Excess energy from a homeowner’s PVC system can be drawn off the grid by other computer users.

Researchers from the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) in Barcelona have designed a prototype that allows a homeowner whose roof receives direct sunlight to install a photovoltaic system and become a potential supplier of computing power. According to a UOC release, participants with the necessary physical resources—such as computer hardware—can store Excess Energy for their own future personal computing needs or “inject it” into the electrical grid.