Power discom BRPL to launch trial for solar power trading among consumers

The BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL), one of the power distribution companies here, will launch a block-chain based platform on trial basis for consumer-to-consumer (or peer-to-peer) solar power trading.

The method can be used by consumers with rooftop solar power infrastructure to further monetise their investment. Consumers with rooftop solar infrastructure can sell their excess solar energy to their neighbours even if they do not have rooftop solar, said the BSES spokesperson.

The BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL) has partnered with Australia's Power Ledger, a global player in the block-chain technology, to launch the consumer-to-consumer solar power trading on a trial basis, a BSES spokesperson said.

"The pilot project will initially be carried out among a select group of gated community solar consumers in Dwarka who generate around 5-6 MW of solar power," he said.

The BRPL has become the first discom in the country to use Power Ledger's block chain-based platform for peer-to-peer (P2P) solar trading, he claimed.

BRPL CEO Amal Sinha said the trial with Power Ledger will help BSES fully utilise clean energy.

Based on the outcome of the pilot project, the BSES and Power Ledger will expand the trial to include block chain enabled solutions for group net metering, virtual net metering, electric vehicle charging and virtual power plant applications, he added.

The consumers require no hardware device or investment to sign up to the Power Ledger platform. The technology utilises close to real-time data from smart meteres to facilitate peer-to-peer trading.