“Sustainable barriers?” – Obstacles for prosumers and micro-generation

Panel: 4. Mobility, transport, and smart and sustainable cities

This is a peer-reviewed paper.

Author:
Jurek Pyrko

Abstract

This project was carried out at the Department of Energy Sciences at the faculty of engineering, Lund University. The aim was to investigate how an increased number of prosumers (customers who both produce and consume electricity, in residential and commercial buildings and small industry enterprises) affects the energy need and energy supply, and how this in turn affects our existing building stock and new-built buildings.

The objective was to analyse what barriers exist for prosumers and companies to build new buildings where electricity can be produced and to install micro electricity production devices on existing buildings. Moreover, suggestions on how to overcome these barriers were discussed. The project has been carried out by conducting interviews, creating a web survey and studying relevant literature. The results are mostly based on Swedish experience, not statistically significant, and should rather be seen as a first step towards mapping the barriers for household electricity production and how to overcome them. The comparison was also made with corresponding aspects of own micro-generation in other countries.

Conclusions for possible measures improving future energy policy, from Swedish perspective, were drawn. A number of factors constitute barriers for household micro electricity production. One of them is the design of the solar energy subsidy. Others are the lack of consideration of prosumers in the city planning, in the local plans and in the regulation of network concessions. A lack of knowledge dissemination, complex rules for private persons and economic factors are obstacles as well. Finally, the lack of consensus on definitions of energy efficient, electricity producing building also constitutes a barrier.