Can renewable energy prosumerism cater for sufficiency and inclusion?

Abstract

By asking how renewable energy sources (RES) prosumerism, integrates sufficiency and inclusivity concerns and/or practices, the study presents the results of a narrative literature review of RES prosumerism research. The review focuses on how these concerns and/or practices emerge across the socio-technical narratives that characterise RES prosumers' research. The study takes stock of a machine-learning topic model and a qualitative thematic coding to identify and discuss key topics, themes, and narrative elements related to sufficiency and inclusivity in RES prosumerism. The results show a crosscutting narrative from early discussions (2005–2018) on energy citizenship, grassroots initiatives, and collective prosumer initiatives, to regulated and institutionalised energy communities (2019–2023). The narrative highlights the relational and systemic dynamics of prosumer projects, embedded in local socioeconomic, sociopolitical, and cultural contexts, and shows that inclusivity and sufficiency have not always been major concerns. However, there are exceptions found in research into “energy commons” and “grassroots innovations”. These findings are discussed in relation to the role of new policy options for sustainable RES prosumerism. The study's conclusions offer therefore policy directions for sustainable energy systems, guided by sufficiency and inclusivity principles.