Factorenergia and Blockchain Digital Energy use 'blockchain' technology to digitize energy consumption in a pioneering global initiative. The aim is: to promote photovoltaic self-consumption communities.

Francis Bacon said that the more you know about something, the more power you have. But what if that something is as vast and incomprehensible as solar energy? How do we do it? According to the maxim that knowledge is power, Factorenergia and Blockchain Digital Energy have joined forces with the goal of digitizing energy through blockchain: increasing the efficiency and savings of solar communities.

Photovoltaic self-consumption is changing the role of consumers in the energy production chain. From the end, the complete dependence on large infrastructures, combined with an extensive energy transport network, to the origin of the chain itself. In the era of renewables, photovoltaic energy is the only one that expands its full potential without having to leave the house.

From 'consumer' to 'prosumer'

It is clean, cheap and zero kilometer energy that can be generated on our rooftops under the sun. Deployed quickly, it is able to immediately cover the needs of our homes and export excess energy to the grid. In other words, with self-consumption we stop being passive consumers and become active producers (prosumers). It is energy sovereignty that, with the help of Factorenergia, is reaching more communities in the area.

Opting for a collective implementation, rather than if what is cheaper for the citizen is implemented individually, it is estimated that the self-consumption of the surrounding communities can give 70% of the population access to energy sovereignty. A giant step in the decarbonisation goals demanded by the 2030 Agenda and which the planet is crying out for. It is already a reality in a residential development community of La Mallola in Esplugues de Llobregat (Barcelona).

Consisting of 14 installations of collective self-consumption and a total peak of 511.11 kWp, Factorenergia serves 159 participating neighbors who, thanks to blockchain technology, control and record the data generated in an individualized reading for each neighbor and in real time. In a sharp, safe and easy-to-interpret way, information that provides them with greater consumer knowledge. This is the first time that energy has been digitized using blockchain technology, but the effects are already evident. "Those who have and know in real time the energy values ​​related to their installation or participation, maximize the savings on the energy bill", says Emili Rousaud, CEO of Factorenergia.

'Digital Notary'

As a kind of digital notary of your consumption, all energy exports made by each user are recorded, valued and certified thanks to the Blockchain.

Digital Energy is the company that developed the device. This knowledge allows them to modulate their energy behavior, discover the surpluses created, share them with other supply points in the area or with family members or sell them to other users.

Joaquín Nora, a resident of La Mallola, lives alone with his wife, has very low expenses and directs the excess energy generated to a house in Cubelles. In his case, he wanted to be part of the energy community for several reasons. "The first, because of the sense of community, for everyone in the project. The second, because of the ecological issue, which is very important to me. The third, obviously, because of the improvement in the electricity bill."

The reasons do not end there, since the immediate purchase of an electric car will neutralize the solar installation in the community and the increase in its electricity consumption when plugged in is anticipated. The last unexpected factor, but much celebrated by the community, is the drop in the temperature of the attic by about five degrees. "That has been very positive," Nora pointed out.

'Light' in the darkness

Accustomed to consulting consumption records almost blindly on bills that are hardly or not at all comprehensible, the user can maximize his performance, decide objectively whether he wants to sell the surplus to the marketer or shift energy usage to other time periods, among other things. With this device, the information is updated every hour and is available through the mobile application. "They have greater governance and confidence in deciding when and how they consume the energy generated in their data," added Henry Daunet, CEO of Blockchain Digital Energy.

María Lorena Álvarez is another resident of La Mallola, and thanks to the application, the e created on her roof he can see firsthand the effect of energy savings on the bill. "I will be able to understand what my savings are and organize my consumption during the hours when energy is cheaper or has zero cost." Together with its neighbors La Mallola, this technological solution is already a reality in the Institut Torrent dels Alous and the Rubí Courts, which share the energy generated by the panels installed on the roof of the institute. The only condition is that those involved in the installation are within a radius of two kilometers.