Power Ledger (POWR), the peer-to-peer marketplace provider for renewable energy and a personal favourite of Sir Richard Branson, has announced the next stage of Australia’s sustainable new building development at the 1.5 hectare-sized East Village at Knutsford, near Fremantle, Western Australia.
Phase 2 of the ReNew Nexus project will use 100% renewable energy and involves a number of stakeholders, including Curtin University, working under the guidance of Western Australia’s land development agency, LandCorp.
Village of Sustainability
According to LandCorp, East Village will shortly be releasing the 36 architecturally designed and landscaped turnkey homes for sale, with another 2 apartment blocks consisting of a further 60 dwellings coming in the future. All of which will be fitted Power Ledger’s blockchain-enabled technology.
The whole concept of the project is based on achieving a more sustainable way of living and includes a range of water and energy initiatives that fit within the overall Australian Government’s Smart Cities Plan laid out in 2016.
Co-founder of Power Ledger, David Martin, explained in a company blog post that he believes “The property industry is in a unique position to drive energy change from the ground up” and “This project highlights how developers can choose to make smarter, more efficient choices when it comes to homes.”
Power Ledger expect to save residents around 50% of their annual electricity costs, estimated to be $1,200 AUD, by enabling people to sell excess electricity collected from their own solar panels directly to other consumers rather than back to the national grid.
To achieve this, the entire development has a self-contained micro-grid and battery storage system that will also allow for fast charging of electric vehicles and power a Curtin University inspired Legacy Living Laboratory offering “a learning space that will feature a commercial kitchen, meeting spaces and real time data display.”
