Challenge
Currently, the energy market works in such a way that energy suppliers receive data from a (smart) meter, a bill is issued to the customer, and then the bill is paid via a monetary transaction from one bank to another. With the Jouliette token, the De Ceuvel community members are able to make secure (peer- to- peer) transactions directly between their own virtual currency ‘wallets’. The blockchain, the technology behind Bitcoin, ensures that these transactions are secure and decentralized, with the history of all transactions being shared with all the community members, so they can be (automatically) verified without needing the intervention of a “trusted” bank.
Approach
This is a joint project between STELLAR and our Grid Edge Consulting teams. What makes this unique ecosystem possible at De Ceuvel is the fact that the site features a private (renewable energy-based) smart-grid. This enables the community to exchange renewable energy (independent of the national electricity grid) produced by their photovoltaic (PV) panels, without any restrictions, and therefore avoid existing market barriers. With the Jouliette platform, the De Ceuvel community can easily manage their own micro-economy, and unlike purely speculative currencies, the Jouliette tokens are backed up by physical energy production. Beyond just enabling energy exchange, the community will be exploring further applications for the Jouliette, such as using it to trade for goods at the De Ceuvel Cafe, to facilitate a local time-banking system, and to integrate other intra-community services, such as a car-sharing program.
Outcome
The Jouliette platform was developed by Spectral, a smart energy services company (and spin-off of sustainability consultancy Metabolic), in collaboration with Alliander, one of the Netherland’s largest distribution system operators and creator of the Jouliette concept. Besides the peer-to-peer blockchain trading system, the Jouliette platform is equipped with a number of additional features, such as a real-time power-flow map of the community, high-resolution data visualizations, and machine-learning forecasting systems, which provide users with greater insights into their (real-time) energy use and projected production / consumption. You can see it live on the Jouliette website.
