i-nrg.org @ Google Project 10 to the 100th

This is the text of the idea just as it has been submitted to the Project 10 to the 100th

The idea's name

I-NRG.org, marketplace for P2P RES funding

The category that best describes the idea

Energy: How can we help move the world toward safe, clean, inexpensive energy?

What one sentence best describes the idea?

To create a web marketplace for P2P funding and financing Renewable Energy Source power plants, for individuals, communities or business users

Describe the idea in more depth

In the marketplace users can propose their locations for RES power plants (the site owners), can invest money in developing RES power plants (the investors), while companies and professionals could offer their services (the developers).
Some locations are more profitable than others because they have more sun, wind or other natural resources, or (higher) government contributions: this is the assumption of the marketplace.
I.e., an investor in Germany, could participate to develop a PV plant in southern Italy, in a location submitted by a site owner. The plant will be built and managed by a local company (ESCO or utility), following a certificated path and best practices supplied by the marketplace’s community of supporters.
The model is similar to existent social lending platforms, with these differences:
1) RES power plants are stable and predictable investments:
- have government contributions (i. e. feed-in tariffs)
- supply the primary energy market
- their production can be assessed with astronomical, GIS and weather statistical data (i.e. sun or wind)
- there are many state-of-the-art best practices for many RES technologies.
2) The investments support industrial (not financial) activities: managing a RES power plant is, mostly, easy and repetitive (surveillance and maintenance), with a low risk of failure.
3) The stakeholders will be able to monitor 24/7, via web, the power plants status and the production data.
4) The developers’ layer is added, endorsing the local RES industry. It could be regulated by bids (best offer for the projected works on offered locations).
5) The community around the marketplace will build and share the commitment for reducing CO2 emissions.
6) The investments can be progressive (following the growth of power plants), spreaded on different technologies and locations.
7) Business models and best practices can be provided to users as standard formats by the marketplace.

What problem or issue does the idea address?

It can promote and endorse the diffusion of RES and of distributed generation.
It can empower a flow of global P2P investments based on commitment for environment protection.
It can provide, with direct access to investments, individuals, communities, local organizations, small or micro capitals as well as big market players.
It can support the market of local companies or professionals, to design, build, manage and maintain RES power plant
It can be upgraded by funding energy efficiency projects, approaching and endorsing the CO2 reduction bond market.

If the idea were to become a reality, who would benefit the most and how?

Anyone can be a user of the marketplace: individuals, communities, companies; in different roles, according to different laws in different countries.
The users will have revenues:

as site owners, by letting the location (recurrent fee), and/or by sharing incomes with the developers and/or by managing the power plants (energy sale and government contributions)
as investors, by arranged installments of the given loan. The installments can be secured by the government contributions (privileged payments)
as developers, by supplying their activity (project, building, managing and maintenance of power plants) and, if agreed, by sharing the revenues of power plants management with the site owners

The environment, locally and globally, will have benefits, as the marketplace will contribute to reduce the production of CO2

What are the initial steps required to get this idea off the ground?

Not necessarily in this order or sequence:

consolidation of the idea in project, to decide what to buy and what to make
feed-in tariffs and government contributions global assessment, to know where and how define business models
local markets legal assessments, to know where and how operate the marketplace
design of business models and best practices, to shape and verify the operative procedures
agreements with institutional, industrial and commercial partners, to create a network and a community
design, development, testing and release of the web platform, to go live!
marketing activities, to grow up fast

Describe the optimal outcome should the idea be selected and successfully implemented. How would you measure it?

The optimal outcome to achieve by the marketplace is an adequate number of starting-up RES power plants funded, to generate distributed energy and revenues/benefits for the stakeholders: especially the start-ups of the smaller plants which the marketplace can aggregate in “critical mass” to obtain better supplies.
The revenues for marketplace’s maintenance will be mostly from fees on transactions. This outcome can be achieved with an adequate number of users who deal P2P in the marketplace.
Therefore, the success of the marketplace can be measured by:

users (number)
total installed power of funded plants (MWp)
total energy generated by funded plants (MWh)
total money invested in funded plants (by currency)
total saved CO2 by funded plants (tons)

Thanks to

Micky, Laura, Ettore, Monica, Laura, Mao, Coral, Daniela, Marco, Ilaria, Storie Digitali, Mala and all the others who helped me with tips and love.

Contatti

e-mail: inrg.org@gmail.com
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