Over 110 Mln EU Households May Produce Energy by 2050 – Study

More than 110 million, nearly half of all EU households, may produce energy by 2050, in particular using solar and wind power, a new study revealed Monday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Around 113 million EU households may produce energy, either individually or through a collective, the study said.

"About 161 million can potentially provide flexible demand services with an EV, (smart) electric boiler or stationary batteries. A large share of the households that could have demand flexibility could also be an energy producer," the study carried out by CE Delft, an independent research and consultancy agency, said.

According to the study, around 83 percent of the European Union's households could potentially become an energy citizen and contribute to renewable energy production, demand response and energy storage that amounts to about 187 million households. These energy citizens could produce renewable electricity, adapt electricity demand to renewable energy production or store energy at times of oversupply.

"With an increasing share of renewable energy in the European Union, the role of consumers as active participants in the energy system, as energy producers and/or suppliers of demand side flexibility or energy storage, is bound to increase, as the developments in an increasing number of European Union Member States demonstrate," the report said.

The study points out, however, that the potential of households in the sphere of producing energy can be reached only if the EU policies such as the Renewable Energy Directive are revised to support energy citizens.