The world is slowly, but very surely, turning its attention to climate change, and to the human activities that are having the largest impact. The recent U.N. General Assembly on Climate Change broached these topics in detail, looking at how politics, economy and human activity need to change in order to limit the damage being done to the environment. While industries such as oil and fashion leave a prominent carbon footprint that is difficult to reduce, that should not deter others, such as the tech industry, from finding solutions that limit their impact. It is pointless for industries to claim …

Australian blockchain energy firm Power Ledger has partnered with a local energy retailer to roll out its technology in South Australia. Power Ledger’s blockchain-based software will allow Australians to pool their excess solar and battery storage to a Virtual Power Plant for greater control and management over their energy. Commercial deal with Australian electricity wholesaler Powerclub Within the partnership, Power Ledger will be integrating its blockchain-based energy trading application Virtual Power Plant (VPP) to a commercial offering of Australian electricity wholesaler Powerclub, the firm announced Nov. 7. Similarly to other recent initiatives by Power Ledger, the new project intends to …

Energy blockchain applications are expected to see a 67% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the next ten years, according to new research. Annual market size to reach $7.7 billion in 2028 Navigant Research, Colorado-based market research and consulting team, has released a report devoted to the development of blockchain applications in the energy industry on Oct. 22. Titled “Energy Blockchain Applications Overview,” the research provides an analysis of the blockchain market by region and segment as well as global forecasts of blockchain-driven revenue in the energy market until 2028. As such, global energy blockchain implementations are forecasted to generate …

The Ford Motor Company is looking into blockchain technology and geofencing to accurately track the number of “green miles” driven by its energy-efficient vehicles. Analyzing real-world benefits of energy-efficient vehicles On Oct. 15, Ford announced that it is expanding its European plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) pilot project to Cologne in Germany. The United States car manufacturer aims to analyze the real-world benefits of these energy-efficient vehicles for the environment, commercial vehicle owners and operators. The pilot, which is also conducting tests on the streets of London and Valencia, will put nine Ford Transit Custom Plug-In Hybrid vans and one …

Australian tech firm Power Ledger will run another blockchain-enabled energy trading trial in Japan’s Kanto region by December 2019. In order to launch its second trial in the country, Power Ledger has teamed up with Japanese solar provider Sharing Energy and electricity retailer eRex, the company said in a news release shared with Cointelegraph on Oct. 3. Main region of Japan’s economy The new Power Ledger’s trial will track surplus solar energy levels and electricity trading, integrating blockchain-enabled P2P platform with household smart meter systems in the Kanto region. With Tokyo located in Kanto, the region is considered to be …

The government of the Republic of Uzbekistan has ordered a 300% increase on electricity tariffs for cryptocurrency miners. According to a Sept. 27 announcement, the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan has decreed that cryptocurrency miners must pay three times more the existing electricity tariffs. The provision follows an Aug. 22, 2019 decree from President Shavkat Mirziyoyev entitled “On Accelerated Measures to Improve Energy Efficiency of Economic Sectors and the Social Sphere, Implement Energy Saving Technologies and Develop Renewable Energy Sources” and to further motivate the rational use of electrical energy by consumers. Uzbekistan’s approach to crypto and …

Kyrgyzstan has cut off power to 45 crypto mining firms as they consumed more energy than three local regions combined. Senior energy official Aitmamat Nazarov has warned cryptocurrency mining is not defined under Kyrgyzstan law, local news agency AKIpress reported on Sept. 20. 136 MW of electricity used According to Nazarov, 45 crypto miners consumed 136 megawatts of electricity, which is more than the amount consumed by three Kyrgyzstan regions: Issyk-Kul, Talas and Naryn. Cheap energy pricing Kyrgyzstan has become a popular site for global cryptocurrency mining firms due to cheap energy prices. In August, the country's Ministry of Economy …

Thailand-based multinational energy conglomerate PTT and blockchain energy nonprofit Energy Web Foundation (EWF) are jointly building a blockchain-based renewables platform. According to a press release shared with Cointelegraph on Sept. 11, the parties are developing a regional solution based on the Energy Web Chain. The new product will also be compliant with the International Renewable Energy Certificate (I-REC) Standard, which certifies renewable energy sources. I-REC certificate demand Energy producers can apply for I-REC tracking certificates from an issuer appointed by a government or trade organization. Once the tickets are submitted to a central registry, energy suppliers and purchasers can prove …

A consortium of oil companies including Exxon Mobil, Chevron and Royal Dutch Shell looks to blockchain to manage water used in oil extraction in North Dakota’s Bakken oil fields. Oil and water As Reuters reported on Sept. 10, the Offshore Operators Committee (OOC) Oil & Gas Blockchain Consortium has awarded a contract to blockchain startup Data Gumbo to pilot water handling technology in North Dakota’s oil fields. Per the report, Data Gumbo will use blockchain to automate payments and deploy their GumboNet platform to manage and synchronize wastewater data. One member of the consortium, Norway’s state-owned Equinor, expects to save …

Australian blockchain energy startup Power Ledger has launched its first trial of peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading technology in rural areas. Energy monetization for outlying settlements According to a blog post on Sept. 9, Power Ledger has launched pilots outside of a metropolitan area in Western Australia, intending to help outlying commercial settlements and farms improve the efficiency of their power grid and reduce associated costs. Specifically, Power Ledger’s blockchain P2P platform aims to allow those sites to monetize their surplus solar energy, while existing tariffs provide no financial compensation to those who feed unused solar power back into the energy …

Bitcoin (BTC) mining infrastructure firm Northern Bitcoin AG has announced the completion of tests for its new air-cooled mining container, which houses 144 ASIC miners. A press release published on Sept. 9 outlined that the highly mobile container solution has been designed as a piece of flexible and efficient infrastructure that will enable the firm to establish mining pools in countries with year-round cool locations. Setting up shop anywhere energy is cheap, sustainable Headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Northern AG develops and operates Bitcoin-focused mining hardware that uses renewable energy sources and aims to attain optimal efficiency and sustainability. The …

A subsidiary of Chinese oil and chemical giant Sinochem Group is reportedly in discussions regarding a blockchain platform with Royal Dutch Shell and Australian financial services firm Macquarie Group. As Reuters reported on Sept. 5, sources familiar with the matter said that Sinochem Energy Technology entered into negotiations with the two companies to examine the development of a blockchain platform for crude oil in July. $14 million blockchain platform The planned blockchain-based platform is reportedly dubbed Gateway, with a value of 100 million yuan (~$14 million). Sources also revealed that Shell and Macquarie decided to invest in Sinochem Energy Technology …