Prosumers & Local Energy Communities
Who are the prosumers? A prosumer is an individual who both produces and consumes. They are the essential element of energy citizenship: people’s active participation in energy systems, engaging in energy-related discourse and making conscious decisions related to energy.
Prosumers can be part of Local Energy Communities, legal entities that aim at enhancing citizen-driven energy efficiency. Local Energy Communities generate and consume their own energy and contribute positively to energy transition and local development.
Energy citizens are one step beyond traditional energy customers. Empowered by ubiquitous digitalisation, they monitor and optimise their energy consumption and are aware of their ability to influence the environment. Before we can actively contribute as energy citizens, we need to understand what it means and what we need to do.
As a prosumer, potential prosumer or part of a Local Energy Community, you are the main stakeholder of this project. This implies that the project aims at making your life easier in many ways: your electricity bill can be lowered, you won’t only have a better overview and control of your energy consumption, but you can also reduce power outages by reducing the peak load. Finally, the project has also the objective of helping you buy and sell electricity locally.
And you haven’t heard the last of this! With an integrated system of sharing information, it will be easier for people around you to start using decentralized green energy sources such as solar panels. This way, we as a society will be one step closer to living sustainably, and in harmony with our planet.
Feel free to explore this Virtual Living Lab. There is interesting content every step of the way. And please, make sure to fill in the survey at the end!
SYNERGIES demo sites: active collaboration with the prosumers
SYNERGIES project set up 3 demo sites, where the developing technology is being tested in real-life situations.
- The Greek demo site consists of infrastructure located in Attica region (Mesogeia area, Athens city center and Rafina area) and in Argolida region.
The Mesogeia area incorporates 235,000 total consumers, including more than 1600 prosumers, in Rafina near Athens 15 dwellings and small enterprises, and in Argolida a solar power plant of 100 kW which is still under construction.
- The Spanish demo site is in Fornes, a small village located near Granada, with nearly 340 supply points and a peak demand of 250kW. It is part of the distribution network operated by Cuerva (local DSO and retailer).
The grid is fully digitalised with the deployment of sensors and devices that provide data in real-time. Smart meters, digital twins, feeder mapping, voltage supervisors, an energy storage system, and the deployment of fast DC charger are being implemented.
- The Danish demo site is located on the island of Bornholm with 40.000 inhabitants and 60MW peak demand. The island is energetically self-sufficient, relying on thermal power, wind, PV, and biogas.
Useful info and tools
Further readings:
Clear explanatinon about the functioning of the energy systems
Similar projects and technologies to SYNERGIES
Innovative energy projects around the world
Reference to academic articles or overviews of contemporary research
EU’s agenda regarding energy
Tips and useful information for energy management at home and in company
Fun facts, historical development of the energy sector (e.g. Tesla)
Sustainable energy outlooks
Your feedback matters
As a prosumer or a potential prosumer, you are the main stakeholder of this project. This implies that the project aims at making your life easier in many ways: your electricity bill can be lowered, you won’t only have a better overview and control of your energy consumption, but you can also reduce power outages by reducing the peak load. Finally, the project has also the objective of helping you buy and sell electricity locally.
Therefore, your opinion is crucial to us: fill this survey and let us know what you think are the main advantages and obstacles in the development of energy data spaces: This way, we will be able to bring forward your feedback into the discussions on energy data spaces and we as a society will be one step closer to living sustainably, and in harmony with our planet.