The democratization of the energy system is key to the existential challenges we are facing in the energy transition and climate change mitigation. The “Rise of Prosumers” highly depends on the regulatory framework.
The Energy Democracy Tracker is an independent assessment which tracks and rates national regulatory frameworks on small-scale prosumer activities. Providing policy makers, civil society and media with up-to-date information on the quality of the regulatory frameworks based on a transparent set of criteria, governments shall be encouraged on their way towards energy transition to start or increase their ambition.
RATING
| ROLE MODEL Government welcomes the rise of prosumers & creates a prosumer-centric framework. |
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| WELCOMING Government welcomes the rise of prosumers & creates a supportive framework. |
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| FAIR Government acknowledges the rise of prosumers & creates an enabling framework. |
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| INSUFFICIENT Government acknowledges the rise of prosumers but lacks an appropriate framework. |
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| HIGHLY INSUFFICIENT Government does not acknowledge the rise of prosumers & actively/passively hinders it. |
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| CRITICALLY INSUFFICIENT Indicates that a government does not acknowledge the rise of prosumers & blocks it. |
METHODOLOGY
The rating reflects the assessment of the regulatory framework on prosumers according to a set of criteria which includes relevant technologies, different types of prosumers and activities (see section “Prosumer”). Amongst others, the most important aspects of prosumer empowerment & protection are the following:
- Right to generate, store & self-consume
- Right to access & participate on markets in order to monetize (excess) electricity, flexibility services & Demand Response
- Guaranteed access to aggregators and/or agents
- Guaranteed access & priority connection to distribution grid
- Priority dispatch without caps
- Proportionate administrative procedures, charges & contractual arrangements
- Proportionate technical rules & forced digitisation
- Transparent system of network tariffs, fair allocation of costs & benefits
- Investor certainty
- Empower & promote tenants
- Empower & promote low-income households in multi-dwelling buildings
- Enabling framework for innovative business cases
- Transparent & fair creation, storage, processing of data
- Guarantee prosumers´ status, rights & protections as consumers
- Guarantee prosumer rights enforcement