BCPG seeks P2P power trade
Firm urges update of single buyer concept
BCPG Plc is calling on the government to unlock the country’s power generation through peer-to-peer power trade, also known as the prosumer concept.
At present, BCPG has a solar rooftop pilot project and peer-to-peer trading platform at the T77 community. BCPG has been working on this project with property developer Sansiri and Power Ledger, an Australian startup.
The solar rooftop at T77 has a combined power capacity of 635 kilowatts.
The mixed-use property began peerto-peer trade in August. The electricity generated from solar panels is distributed to each building in the community, but BCPG has yet to start commercial trade.
Apichai Riddiboot, project director for digital energy at BCPG, said the project cannot trade power commercially because the generation sector is still monopolised by the state utility under an enhanced single buyer concept.
The country’s power trade is controlled by three state utilities: the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, the Metropolitan Electricity Authority and the Provincial Electricity Authority.
“The regulator has a lot of challenges upcoming such as blockchain and peerto-peer trade, so the enhanced single buyer concept needs to be updated,” said Mr Apichai.
Power trade at T77 has cut power bills from the state power grid by 12% since August.
He said during the trial period for peer-to-peer trade BCPG found the electricity surplus from solar panels is 10%.
The next stage at T77 is installation of an energy storage system for backup electricity.
T77 applied for the Energy Regulatory Commission’s sandbox scheme as an innovative research project.
Mr Apichai said the government should issue a temporary wheeling charge for power grid connection.
“Moreover, collection of income tax and value-added tax should be exempted for individuals in peer-to-peer power trade to facilitate transactions and bill payments in the future,” he said.
Mr Apichai said BCPG is developing a peer-to-peer platform in Chiang Mai University with a capacity of 12 megawatts from solar panels, with commercial operation set for next year.
BCPG is developing the solar rooftop system with blockchain technology for local residential projects of SC Asset, a Thai property developer.
SC Asset’s Neighborhood Bangkadi, a townhouse and single detached house project in Pathum Thani, is the pilot project for this plan.
The Neighborhood Bangkadi consists of seven residential projects with 1,800 units.
BCPG plans to begin the plan soon, said Mr Apichai.
Energy Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong visited T77 yesterday. He said the ministry will collect data and requests from private companies to study how to facilitate peer-to-peer power trade.
“The government has to study the matter before changing related regulations because it will affect other sectors and players in power generation,” said Mr Sontirat.