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Enable community driven coordination of distributed enegery production and consumption. Basically virtual power plants operating on the edge of our grid. Hea

Enable community driven coordination of distributed enegery production and consumption. Basically virtual power plants operating on the edge of our grid. Heat, refrigeration, lights, etc are at the foundation of modern society. The foundation of modern society is driven by the distribution of energy. Helping ensure energy sources at the edge of our grid achieve scalability and fault tolerance strikes me as something that truly matters. LO3 Energy The company has been around for some time but recently underwent rapid growth. I started as a part time remote contracted and was the first software engineer to be brought on full time. It’s been a lot of work and there is still a long way to go but the thing that keeps me chugging is the people involved. We’ve attracted a powerhouse of a team both on the business and engineering side. Further, I’ve never worked with a more genuine and kind group of individuals before.

moneytide1 8y ago
I'm reading about your Allgau microgrid, and it looks like it may have been chosen as a pilot because some feed-in tariffs are expiring. Is the idea here to effectively bypass the utility company (even though there is a partnership for this pilot) so that energy consumers end up directly paying each other through the blockchain ledger?
- rudolph9 8y ago
  Speaking generally about all our projects and from my personal perspective (software guy, not public relations); The idea is to bring both sides of the industry (customer, utility) together more efficiently and effectively. The current model (power utility produces electricity, maintains distribution infrastructure, and bills on a KWh basis) for producing and distributing energy is very wasteful. We’re constantly producing more energy than necessary to react to spikes in demand. The current model is also increasingly strained as we adopt more renewables due to their relatively unpredictable nature. However, the utility isn’t going away in the foreseeable future. The lines and other infrastructure still need to be maintained. The idea is to elimate waste. Work toward new models that benefits both sides (e.g. peak demand gets supplied via energy sources at the edge of the grid, utility doesn’t need to install more infrastructure to accommodate growing energy demand within that microgrid).
  - 3rdAccount 8y ago
    I work in this field (electricity markets) and don't really see microgrids fulfilling this niche anytime soon. Due to FERC Order 841, we will see a surge in grid-scale batteries and our markets (in the US) will have to accommodate this. They will hopefully help some with various issues such as congestion, transmission buildout, and short term changes in demand.
    - rudolph9 8y ago
      In the US, you're are right. The regulation in the US is currently not conducive to microgrids. The world is a big place though.
      - 3rdAccount 8y ago
        Yea, if you're talking about non 1st world countries, the idea could definitely work i think. Best of luck!

moneytide1 8y ago

I'm reading about your Allgau microgrid, and it looks like it may have been chosen as a pilot because some feed-in tariffs are expiring. Is the idea here to effectively bypass the utility company (even though there is a partnership for this pilot) so that energy consumers end up directly paying each other through the blockchain ledger?

rudolph9 8y ago
Speaking generally about all our projects and from my personal perspective (software guy, not public relations); The idea is to bring both sides of the industry (customer, utility) together more efficiently and effectively. The current model (power utility produces electricity, maintains distribution infrastructure, and bills on a KWh basis) for producing and distributing energy is very wasteful. We’re constantly producing more energy than necessary to react to spikes in demand. The current model is also increasingly strained as we adopt more renewables due to their relatively unpredictable nature. However, the utility isn’t going away in the foreseeable future. The lines and other infrastructure still need to be maintained. The idea is to elimate waste. Work toward new models that benefits both sides (e.g. peak demand gets supplied via energy sources at the edge of the grid, utility doesn’t need to install more infrastructure to accommodate growing energy demand within that microgrid).
- 3rdAccount 8y ago
  I work in this field (electricity markets) and don't really see microgrids fulfilling this niche anytime soon. Due to FERC Order 841, we will see a surge in grid-scale batteries and our markets (in the US) will have to accommodate this. They will hopefully help some with various issues such as congestion, transmission buildout, and short term changes in demand.
  - rudolph9 8y ago
    In the US, you're are right. The regulation in the US is currently not conducive to microgrids. The world is a big place though.
    - 3rdAccount 8y ago
      Yea, if you're talking about non 1st world countries, the idea could definitely work i think. Best of luck!