Work

A Decentralized Framework to Gather and Certify Green Energy Data in Demand Response Programs

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The increasing adoption of renewable energy sources introduces significant variability in power generation, requiring effective strategies to ensure maintain grid stability. Incentive-based demand response programs provide a practical solution for balancing supply and demand, however disputes may arise over energy data integrity. The existing solutions frequently rely on centralized authorities, exposing a single point of failure, or high costs and privacy limitation of recording granular data on-chain. To address this challenge, we propose a decentralized framework that separates cloud storage from integrity certification. This system employs a community aggregator to collect high-frequency energy measurements, store the raw data in the cloud, while anchors unique cryptographic hashes for batch of raw data to a public blockchain. This process creates an auditable and tamper-evident record of data. By recording only hashes on chain, our approach achieves privacy and scalability. Evaluation using a real-world Australian dataset confirms that the system enables transparent dispute resolution, with blockchain transaction costs consistently representing less than 0.10% of the total incentives awarded to participants.

Source: Electronics

DOI: 10.3390/electronics15122716

Authors: Daniele Marletta, Alessandro Midolo, Emiliano Tramontana

Institution: University of Catania

Language: English

Topic: Blockchain Technology Applications and Security

Subfield: Information Systems

Field: Computer Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Affordable and clean energy, Climate action, Peace, justice, and strong institutions, Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,896