Wednesday, September 6, 2017

The future of energy is coming! -- L-enerġija tal-futur riesaq!

- no title specified
Perhaps some of you might remember an article I had written two years ago on my blog1 and edition 105 of The Voice of the Maltese, on developments in the generation and storage of electrical energy and difficulties in distribution.  I had commented on the fear of an economic incentive arising for small investors in sustainable generation being disconnected from the public grid, and therefore their investment's benefits accrue only to themselves, even if they are able to generate more energy than they themselves consume.

 

I had expressed the hope that some incentive be created for these investors, both private individuals and enterprises, remain connected to the grid for the benefit of all.

 

I was delighted to note that these incentives are being developed by the private sector, and not by government or government agencies, and nor by the traditional electrical energy suppliers.

 

I've come across two companies developing interesting products in this space: Localvolts2 and Power Ledger3, both Australian companies.  Both are promising that generators and consumers will have a much wider choice than today as to whom to sell and from whom to buy their electricity, and at what price.  From these two companies, Power Ledger is the one which has given most detail on how this will occur, and this detail is indeed interesting.4

 

Probably everyone is familiar with the concept of a register, where any type of transaction is entered as a record and reference, forming the basis for a trade.  Today, a technology called blockchain exists, where this registry is distributed and replicated on a large number of computers on the internet around the world, where everyone would be able to verify the details of the transaction, and the fear of these details being adulterated be virtually eliminated with the use of cryptography.

 

A principal characteristic of this technology is the lack of a central authority which is certifying the transactions - the technology itself renders this unnecessary.  Another characteristic is the speed at which the transaction takes place, which represents a contract where from one side the service (electrical energy) is provided, and on the other where payment is returned.

 

The best known example of the use of blockchain is the electronic currency Bitcoin, after which came many others.  Nevertheless, the use of blockchains is not limited to currencies, but can also be used for other tokens of value, which are all able to be traded.

 

Power Ledger has chosen to use two tokens on the Ethereum blockchain.  The first, called SPARKZ, is equivalent to the lowest denomination fiat currency of the country (for example in Australia it is the cent), and is used by the consumer to buy energy, and the generator to sell it.  The second symbol, called POWR, is used as permission for the first to be bought and sold.

 

Some of the aims of this project, where regulations permit, include to enable:5
  • trade of energy directly between consumers and prosumers (which are consumers that also generate), where everyone benefits from reduced bills and better returns for investors; 

  • better choice and high granularity as to the source from which energy is bought and to whom; 

  • aggregation of consumers; 

  • those living in rental accommodation or strata, which normally are unable to install their own generators such as PV systems, can participate in this market; 

  • investments can easily be made in partnerships; 

  • electric vehicles can be identified and charged from various charging points. 

 

It seems that pilot projects have been undertaken in Busselton, Western Australia and also in New Zealand, and now Power Ledger are publicly seeking investors to continue developing these applications and others.

 

It is these types of innovative developments that the country, and the world, needs to transform quicker the electrical energy industry, today dominated by dirty generators (burning coal and/or oil), selling energy on a wholesale basis to retails which then dictate prices to the consumer.

 

Carbon pollution leading to climate change naturally is not only the result of the burning of fossil fuels for the production of electrical energy, but also for other uses such as transport, and the production of iron.  Nevertheless, the eletricity sector needs to move quicker to a stage where it is carbon-free.

 

I rejoice to see innovative and advanced use of technology aimed to try and solve a number of headaches simultaneously: high electricity prices, the fear of many addresses disconnecting from the electricity grid and the slow pace of transformation of the industry.  As an engineer and a human troubled by the widespread signs of climate change, I cannot fail to see this initiative as immensely positive.

 

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Forsi wħud minnkom jiftakru artiklu li kont ktibt sentejn ilu fuq il-blog tiegħi1 u fil-ħarġa numru 105 ta' The Voice of the Maltese, fuq l-iżviluppi fil-qasam tal-ġenerazzjoni u l-ħażna tal-enerġija elettrika u d-diffikultajiet fid-distribuzzjoni.  Kont ikkummentajt fuq il-biża' li jista' jinħoloq inċentiv ekonomiku biex investituri żgħar ta' generaturi sostenibbli jinqatgħu mis-sistema pubblika tad-distribuzzjoni, u għalhekk il-benefiċċju tal-investiment tagħhom, igawduh huma biss, anke jekk kapaċi jiġġeneraw enerġija iktar milli jistgħu jikkonsmaw huma.

 

Kont esprimejt it-tama li jinħoloq xi inċentiv biex dawn l-investituri, kemm individwi privati jew intrapriżi, jibqgħu imqabbdin mas-sistema tad-distribuzzjoni, sabiex jibbenefika l-pajjiż sħiħ.

 

Hadt pjaċir ninnota li dawn l-inċentivi jidher li qiegħdin jiġu żviluppati, mill-privat u mhux mill-gvern jew aġenziji governattivi, u lanqas mill-kumpanniji tradizzjonali tal-enerġija elettrika.

 

Sirt naf b'żewġ kumpanniji li qiegħdin jiżviluppaw prodotti interessanti f'dan il-qasam:  Localvolts2 u Power Ledger3, it-tnejn kumpanniji Awstraljani.  It-tnejn iwiegħdu li ġeneratur u konsumatur se jkollhom għażla bil-wisq ikbar mil-lum lil min ibiegħu jew mingħand min jixtru l-enerġija, u b'liema preżż.  Minn dawn iż-żewġ kumpanniji, Power Ledger hija l-iktar li tat dettalji ta' kif dan se jseħħ, u dawn id-dettalji huma interessanti ferm.4

 

Aktarx kulħadd huwa familjari mal-kunċett ta' reġistru, fejn transazzjonijiet ta' kwalunkwe tip ikunu imniżżla bħala rikordju u riferenza, u dan jservi ta' bażi għal negozju.  Illum hawn teknoloġija, imsejħa katina ta' blokok (blockchain), fejn dan ir-reġistru jkun mifrux u rreplikat fuq numru kbir ta' kompjuters fuq l-internet madwar id-dinja, fejn kulħadd ikun jista' jivverifika d-dettalji tat-transazzjoni, u l-biża' li dawn jiġu mbagħbsa jiġi virtwalment elminat bl-użu tal-kriptografija.

 

Karatteristika prinċipali ta' din it-teknologija hi li m'hemm l-ebda awtorità ċentrali li qiegħda tiċċertifika t-transazzjonijiet - it-tekonoloġija trendiha bla bżonn.  Karatteristika oħra hija l-ħeffa li biha issir transazzjoni, li jkun kuntratt fejn min-naħa waħda jiġi pprovdut servizz (l-enerġija elettrika) u min-naħa l-oħra jsir il-ħlas.

 

L-eżempju l-iktar magħruf tal-użu tal-katina ta' blokok huwa l-munita elettronika Bitcoin, li minn meta nħolqot żdiedu oħrajn.  Madankollu, l-użu tal-katina tal-blokok mhux limitat għal-muniti, imma jistgħu jintużaw simboli oħra ta' valur, li jkunu jistgħu jiġu negożjati.

 

Power Ledger għażlet li tuża żewġ simboli fuq il-katina ta' blokok Ethereum.  L-ewwel wieħed, jismu SPARKZ, huwa ekwivalenti għall-iktar denominazzjoni baxxa tal-munita tal-pajjiż (per eżempju fl-Awstralja huma ċ-ċenteżmi), u jintuża biex konsumatur jixtri l-enerġija, u ġeneratur ibiegħu.  It-tieni simbolu, jismu POWR, iservi ta' permess biex tal-ewwel ikun jista' jiġi mixtri u mbiegħ.

 

Uħud mill-miri ta' dan il-proġett, fejn ir-regolamenti jippermettu, huma:5
  • in-negozju tal-enerġija dirett bejn il-konsumaturi u l-prosumaturi (konsumaturi sofistikati li jiġġeneraw ukoll), fejn kulħadd igawdi minn kontijiet imnaqqsa, u introjtu aħjar għall-investituri; 

  • l-għażla faċli u b'granularità għolja ta' minn fejn jinxtara u lil min jinbiegħ l-enerġija; 

  • aggregazzjoni ta' konsumaturi; 

  • dawk li jgħixu f'kiri jew strata, fejn normalment ma jitħallewx jistallaw sistemi fotovoltajċi, li jipparteċipaw f'dan is-suq; 

  • fejn investimenti jistgħu faċilment jinqasmu bi sħab; 

  • mezzi ta' trasport elettriċi jistgħu ikunu identifikati u ċċarġjati minn diversi punti tas-sistema ta' distribuzzjoni. 

 

Jidher li diġa saru proġetti pilota f'Busselton, Western Australia, u wkoll f'New Zealand u bħalissa Power Ledger qiegħdin pubblikament ifittxu investituri biex ikomplu jiżviluppaw dawn l-applikazzjonijiet u oħrajn.

 

Huma dawn it-tip ta' żviluppi innovattivi li l-pajjiż, u d-dinja, għandha bżonn, biex tittrasforma b'mod iktar mgħaġġel l-industrija tal-enerġija elettrika, iddominata llum minn ġeneraturi maħmuġa (il-ħruq ta' faħam u/jew żejt), li jbiegħu l-enerġija bl-ingrossa (wholesale) lill-bejjiegħa tal-imnut (retailer) li jiddettaw il-prezz lill-konsumatur.

 

It-tniġġiż tal-karbonju li jwassal għat-tibdil tal-klima naturalment ma jiġix biss mill-ħruq ta' sorsi ffosilizzati ta' enerġija għall-elettriċità, imma għal użi oħra bħat-trasport u l-produzzjoni tal-ħadid.  Madankollu, is-settur tal-enerġija elettrika għandha bżonn tersaq iktar malajr għal sitwazzjoni fejn il-ġenerazzjoni tkun kollha kemm hi nadifa.

 

Nifraħ nara l-użu innovattiv u avvanzat tat-teknoloġija li qed tipprova solvi diversi wġigħ ta' ras f'salt: l-għoli fil-prezzijiet tal-enerġija elettrika, il-biża li ħafna indirizzi jinqatgħu mis-sistema ta' distribuzzjoni, il-pass kajman fit-trasformazzjoni tal-industrija.  Bħala inġinier u bniedem inkwetat mis-sinjali mifruxa tat-tibdil tal-klima, ma nistax ma narax din l-inizjattiva bħala pożittiva immens.

 

1https://ivancauchi.blogspot.com.au/2015/07/energy-in-future-l-energija-fil-futur.html

2https://localvolts.com/

3https://powerledger.io/

4https://tge.powerledger.io/media/Power-Ledger-Whitepaper-v3.pdf, retrieved 6/9/2017

5https://tge.powerledger.io/#apps, retrieved 6/9/2017

1https://ivancauchi.blogspot.com.au/2015/07/energy-in-future-l-energija-fil-futur.html

2https://localvolts.com/

3https://powerledger.io/

4https://tge.powerledger.io/media/Power-Ledger-Whitepaper-v3.pdf, retrieved 6/9/2017

5https://tge.powerledger.io/#apps, retrieved 6/9/2017

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