable energy systems. Examples of effective policy instruments, such as feed-in tariffs, renewable energy targets, and innovative financing mechanisms, are explored to provide a nuanced understanding of the factors contributing to success. Furthermore, the review critically assesses the challenges and barriers hindering the widespread adoption of renewable energy policies, including policy inconsistencies, technological constraints, and socio-economic factors. Insights gained from the analysis offer valuable lessons for refining existing policies and developing new strategies to accelerate the global shift towards sustainable and renewable energy solutions. This review serves as a comprehensive resource for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders, offering a nuanced understanding of the current global trends in sustainable development and renewable energy policies. By drawing upon success stories and identifying key challenges, it provides a roadmap for fostering effective and scalable solutions to address the urgent need for a sustainable energy future.
... A phase-out of feed-in tariffs without compensatory support measures does nothing to create a non-discriminatory market, making it instead more difficult for community energy projects to compete with the big energy suppliers in light of differing economies of scale and learning. High taxes and fees that are often raised indiscriminately for larger energy suppliers and smallscale citizen-led projects, as well as administrative barriers regarding planning and authorisation, impose further challenges for community energy initiatives (Horstink et al. 2020;Palm 2021;Schwarz et al. 2022;Krug et al. 2022). In reaction to the collapse of citizen energy efforts in Germany, the current federal government has introduced exceptions for citizen-led wind energy projects in auctions (the so-called de minimis regulation, § 36g EEG 2021). ...
The main result of this study is that Lusatia, as an energy transition and structural change region, still has high expansion potential for photovoltaic and wind energy systems. In 2040, electricity production from wind turbines could reach four times the current level. In the case of photovoltaic systems, around seven to eight times the current level is possible. Only in the area of biomass has the expansion potential already been largely exhausted. The building sector can also contribute to achieving climate neutrality. If the renovation rate is significantly increased to 3.3% per year by 2040, the required heating energy can be reduced by around 60%.
At the same time, these energy transition scenarios are evaluated with regard to their regional economic opportunities for Lusatia. In an ambitious climate neutrality scenario, around 450 million euros in regional added value can be generated in 2040 and around 3560 full-time jobs can be filled. In order for this to succeed, however, the citizens and municipalities must first be given more opportunities for financial participation through appropriate framework conditions at federal and state level. We see financial benefits for the population and the municipalities as a critical success factor in order to be able to provide the necessary space, initiate investments and ultimately contribute to local acceptance.
... Socio-cultural and normative aspects are in the literature found to be important motivations for engagement in energy communities ( [33,38,39]. Most studies find that the main motivations were environmental and climate commitments [37,[40][41][42][43] local benefits, and community-building [34,35,44]. However, some studies also point to financial motivations and economic incentives as important [25,35]. ...
As a response to societal polarisation and mobilisation against the clean energy transition and renewable energy projects, policy makers at EU level have put focus on renewable energy communities as an instrument to drive transition, due their ability to promote citizens' participation and control over decision-making in renewable energy at local level. Literature on public acceptance and legitimacy of renewable energy projects highlights issues related to who are recognised and included as stakeholders, (un)fair distribution of the costs and benefits related to projects and the decision-making procedures involved. Renewable energy communities bring potential positive aspects that drive public acceptance, including social ownership, community development and distribution of benefits to grassroot actors. We contribute to the literature on how energy justice is perceived and can be enacted through renewable energy communities. In this article we explore what challenges for energy justice can be identified for renewable energy communities from the perspective of potential and existing shareholders in Latvia, Norway, Portugal and Spain. We also briefly discuss how identified challenges are addressed in the recast Renewable Energy Directive (REDII).
... Prosuming, for example, is a form of energy citizenship (see e.g. [29,30]), but does not necessarily address inequality, as prosumers are often wealthier citizens, i.e. homeowners, with spare capital to invest. Through the lens of GC, prosuming would be valued for its collective social benefit (i.e. as part of a community clean energy installation for lower income households) rather than framed as a matter of individual choice. ...
In this paper, we examine the relationship of global citizenship to social innovation and propose a set of guiding principles to facilitate sustainable, just and democratic energy transitions in cities. We applied a participatory research approach beginning with interviews with stakeholders with expertise in citizenship, participation, or energy research and policy to develop search criteria, which were used to create a shortlist of 20 European citizen-driven energy projects. The criteria were: 1) democratic governance; 2) civil empowerment and capacity building; 3) human rights approach; 4) diversity of actors; and 5) sustainability. Key informants with relevant expertise were asked to score the 20 cases based on the search criteria, leading to a final selection of six exemplar cases from across Europe. Highlights from these initiatives included: empowerment of young community members in making decisions about the city's climate change response (Manchester), including citizen board members as regulators of energy partnerships (Viladecans), democratising activities through open voting (Leuven), and enabling community members to decide how to spend the surplus from collective energy purchases (Brixton). We argue that the integrated application of the global citizenship and social innovation concepts reveals a “sweet spot” at the interface between them that aids practical application. Social innovation perspectives can help depoliticise ideological positions around energy by bringing together “communities of makers”, while global citizenship concepts help to orient innovative proposals more clearly around social justice and environmental objectives. The five criteria are proposed as guiding principles to aid city authorities in energy transition contexts.
... The new energy strategy of the European Union (EU) promotes dependence upon energy prosumers and decentralized energy systems [12,47]. The effects on society under the 2050 net-zero emission trend will be diverse, but the business model involves the development of networks of energy prosumers supplying affordable and clean energy [4,36,48]. ...
The release of greenhouse gases has led to increases in global temperatures and triggered an unprecedented array of environmental disasters. The aim of net-zero emissions is to increase the share of the world’s energy supplied by renewable sources as well as to influence consumer behavior to improve the balance between energy supply and demand. Appropriate energy policies can encourage consumers to take a proactive role in the transition to more sustainable forms of energy. Given the circumstances, an increasing number of demand-side users now function as prosumers who produce, store, consume, utilize, and manage energy. To understand the state of the energy prosumers’ business model in this changing sector, a review of the literature related to energy prosumers is made, with a focus on energy efficiency, net-zero emissions, Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7), energy management efficiency, and Energy prosumer systems. The purposes of this review are (1) to explore the shared models of the energy prosumers, (2) to gain insight into the energy prosumer in different areas, and (3) to identify any gaps in the energy management efficiency research. Finally, we examine the major difference between energy prosumers and their respective relationships to energy sources. The results reveal that for energy prosumer systems, there is still some room regarding how they will financially, equitably, and efficiently adapt to the impact of the new increased renewable energy prosumer business model.
... These activities could increase value to the final product, as well as reduce humidity. Besides this kind of energy being renewable and promising concerning the transition to clean energies [52], the potential negative impacts of the transportation and the production of this energy cannot be neglected [53]. The main difficulty in bioenergy supply chains is supply-side unpredictability. ...
Background: With the increasing societal focus on sustainability and the critical need for innovative energy solutions, this research emphasizes the undervalued biomass originating from waste products of agroforestry activities. The traditional practice of disposing of these waste products through open-air burning has led to environmental challenges and a tragic loss of their inherent energy potential. Methods: This study adopts a multifaceted approach, integrating literature reviews, expert interviews from both the academic and professional sectors, and surveys. The central focus is on understanding supply chain inefficiencies and communication gaps that contribute to waste and addressing them through the Lean philosophy, renowned for its waste reduction benefits. Results: Our research culminated in the development of a unique information management model based on a web application. Additionally, the study provides a theoretical groundwork for an application that backs the proposed model. Conclusions: The presented strategy and web-based model offer promising avenues for managing waste products from agroforestry activities more sustainably and efficiently. This approach not only addresses the environmental issues arising from waste disposal but also taps into the significant energy potential these waste products hold.
... Although the "Electrical Energy Communities" has already achieved a recognized and organized structure, "Thermal Energy Communities" still need research efforts to overcome some barriers that make their feasibility more difficult [3]. Among those barriers, challenges are related to the capability of dealing with the increasing number of renewable energy producers which could supply heat to thermal grids [4]. Indeed, a typical heat consumer who is connected to the network could become a producer for some hours in a day due to the energy produced by renewable energy plants installed onsite [5]. ...
Thermal grids will play a key role in the development of local energy communities and the achievement of 100% renewable societies. Such systems allow excess heat produced by distributed producers through renewable energy sources (also referred to as “thermal prosumers”) to be shared among other consumers characterized by high heat demand or who still depend on fossil fuels. However, to achieve more reliable results when performing energy analyses, it is of utmost importance to develop models of prosumers’ substations, where technical details (e.g., type of connections, heat exchangers, valves, etc.) and controllers are accounted for. Starting from the layout of a bidirectional substation for a thermal energy network proposed in the literature, this paper proposes a dynamic model that replicates the experimental setup in the TRNSYS environment. Validation results show a good matching between simulation and experiments in terms of dynamic behavior and energy balance. To show the capabilities of the proposed model, a prosumer with heat available from 205 m2 solar thermal collectors is considered as a case study. The analysis is performed by assuming two locations characterized by different irradiation values, i.e., Palermo (Italy) and Berlin (Germany). The results show that exchanging the excess heat produced on-site with a heating network allows the solar collectors to reach peak heat production, which is 130 kW and 110 kW for Palermo and Berlin, respectively. The surplus heat sold to the network is equal to 66% and 29% of the total energy exchange within the substation for Palermo and Berlin, respectively. Conversely, the self-consumption of the produced heat accounts for 21.2% and 30.6%, respectively. The model prospectively represents a valuable tool to develop feasibility studies in Thermal Energy Communities and assess the potential of innovative energy- and cost-effective operation strategies.
... These analyses include the comparison of possible initiatives enabled by CEP with pre-existing approaches, often focusing on (suitable) organizational and governance structures. Horstink et al. (2020), for example, provide an overview of the diversity of collective renewable energy prosumer initiatives in Europe as well as a stock-taking of the demographic, technological, organizational, financial, motivational factors and their hindering or facilitating effect that characterize them. The authors assess how these approaches align with current energy policies and incentives, as well as the extent to which they would fit into the provisions of the CEP that, according to their analysis, could also be limiting. ...
The aim of this report is to give insights into different existing and emerging approaches for business models for energy communities and collective actions, to group different business model categories of energy communities and collective energy actions and to provide specific examples for these categories. Also, the report analyses existing and emerging contractual conditions within energy communities and collective energy actions but also with the energy sector. This an investigation to what extent they could impact the development and replicability, increase investments into renewables and offer a fair arrangements between all involved parties.
