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A blockchain-based smart grid: towards sustainable local energy markets

  • Special Issue Paper
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Computer Science - Research and Development

Abstract

The increasing amount of renewable energy sources in the energy system calls for new market approaches to price and distribute the volatile and decentralized generation. Local energy markets, on which consumers and prosumers can trade locally produced renewable generation directly within their community, balance generation and consumption locally in a decentralized approach. We present a comprehensive concept, market design and simulation of a local energy market between 100 residential households. Our approach is based on a distributed information and communication technology, i.e. a private blockchain, which underlines the decentralized nature of local energy markets. Thus, we provide energy prosumers and consumers with a decentralized market platform for trading local energy generation without the need of a central intermediary. Furthermore, we present a preliminary economic evaluation of the market mechanism and a research agenda for the technological evaluation of blockchain technology as the local energy market’s main information and communication technology.

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Acknowledgements

Financial support of Boerse Stuttgart is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, IISM, Fritz-Erler-Str. 23, 76131, Karlsruhe, Germany

    Esther Mengelkamp, Benedikt Notheisen, Carolin Beer & Christof Weinhardt

  2. FZI Forschungszentrum Informatik, Haid-und-Neu-Str. 10-14, 76131, Karlsruhe, Germany

    David Dauer

Authors
  1. Esther Mengelkamp
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  2. Benedikt Notheisen
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  3. Carolin Beer
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  4. David Dauer
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  5. Christof Weinhardt
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Correspondence to Esther Mengelkamp.

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Mengelkamp, E., Notheisen, B., Beer, C. et al. A blockchain-based smart grid: towards sustainable local energy markets. Comput Sci Res Dev 33, 207–214 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00450-017-0360-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00450-017-0360-9

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