The European Environment Agency (EEA) advanced the idea in a briefing that European cities can help the continent transition to a low-carbon future by using urban centers to encourage urban consumption. This would speed up the transition to a low-carbon future and provide chances for citizens to produce renewable energy as prosumers. The EEA briefing “ Energy prosumers and cities ” builds on previous EEA work on prosumption by highlighting the opportunities and challenges that urban regions bring as well as ways that local governments might encourage prosumption in their cities.
A significant amount of carbon emissions are caused by cities. That is due in part to the large population there. The population of cities and suburbs, which make up three-quarters of the entire EU, is predicted to grow during the next few years. These cities have the potential to serve as role models for low-carbon living by enabling residents to become prosumers and contribute to the decarbonization of their city.
Municipalities can provide publicly owned places or urge other private building or landowners to provide locations that can be used to aid citizen prosumers. Solar panels or other renewable energy technologies, for instance, can be installed on the rooftops of buildings like schools, hospitals, flats, and vacant lots.
Additionally, local governments can help by providing businesses with financial incentives in order to support the promotion of citizen participation and stimulate public involvement in energy planning. Additionally, they can help with the information and training required for anyone who want to install renewable energy sources.
Even though every city is different, there are several characteristics that all cities have in common that can make prosumption in urban regions a reality and help them stand out from more rural places, such as:
It is more difficult to establish prosumption in cities than it is in rural settings because there is less acreage available for energy production and because surface ownership arrangements are more complicated in cities (such as rooftops in apartment blocks). Due to the higher population density in cities compared to rural areas, rooftop solar technology is the preferred renewable technology. Additionally, heat grids are more profitable in areas with high population densities, which opens up the possibility of developing prosumer initiatives for heat grids in urban areas. Apartment buildings are more prevalent, which increases chances for group action but makes investment coordination more difficult. Cities are the best places to use electric vehicles, both private and public. Concepts for urban prosumers are more likely to integrate mobility. When a city undergoes redevelopment or adds new areas, for instance, it may present prospects for the development of integrated energy districts. Prosumers have new options to get over their lack of space thanks to “off-site generation,” which produces electricity outside of cities. According to Javier Esparrago, an EEA expert on Environment and Energy , some of the major issues and obstacles that prosumers face include: “It is essential to have a clear, stable, and well-developed policy framework. Prospective prosumers may experience ambiguity in some nations if prosumption is not fully incorporated into national laws and regulations. Financial accessibility and informational gaps are frequent roadblocks. A one-stop shop where citizens may get information on technical and regulatory issues as well as the available financial help can be established by national or regional authorities. Governments should also address the skills gap and modify vocational education to meet the demands of the economy.
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