Pebbles drops a blockchain‑powered local electricity marketplace!
Siemens, Allgäuer Überlandwerk (AÜW), and their tech allies have just launched the pebbles trading platform. The big news: it’s the first “brick‑by‑brick” local market that lets folks buy and sell power using a transparent, trust‑worthy ledger.
What’s going on in Wildpoldsried?
- Private producers can now use a slick app to pitch their own solar or wind juice straight to neighborhood consumers—no middle‑man hassle.
- Flex‑friendly players—think batteries, heat pumps, EV chargers—join the ring, offering on‑demand swing to keep the grid humming.
- Blockchain serves as the “watchdog”: every trade is recorded end‑to‑end, cracking down on shady motives and giving everyone confidence.
Why does this matter?
Traditionally, energy moves from big‑power plants to passive consumers. Your fridge is still just a fridge! But with pebbles, the players flip the script: consumers can become producers (or “prosumers”) and help smooth out the surges from renewables and the rise in EVs. This can dodge expensive grid upgrades and lower the price of the energy transition.
Voices from the front
Andreas Feicht (State Secretary, German Ministry of Economy) said, “This is a killer demo of science, industry and public sectors collaborating on something fresh. It’s a big win for the government’s energy and digital agenda, and for Allgäu’s green future.”
Sabine Erlinghagen (CEO, Digital Grid at Siemens Smart Infrastructure) added, “The platform glues producers, consumers, and storage into one neat ecosystem, keeping renewable generators profitable even after subsidies run out. It keeps the clean power flowing where it matters.”
Michael Lucke (CEO, AÜW) noted, “We’ve always built ahead of the curve. If we didn’t create this platform, someone else would. We’re stepping in to help the market thrive – we’re not waiting to be ‘obsolete’.”
Peebles Works Under the Hood
Siemens, AÜW, AllgäuNetz, Kempten University of Applied Sciences, and the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology (FIT) teamed up to engineer:
- the marketplace app and interface;
- backend management systems;
- real‑time checks on grid capacity, production, and load predictions.
The goal? Show the grid operators that they can sidestep expensive—and time‑consuming—expansions while giving users an active role.
Ready to Plug In?
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