Howdy fellows! Today we are sitting down with Phoenix Shaw-Collery — Creative Director & CMO of PowerPlay.
Chris: Good day to you! Thank you for taking the time with me. Can you please share what is the primary mission of your wonderful project?
Phoenix: Hey, thanks for having us - I'm excited to share the project! Put simply, our mission is to help over 1,000,000 people, who are unable to install solar, to have cheaper energy costs with cryptocurrency and the renewable energy already in the grid each day - no solar or batteries required. The platform is free to join and as you use more energy when the grid is cheaper and cleaner, you earn more tokens. I think this model is going to completely change how we consume energy. With the current cost-of-living pressures, climate crisis and blockchain revolution, we saw a pressing need to create an energy company that finally aligns with the values of the modern market: decentralisation, empowerment, autonomy, transparency and positive environmental impact. PowerPlay is starting with the Australian market and looking to expand globally over the next 5 years.
Chris: What are REMI tokens and how can users get them?
Phoenix: REMI stands for Renewable Energy Market Incentive. When PowerPlay members join the platform for free they earn REMI tokens through their daily energy use. If you use more energy when the network is full of renewables and low-cost (usually this is correlated) then you earn more tokens. We regularly ping your smart meter for your energy data and tie that to the energy market to calculate this. I think the best part is that we have effectively gamified energy use, so depending on how well you do, you earn more tokens at the end of the month. Our closed-beta testers found it really fun to check the app and see themselves earning REMI in real-time.
So as you accumulate REMI, you can stake them in the 'Bill Buster', which is a smart contract we developed to generate a yield in the form of a power bill discount. Users could always sell or swap their tokens to cash out, but the long-term 'PowerPlay' is to keep accumulating tokens, grow your holdings in the Bill Buster and increase your discount over time. Another cool feature of this is that it is really a great way for anyone who is crypto curious but may not want to risk their capital, to earn cryptocurrency from something you are already doing - using energy.
Chris: How can people shift their energy usage - people need their lights and fridge on!?
Phoenix: Its a great question. There is actually quite a lot you can easily shift, and now with smart devices and more and more people working from home, it's easier than ever. Schedule your dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, pool pumps, EV charging, and even do your cooking during the day when the sun and solar panels are roaring with energy, instead of people's usual night time peak, when the grid is full of coal. We feel that this type of conscientious consumption is the future - and people with solar systems already do it.
Chris: How important is the role of the community in your business?
Phoenix: Extremely important - one person shifting their usage alone only makes a small impact. But as a community, that action compounds and we can unlock massive benefits together. Almost like a battery, when the grid needs it, the PowerPlay community can increase or decrease their demand to support the network. Having a strong community is also so valuable for sharing energy-saving tips and encouraging a bit of friendly competition. We love how communities are built around blockchain projects like ours so we're going to do some really fun and ground-breaking stuff with our members for sure!
Chris: Who are the members of your core team? How did you all come together?
Phoenix: Aaron, our CEO, came up with the idea after years in the solar and battery sector. He identified that the majority of homes couldn't install solar to save on energy costs (mostly people in apartments and renters). These people are also struggling with high costs of living can't do much to reduce their bills. So he sought to find a solution that utilised the recent revolution of blockchain - and successfully did so. He gathered some other professionals from the renewable energy and crypto industries, including Damian, our COO, who has a PhD in renewable energy economics and helped with the design of the tokenomics. Then there's me - my job is to create a brand that will resonate with this emerging target market. We have Danielle who is a fantastic blockchain educator and is really helping with designing the customer experience. And Drew, our newest team member, is an innovative and creative CTO. We also partnered with one of Brisbane's most renowned blockchain development companies, DLTx Labs, who have been amazing to work with.
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Chris: What are the milestones/accomplishments you are very much looking forward to in the next 6-12 months?
Phoenix: We've just finished our closed-beta trials and all is looking good. Now we're just building our waitlist/allowlist to launch to a bigger group of users in the coming months. The roadmap 6-12 months and over say 5 years is really exciting and includes more gamification, renewable energy investments, NFT rewards and a DAO voting system.
Chris: Anything else I haven't asked but worth mentioning?
Phoenix: We are raising capital through a Crowd Fund which you can express interest for here - https://www.venturecrowd.
Chris: Thank you! How can we stay tuned to your updates?
Phoenix: Our pleasure - you can follow us on Twitter and join the waitlist at powerplay.xyz and our other social links are on there too :)
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