On the Design of Communication and Transaction Anonymity in Blockchain-Based Transactive Microgrids

摘要

Transactive microgrids are emerging as a transformative solution for theproblems faced by distribution system operators due to an increase in the useof distributed energy resources and a rapid acceleration in renewable energygeneration, such as wind and solar power. Distributed ledgers have recentlyfound widespread interest in this domain due to their ability to providetransactional integrity across decentralized computing nodes. However, theexisting state of the art has not focused on the privacy preservationrequirement of these energy systems -- the transaction level data can providemuch greater insights into a prosumer's behavior compared to smart meter data.There are specific safety requirements in transactive microgrids to ensure thestability of the grid and to control the load. To fulfil these requirements,the distribution system operator needs transaction information from the grid,which poses a further challenge to the privacy-goals. This problem is madeworse by requirement for off-blockchain communication in these networks. Inthis paper, we extend a recently developed trading workflow called PETra anddescribe our solution for communication and transactional anonymity.