A crowd gathered at the Atlantic Avenue WeWork on Tuesday night for a panel discussion moderated by Power2Peer CEO Nish Sonwalkar. The Power2Peer founder was joined by Makarand Joshi, Strategy Executive at Schneider Electric; Dennis Dicker, Founder and CEO of Optonome; and Chris Tyler, blockchain expert and consultant. The topic of discussion was the necessity and viability of creating a peer-to-peer marketplace for clean energy. After a brief summary of recent developments in peer-to-peer transmission and solar microgrid technology, each panelist shared their perspective on the possibilities of peer-to-peer energy transaction.
Energy veteran Makarand Joshi offered insight on the logistical side of what it will mean to connect producers and consumers directly so that they can trade power on their own terms. The Schneider exec raised the issue of liability that needs to be taken into account, as well as the technicalities involved with the proposition of physically sending electricity “uphill”. Overall, Joshi is optimistic that DERs and peer-to-peer microgrids can grow within and alongside the grid to achieve a more efficient flow of energy.
Dennis Dicker works with underprivileged segments of his community to help them maintain financial stability. For his clients, rooftop solar and peer-to-peer energy trading represents an additional source of income that can defray medical and other costs of living. Opening up the clean energy marketplace is a no brainer, Dicker says, that will help homeowners make the most of their property in order to achieve optimal livelihood.
Chris Tyler, maverick blockchain enthusiast, was a late addition to the panel. Tyler’s diverse background includes business consulting and program language design. A trailblazer in the blockchain community, Tyler shared his innovative vision of the range of possibilities blockchain represents for him.
Sonwalkar and the panelists then fielded questions from the audience. One attendee expressed his hope that for something as important as achieving complete energy sustainability and curbing climate change, logistical disputes would not get in the way of progress.
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