[P2P-F] Micro and nano-tribunes and power generators

Sat Jan 9 15:56:10 CET 2016

In fact you don't have to go nano or wait for other esoteric and
untested technologies for renewable technologies to undermine the
current energy paradigms. 

Rooftop solar is now spreading rapidly due to the continuing declines
in solar panel prices, enabling households to generate their own
electricity. This creates a situation where they will be sending their
surplus to the grid some of the time, and getting their additional
supply from the grid at some other times. Thus, they will be engaging
in peering arrangements with the grid itself, which are actually P2P
transactions. At some point when P2P transactions over the grid exceed
the amount that central power plants provide to non-generating
customers, the grid will start taking on more and more the nature of a
public commons. Then we should see the same kinds of debates between
privatized infrastructures and the commons that have arisen elsewhere.

I also discussed in the paper how microhydro and microwind, by getting
smaller instead of larger, and if this can result in one or a few
orders of magnitude price reductions, as happened with integrated
circuits, can put them in production levels where the economics of
increasing returns to scale is activated. 

By the way, I've written a separate paper analyzing the P2P
transactions between the grid and solar owners under net metering.
Those who are interested may google "pseudo-net-metering double-charges
customers". This may be very relevant to countries where net metering
is implemented and where utilities insist on charging lower than retail
price, which results in double-charging. I use very simple math in the
paper to show exactly where the double-charging happens.

Requiring net metering is such an important policy enabler for
microsolar, that utilities are now campaigning very hard against it.

A lot of exciting things, such as battery storage costs starting on a
downhill trend, are happening in the renewables area. I urge people to
look more closely into this sector, if you haven't yet. 

Some of these are discussed in my book Crossing Over: The Energy
Transition to Renewable Electricity, published last year but also
freely available online (just google the title).

The sector will also need in the near future new paradigms and business
models to properly appropriate the new values created by the new types
of P2P energy exchanges that are emerging.

Greetings to all,

Roberto

Greetings to all,

Roberto

On Sat, 9 Jan 2016 02:47:24 +0100
Orsan <orsan1234 at gmail.com> wrote:

> 
> The title got me think of real micro- or nano-turbine technologies
> being developed to produce electricity. For instance, if used inside
> water pipes and ways, such technology would turn entire city and
> rural delivery and sanitation systems more productive at the micro
> and nano levels then huge dams and other smaller central hydro
> electricity generators. Something like this could complete the
> convergence between energy and communication technologies as in
> Rifkin's theory, at the same physical level. While thinking on this
> remembered once seeing a working nano-engine being used at an
> experiment at CERN at the atomic level. Of course if engine do exist
> then tribune should also be so. Googled "nano tribune electricity"
> and found that it does exist, and developed:
> http://www.nanowerk.com/news2/green/newsid=27983.php
> http://www.homepower.ca/dc_hydro.htm In case collectively opened up,
> peer to peer produced, and implemented, these really micro power
> technologies would not only destroy the state and corporate monopoly
> over the energy production, but also Harvey's pessimistic argument
> about we people's being dependent on central structures for the
> creation and maintenance of large infrastructures and services, as
> dams, roads, hospitals and schools. If Sensorica, or any open science
> groups would go towards this direction, it would obviously more
> impactful than it sounds. Best, Orsan
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad
> > On 8 jan. 2016, at 23:23, Roberto Verzola <rverzola at gn.apc.org>
> > wrote:
> > 
> > I just finished the piece "Can micropower be as deep a game-changer
> > as microprocessing?" It can be downloaded at:
> > 
> > https://rverzola.wordpress.com/2016/01/07/can-micropower-become-as-deep-a-game-changer-as-microprocessing/
> > 
> > By "deep", I mean being able to change the rules of the game not
> > only within the industry itself but in society as a whole. In the
> > piece, I note that the declining prices of renewables such as solar
> > and wind seem to have brought the renewables sector at the same
> > take-off point that microprocessing was some three decades ago. 
> > 
> > I analyze the developments from the perspective I've been pursuing,
> > which is the perspective of abundance. I note that these declining
> > prices, exponential increases in production, and expanding markets
> > are bringing these renewables into operating points where the
> > economics of increasing returns to scale start to take-over,
> > leading to a virtuous cycle of more rounds of price declines and
> > higher production, the same kind of economic growth pattern we have
> > seen in the information sector. These are typical features of the
> > onset of abundance.
> > 
> > I discuss in the piece what might be the conditions that can make
> > small-scale generation with renewables as deep a game-changer as
> > microprocessors have been. 
> > 
> > Greetings to all,
> > 
> > Roberto Verzola
> > Philippines
> > 
> > PS. Those who want more details about developments in renewables
> > from the perspective of a developing country, you can also download
> > my recent book, CROSSING OVER: THE ENERGY TRANSITION TO RENEWABLE
> > ELECTRICITY. Just google the title.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > On Thu, 7 Jan 2016 19:03:57 +0700
> > Michel Bauwens <michel at p2pfoundation.net> wrote:
> > 
> >> see
> >> http://excellencereporter.com/2016/01/07/michel-bauwens-the-meaning-that-we-give-to-life/
> > 
> > 
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