A vision for the future of energy
With every passing day, we are moving towards a connected future. It’s not just computers anymore- our appliances, vehicles (and even our watches and eyeglasses!) are now being connected to each other, and to the internet.
A growing number of sensors are capturing large volumes of data. Algorithms process this data, and machines act upon this. Each of these processes consumes energy — and so does the supporting infrastructure.
As we grow more connected, our demand for energy increases, and any interruption to our energy supply can have severe repercussions. In today’s world, a lack of access to reliable and efficient energy supply can exacerbate inequality, and undermine progressive action.
Our present energy systems are unreliable and expensive. A lot of that boils down to the fact that energy production is largely centralised, while consumption is extremely decentralised. Put simply- a few large power plants generate power, transmit it through miles and miles of power lines, to be delivered to millions of distant consumers, such as households, schools, factories, offices and hospitals.
There are inherent weaknesses in such a centralised system:
- Each of the consumers is vulnerable to any fault in the central power plant, or the miles and miles of power lines. And these faults are more frequent than can be imagined!
- Such a system cannot respond quickly to increasing demand. The only way forward is to build new power plants and power lines. By the end of this long-drawn process, demand has already further increased!
The Role of Solar and Electrical Vehicles
To make electricity truly accessible and inexpensive, the existing centralised infrastructure should be supplemented by a decentralised one. To set up such a network, we need systems that are modular and easily deployable, with minimal maintenance required. And Solar Photovoltaic (PV) technology ticks all three boxes. Today’s solar panels are similar to building blocks- standardised units that can be combined at any scale- whether a plant uses ten panels, or ten million. With no moving parts, failure is rare. And they generate power from a universally available source-the sun.
The Electric Vehicle (EV) revolution might be packaged as an environmentally-conscious movement, but there are significant large, underlying socio-economic motives. We need to run our cars on a source of energy that is more readily available locally than petroleum or diesel. And in electricity, we have a form of energy that has permeated every living and working space. Look around, and there is almost certainly a plug point within a five-metre radius!
Putting the pieces together
With localised energy generation and consumption, we can improve the quality and regain significant control of the energy that is so essential in our lives. And almost all the required technology exists today.
To realise this vision, we need a network of multiple ‘hosts’ and ‘consumers.’ The hosts would generate solar energy on their premises, and, after internal consumption, sell power to the consumers. For example, a family home with a Solar PV system, where the parents are at work and the kids are at school during the day, could power a nearby small office. A consumer can become a host at any point of time, seamlessly integrating their new Rooftop Solar Generating system with this network. Over time, this network develops into a ‘Virtual Power Plant.’
Electric Vehicle charging stations could host Rooftop Solar PV systems in this network, powering nearby buildings when not charging vehicles. EVs themselves could integrate into this network in a brilliantly elegant way. An EV would no longer be just a ‘people carrier,’ but also a ‘battery on wheels.’ The charge in the batteries could power appliances and even homes. Picture this- You could take your car to office, and while you work, charge your car with enough energy not just for your commute back home, but also to power your home at night!
Smart energy meters- at the host and the consumer end- would ‘talk’ to each other. Over time, Artificial Intelligence could forecast energy demand and supply, and intelligently match consumers to hosts. Long term patterns could be used to predict potential faults or shortfalls in energy supply, and notifications when maintenance or upgrade is due. Autonomous EVs can also be dispatched in emergencies, or to locations where there are large shortfalls in energy supply.
All transactions within the network would happen directly between hosts and consumers, without any intermediary. Not only would the system be decentralised, it would be a peer-to-peer network. And what is the most fashionable way to maintain a decentralised, peer-to-peer network? Yes, blockchain technology!
Pilot Projects and Experiments
There are people, companies and communities already working towards this vision.
Tesla (their presence on this list will not be a surprise!) is working towards setting up a virtual power plant in Australia, fitting solar panels and their Powerwall system on 50,000 homes. The pilot phase, involving over 1000 homes, is underway. “The project is designed so that energy generated from the solar panels is stored in the Tesla batteries. Excess energy is sent to the grid and available for use elsewhere.”
In Bangkok, a pilot peer-to-peer solar energy trading system backed by blockchain technology is underway. Solar PV plants, atop a mall, school, hospital and apartment complex, generate energy (like the ‘hosts’ in our system). After their internal consumption, excess energy can be traded with other consumers over the platform.
In Utrecht, Netherlands, innovator Robin Berg is pioneering Smart Solar Charging, with EVs charging up during the day on solar energy, and powering up homes at night with residual charge.
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At Wenergie, this is the future that we believe in. This is the world that we are building. Join our mailing list at http://eepurl.com/dM6QIY and never miss an update!
