As of 2018, electricity transmission to customers, both residential and business, uses grid infrastructure that is expensive to build and maintain. No wonder, each electric supply company enjoys a wide competitive moat. That makes it almost impossible for any competitor to enter a market or geographical area that's already being serviced by an established company. Yet, today's consumers WANT to have a choice in everything they buy, and who they buy from. Can we give customers a power choice?
Think off the Grid
Target groups
Other (Eco-conscious, relatively affluent. Or others with need for off-grid reliable solutions.)Observation
Conclusion
What if electricity supply need not come from existing wired supply networks, or from companies that burn fossil fuels to save $$, or from companies that install renewable energy farms but do not take steps to make them environment-friendly (e.g. prevent bird deaths in wind energy farms)? Indeed, if certain market/infrastructure/technology barriers to selling electricity were eliminated, electricity consumers would LOVE the flexibility of buying from companies that align with their world view!
Solution
The Fuel Cell (or any high energy density battery) Delivery Service lets power-generating companies package that power in safe & efficient fuel cells (or batteries), and deliver them to buyers. Buyers get on a subscription plan. Fuel Cells/batteries can also arrive at short notice on-demand, since robots in delivery vehicles are always available to ferry the cells and install/swap them (think Amazon Prime meets Uber!). Physical delivery, robotic installation, grid bypass: a new biz model.
What makes your solution unique?
In my new marketplace for electric power, I envision providers like Innogy positioning themselves as an Uber-like platform for fuel cell pickups and dropoffs, PLUS on-site service technician-like services provided by robots. Fuel cells come in small, medium, large sizes that meet most user needs.
Describe how your solution works step by step:
When power is loaded into a fuel cell, its provenance (e.g. source, where "packaged", sustainability rankings of power producer, etc) is also recorded and tracked using Blockchain. So, the buyer knows what exactly he/she is buying and its environmental impact.
Fuel cells may power entire homes, rooms, or individual devices and vehicles, too. When buyer subscribes for fuel cell delivery, he identifies each device or each point of installation to the Delivery Service. (think digital tags, passive RFID stickers, IoT..).
Uncomfortable with deliverypersons entering your home? Relax! Robots enter via a timed-access key, install/swap/service fuel cells at your designated points of use; and leave without any mess. You sign up; Innogy handles the rest!
By load monitoring, IoT connectivity, fuel cells can themselves contact the delivery service to request a swap-out. Cell/battery swap available to buyer anywhere within service area. E.g. if car runs out of juice on the road.
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