Abstract
Electricity markets in Europe are changing in response to the implications of the ongoing energy transition from centralized to decentralized and renewable energy supply. The European Commission has put focus on enlarging the role of prosumers, i.e. consumers that also generate electricity using photovoltaic systems. In response to that, we have investigated innovative self-consumption and aggregation concepts and business models for prosumers that will help integrating sustainable and competitive electricity from PV in the electricity system. We here report on the effect of prosumerism on electricity costs and greenhouse gas emission reduction in eight different countries: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. Next, the implications for changes in the electricity grid have been discussed with relevant stakeholders, including distribution grid operators. Recommendations and policy advise to EU and member states are derived and presented here.