Rethinking the concept of prosuming: A critical and integrative perspective

Abstract

The new European Union (EU) energy policystrengthens energy prosumers and decentralized energy systems.However, the literature lacks a clear definition and demarcation between energy consumers, prosumers, and producers; moreover, the new EU Directive from 2018 directly calls for increased efforts for clarification of the concepts and the creation of a regulatory framework. This study aims to conceptualize energy prosumption related to decentralized energy systems and the socio-economic perspective of the concept of sustainable development.The following variables are used in this research: (1) time horizon resulting from space–time variability, (2) the relationship between consumers’ energy demand and their own supplied production, and (3) the form of organization and ownership.According to this view, self-consumers have a self-production supply below the self-consumption demand for energy. In turn, a prosumer is defined by the prevailing economic activity at the continuum production–consumption scale. The research intends to offer criteria for policymakers, prosumers, and economists who design policy and energy systems in line with the EU policy.