The term prosumer is a compound of “producer” and “consumer” and originally describes an economic model in which a person is both a consumer and a producer. The boundaries between producer and consumer are blurring here. Internationally, the term prosumer is also common. It is a portmanteau of the English words “producer” and “consumer”.
Over time, prosumer or prosumed has acquired a second meaning. It also refers to consumers who have more professional expectations of a particular product compared to the average end user. A distinction is made between “weak” and “strong” prosumers. Weak people are only indirectly involved in production. For example, when T-shirts are printed with their own motifs or muesli is mixed according to personal taste.
A strong prosumer is directly involved in production by participating in certain or all steps. For example, someone who uses photovoltaics can consume part of his own energy and sell the other part to his electricity company. He is a consumer and producer in one. End users are also referred to as “flexumers” (flexibility + prosumers).
Another type of prosuming related to energy supply is the generation of thermal energy by solar collectors (solar thermal). This thermal energy can be used to cover at least part of the company’s own heating requirements, while the rest must be purchased. Heat pumps operated with self-generated solar power or the recovery of thermal energy from wastewater produced in the household are also considered prosumer behavior.
Prosumers occupy a special position with regard to social media, blogs and public wikis. The focus of bloggers, for example, is on exchange and communication with other users. They are prosumers, because they consume content here and create new content – user-generated content.
Image: Geralt via pixabay
