The main reasons for becoming a prosumer are saving money (92%) and energy independence.

"If we want a sustainable Romania, it is no longer enough to just increase the number of prosumers. So the new stake of the energiaTa community, the first community dedicated to prosumers in Romania, is to contribute to Romania's future sustainable prosumers. For this, in the coming months, we will launch the Sustainable Prosumator Guide, made following a co-creation process in the prosumer ecosystem", said Claudiu Butacu, co-founder of energiaTa.

On the occasion of reaching the threshold of 100,000 prosumers and with over 1,000 MW installed, the energiaTa project is preparing for the transition to the sustainable prosumer, through tools dedicated to them, such as the Sustainable Prosumer Guide, to support them in a responsible lifestyle and behavior.

"All the admiration for what you manage to do with EFdeN and Your energy and I bow before you. We, as a ministry, encourage this phenomenon of prosumers, because, from the perspective of a public policy, it means the energy of the future and the energy system of the future and fulfills the 3 Ds: decentralization, digitalization, decarbonization. We have a spectacular increase in the number of prosumers as a result of the Green House programs, but also as a result, as the study says, of a very significant willingness on the part of Romanians to become prosumers. I am not surprised by the results of the study because they explain this development. It is true, that it also involves challenges - the pressure on the networks, but this fact should not be a brake on the phenomenon. At the technical level, we are discussing a certain limitation of the systems, but there is the possibility to invest in the distribution system through the distribution operators' funds, but also through the modernization fund," said Sebastian Burduja, Minister of Energy, during the conference press conference organized at EFdeN Signature House.

The estimates of the National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE) show that we are heading towards 1,500 MW installed by the end of the year.

"The problem of imbalances is quite pronounced. The imbalances started to have very large values ​​both in terms of the amount of imbalances and their value. In addition to the installation of storage capacities, a solution (for the problem of imbalances) that we believe would be useful, would be the access of distribution operators to inverters and the possibility of using inverters effectively as a means of balancing the network", said Viorel Alicuș, General Manager in the ANRE.

"Engie Romania has been supporting EFdeN and energiaTa for several years and states that prosumers are becoming an important part of the energy system.

"To continue the transition towards even greater decarbonization, but, at the same time, to have a resilient and sustainable energy system, we must create suitable incentives not to inject surplus electricity into the network. Here we are talking about storage solutions, suitable sizing of installations, and a balanced legislative framework between prosumers, distributors, and suppliers", said Nicolas Richard, CEO of Engie Romania.

The transition from prosumer to sustainable prosumer, proposed by the initiators of the energiaTa project, starts from a set of motivations that go beyond financial aspects and aim at a responsible consumption of resources and the pursuit of energy efficiency on several levels. The sustainable prosumer measures the power of the photovoltaic installation according to a consumption scenario, based on energy efficiency, and is interested in making the transition to energy-efficient equipment and electric mobility, looking at the efficiency of resource consumption, not just the photovoltaic production to reduce the bill. In this process, energiaTa will support prosumers in the community with a set of educational tools to help them adopt a sustainable lifestyle.

"The study sought to identify prosumers and potential prosumers in the context of their prosocial behavior and involvement in environmental measures. We discovered a Romania focused on the economy as a method of energy efficiency, looking towards government programs to invest in photovoltaic panels or accumulators, but which calls for the use of its financial resources to the greatest extent. The increase in energy prices and the war on the border generate two predominant response options: energy independence (at the household level) and the reduction of consumption costs," said Alexandru Zodieru, General Manager of Cult Research.

The study was carried out in September - November 2023, on a sample consisting of approximately 800 people active in the online environment, at the national level, with a margin of error of the results of 3.5%.

energiaTa is a civic initiative launched 7 years ago by EFdeN, a non-governmental organization active in the areas of sustainability, renewable energy, and climate change, awarded nationally and internationally with more than 70 awards. EnergiaTa mapped the problems of prosumers and created the Prosumator Guide, a tool that provides the necessary information to become a prosumer. The project contributed to the change of prosumer legislation in Romania by collaborating with other organizations and public institutions.