Through the civic initiative energiaTA, EFdeN, the NGO dedicated to the development of sustainable housing and the promotion of renewable energies, launched today the Sustainable Prosumer’s Guide 2024, a complete educational initiative aimed at both future and current prosumers, with the support of ENGIE Romania.
The guide, available for free on the EnergiaTa.org website and on the engie.ro website, was developed on the basis of the Prosumator Barometer, a study carried out in 2023 together with Cult Research and provides all those interested with essential information on how they can become sustainable prosumers.
“Through the energiaTa project, we assume the role of an ally of Romanians willing to become prosumers and of those who already are, offering them the necessary information to become energetically autonomous with the resources they have at their disposal,” says Claudiu Butacu, co-founder of EfdeN and Your Energy. “Also, the Sustainable Prosumer’s Guide is a tool that will help create sustainable energy communities.”
In 2019, EFdeN launched the first Prosumer Guide, with the support of ENGIE, at a time when Romania had only 70 prosumers. Since then, Romanians’ interest in sustainable energy sources has grown rapidly, which has been reflected in an exponential increase in the number of prosumers, reaching 130,000 prosumers today. The Ministry of Energy forecasts indicate a continuation of this upward trend, estimating the number of prosumers to reach 236,000 by the end of 2025 and 350,000 by 2030.
“The prosumer concept has evolved and reached a new stage of development: that of defining the sustainable prosumer. Of course, the prosumer is self-evidently sustainable, but it is not enough to just produce energy, we must do it efficiently and intelligently. That’s why we are proud that, together with our partners at EFdeN, we can offer prosumers a guide of useful recommendations on how they can become sustainable by integrating integrated solutions of solar panels, heat pumps and batteries”, said Nicolas Richard (photo), CEO of ENGIE Romania.
“Your guide will also help us, who receive a lot of questions about what to do in the beginning, because this is not within ANRE’s competence, and such a guide will help us a lot. A small update for the month of April, we reached 130,000 prosumers with 1700 MW of installed power. We expect an accelerated trend of application submissions and installations for prosumers”, said Viorel Alicuș, director of ANRE.
Structured in 10 chapters that deal with the needs of future prosumers, but also of existing prosumers, the Sustainable Prosumer Guide 2024 offers recommendations for the efficient use of energy and navigation of bureaucratic, technical and additional financial resource challenges.
The guide explores the motivations and expectations of Romanians investing in green energy, analyses how photovoltaic energy can support vulnerable communities in the future, and provides insight into the 120,000 existing prosumers in Romania. Thus, according to the Prosumer Barometer 2023, 9 out of 10 Romanians install photovoltaic panels to save money, 3 out of 4 Romanians want to achieve energy independence and only 1 out of 2 Romanians opt for photovoltaic panels to help reduce carbon emissions.
The guide provides information on the necessary bureaucratic steps, choosing the right equipment and interpreting prosumer invoices, promoting good practice and collaboration in sustainable energy communities. Technological advances have made green electricity more accessible than ever, but to maximize its benefits, it is crucial that every prosumer adopts a sustainable approach. Correct understanding of system sizing, energy efficiency and self-consumption optimization are essential to ensure a transition to a greener and more sustainable future.
