A new trial supported by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and using blockchain technology could enable households and business to trade or share power with one-another.
AGL Energy Limited (AGL) is leading the project to evaluate a virtual trial at Melbourne homes with a mix of solar panels, batteries to store electricity, and ‘smart’ air conditioning.
ARENA is providing $120,000 to support the $293,800 desktop trial, which was conceived in A-Lab, ARENA’s grid integration innovation lab.
ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht said exploring ways for consumers to trade their own energy could help make renewables more affordable and better able to support our grids.
“Australia has experienced a rooftop solar boom in the past decade and we are expecting a residential battery boom to follow in the coming years,” Mr Frischknecht said.
“This means we’d like to explore new technologies and mechanisms to allow consumers and business to trade their own renewable energy with each other and with network companies.
Ultimately these investigations are about getting the most value out of solar and battery systems through a more flexible and modern marketplace.
“By supporting innovators like AGL to conduct projects like this, ARENA is helping to ensure a smooth transition to a renewable energy future.
AGL is partnering with IBM Australia and distributed energy market advisors Marchment Hill Consulting on the project. IBM will focus on the applicability of blockchain technology to recognising, authenticating and settling energy trading and Marchment Hill will provide market analysis.
Blockchain technology, which was originally devised for the digital currency Bitcoin and is used in other industries such as financial markets, is being trialled as a method of peer-to-peer energy trading through this project.
This initial trial will help understand if there is value in peer-to-peer markets and how blockchain technology could facilitate this market in a cost effective way.
It will also provide valuable information for regulators, energy service companies, start-ups, retailers, and networks on how peer-to-peer trading affects markets and market participants, and how this market could be further developed.
The trial is due for completion in July 2017 and could lead to a physical, real-world trial.
ARENA media contacts:
ARENA Media 1800 804 149 | Mobile: 0410 028 899 | Email: media@arena.gov.au
Media release – Power trading between neighbours trialled in new pilot (PDF 683KB)
