New York residents can now sell power to neighboring

smart grid in Brooklyn creates a virtual energy market that works just like the bitcoin transaction

                   

solar panels and generate sustainable energy, have the advantage of giving more autonomy to the owner, who no longer need to depend on the electrical distribution network to power your home. But on a beautiful sunny day, the panels can generate more power than the house needs. In New York, a startup is taking advantage of this left over to create the bitcoin energy.

The experience is happening in Brooklyn. The TransActive Grid project allows five houses with solar panels commercialize its energy surplus to five other neighbors completely autonomously, without having to go through any intermediary company.

It all starts in the power network. Usually, the houses supplied by solar panels are connected to the local power company. When surplus electricity, this surplus back to the network and the host gets a discount on the electricity bill. What TransActive Grid does is install sensors that calculate exactly how much extra energy is being produced and prevents it from coming back to the general system, getting the mini network that neighbors share.

Through a virtual interface the surplus energy credits can be purchased by neighbors using a virtual currency. Transactions work the same way as the bitcoin - are based on blockchain, a kind of virtual book of records fraud-proof.

Each client or energy trader has its own copy of the transactions database. Each with its copy, computers monitor each other, automatically checking and auditing each marketing. Thus, the blockchain eliminates the need for a financial institution responsible for trading and sale of energy is direct, inexpensive and dynamic.

The Brooklyn Microgrid has the potential to grow enough - according to the map of the project, more than 20 houses with solar panels in the neighborhood. The City of New York supports the project because one of the goals is that the houses become less dependent on central network and have alternatives in case of blackout.

The initiative follows the same trend of technologies like Uber and Airbnb: join who want a product and who want to sell it without intermediaries. Soon, you may be buying sustainable energy your neighbor easier than to ask for a cup of flour.