Prosumer households and their contribution to the transformation of the energy system and society
With the energy turnaround, the German Federal Government aims to fulfill the goal of a safe, environmentally friendly and prosperous future. The increases in energy efficiency and renewable energies are supposed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. With the Paris Climate Summit, the international community has committed itself to drastically reduce these emissions. Private households can help to shape the energy transition as energy consumers as well as energy producers. They contribute to the decentralized energy turnaround by investing in renewable energy technologies and producing renewable electrical energy for their own use.
The issue also experiences political tailwind by the European Parliament, which deals with the transformation of the energy market and considers the decentralized energy production the technology of the future where Prosumer households play an active role. With the self-generation of electricity, prosumer households support the decentralized structure of the power supply system. Due to falling technology costs and a keen interest in a partial self-supply of energy, the number of prosumer households will increase further in the future. From a systemic as well as a macroeconomic point of view, prosumer households can be expected to have positive effects.
The article shows the possible contribution of prosumer households to the economy and the environment in a macroeconomic context. The recommendations for action describe the possibilities for supporting and mainstreaming prosumer households.
