There is a bit of negativity on places like Bitcoin talk claiming the Power Ledger ICO is a scam. It's no scam. The team has already responded to the claims on Medium and uploaded their code on Etherscan. Consider that Power Ledger's Chair, Dr Jemma Green, is already on the Australian Energy Market Operator's Expert Advisory Panel, formed less than a fortnight ago.
This is just half a step away from directly advising Australia's Prime Minister and Energy Minister on energy security, affordability and sustainability. It's a sign of how seriously this project is being taken (by those in-the-know) of this little startup's role in Australia – and probably the world’s – new energy future. And make no mistake -- Australia will be the launchpad for distributed energy worldwide.
In the past I've encouraged people interested in energy to follow the Power Ledger project as a way of getting some price exposure to the rapidly unfolding distributed energy revolution. It might be one of the biggest multi-decadal investment booms we'll see in our lifetimes.
But right now I want to zoom in on how Power Ledger could smash the barriers standing in the way of the next solar boom. The barriers are obvious to everyone in distributed energy, but we're still waiting for the tool which clears these obstacles away.
Rooftop solar now makes more sense than just about any other home renovation. But the next frontier of the revolution now faces one big market problem:
Split incentive problems between owners and tenants.
As a renter, you can't usually install solar and you might not be in the house long enough to benefit from it. As a landlord, you're not the one benefiting from reduced electricity bills. With home ownership falling, this issue leaves a rising tenant population unable to access the benefits. And in apartments, good spots for solar are owned by body corporates rather than individuals.
Peer-to-peer electricity trading is the solution which lets landlords get revenue from assets on rental properties. P2P electricity trading will allow deployment of new business models which are well understood (in theory) but stuck at the conceptual stage until the enabling infrastructure is available.
What is the enabling infrastructure? Australia's CSIRO has outlined a list of the biggest priorities for a smarter grid in their new Low Emissions Technology Roadmap. They are:
Secure and private communications protocols (supported by blockchain tech)
Grid control platforms (early priority for PL)
Data aggregation systems (huge capability here - see White Papers)
System characterisation, dynamic ratings and updated standards (I think these are mainly regulatory things)
Customer energy use in response to price signals (related to PL's data management functionality, but also to Power Ledger's potential as a demand response platform for projects similar to dEx.)
So luckily, as those close to energy are waking up to what's needed to transform our system into the affordable, renewable, reliable system of the 21st century, a new energy project is arriving with exciting real world trials. And not a moment too soon.
With the ICO space a bit quiet due to sentiment on Bitcoin-Ethereum, I reckon this offers an opportunity to support a really worthwhile effort at a pretty attractive likely price.