Blockchain-Enabled Energy Swarm Protocol for Peer-to-Peer Smart Grid Communications

Abstract

The increasing decentralization of energy generation via home solar panels and microgrids necessitates safe, scalable, and autonomous peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading systems. Conventional grid management technologies lack the adaptability and reliability necessary for decentralized contexts. This study presents the Blockchain-Enabled Energy Swarm Protocol (BESP), which combines Ethereum smart contracts with Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) to enhance energy trade efficiency and enable the dynamic clustering of prosumers. The protocol guarantees safe, trustless communication, low-latency energy matching, and transparent transaction auditability without dependence on a central authority. The system is assessed using empirical data from the Pecan Street Dataport dataset, which includes high-resolution records of energy usage and solar output from more than 1,000 residences in Austin, Texas. Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) was executed in MATLAB Simulink, whilst smart contracts were deployed and evaluated via Remix IDE and Ganache on a private Ethereum network. Experimental findings indicate that BESP decreases transaction latency by 35.2%, reduces communication overhead by 27.8%, and enhances energy cost efficiency by more than 60% relative to traditional P2P and centralized frameworks. These findings underscore BESP's efficacy in facilitating energy-efficient, secure, and decentralized communications inside smart grids, in accordance with future sustainable infrastructure objectives.