Power Ledger reveals Australian Government Smart Cities project for 100% renewable energy Power Ledger Follow Apr 30, 2019 · Unlisted

Highlights

East Village Knutsford, a former industrial site 5km from Fremantle town centre, will become an innovation hub for sustainable living.

Future residents will generate and share power with each other using their own microgrid and battery storage.

Energy costs will be slashed by about 50%, saving residents around $1200 per annum.

Power Ledger has unveiled a 100 per cent renewable energy residential development in partnership with the WA Government land developer LandCorp, Curtin University and the Australian Government Smart Cities initiative.

LandCorp’s East Village at Knutsford will be a showcase for energy-efficient residential development, featuring blockchain-ready homes, a microgrid supply network for water and power and a shared on-site battery.

“The property industry is in a unique position to drive energy change from the ground up. This project highlights how developers can choose to make smarter, more efficient choices when it comes to homes,” said David Martin, managing director and co-founder of Power Ledger.

Mayor of Fremantle Brad Pettitt, Power Ledger Co-founder and Chair Dr Jemma Green, Curtin University Sustainability Institute, Director JBA Dr Josh Byrne, and Minister for Lands Ben Wyatt. (L-R)

The development is part of the Australian Government’s Smart Cities and Suburbs initiative, which will see a 670kW/h shared battery ultimately owned and shared by the individual homeowners.

“Power Ledger’s platform allows residents to sell excess solar power from the panels on their roofs directly to their neighbours at a better price, rather than selling back to the traditional grid.”

Future residents of the 36 townhouse urban village will generate their own power using individual 5kW PV solar systems and then share renewable energy using the Power Ledger platform across a microgrid.

“Our energy trading software gives people the option to purchase green energy rather than energy from fossil fuel sources, even if they don’t have solar panels on their own home,” said Mr Martin.

The development includes a microgrid supply network for water and power, a shared on-site battery provided by Power Ledger, and each home will be fitted with an electric vehicle charger.

“The mix of innovations at East Village at Knutsford provides a great insight into what it is possible for us to achieve in modern sustainable residential infill developments,” said WA Government Lands Minister Ben Wyatt.

Using 100 per cent renewable energy from PVs battery and green electricity from the grid, the 1.5-hectare development will set new benchmarks for affordable and sustainable living in Western Australia.

“LandCorp is leading by doing, and this project demonstrates to the wider construction industry just what is possible in creating connected and affordable communities,” said Mr Wyatt.

East Village at Knutsford will be tracked and assessed by an on-site living laboratory, in partnership with Curtin University. The research program will build a dataset to demonstrate the value of the innovations and work towards WA’s second One Planet Living accreditation.

Power Ledger’s SaaS energy trading platform is currently being trialled in several places across Western Australia as well as in Thailand, Japan and the United States.