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

Abstract

Transactive microgrids are emerging as a transformative solution for the\nproblems faced by distribution system operators due to an increase in the use\nof distributed energy resources and a rapid acceleration in renewable energy\ngeneration, such as wind and solar power. Distributed ledgers have recently\nfound widespread interest in this domain due to their ability to provide\ntransactional integrity across decentralized computing nodes. However, the\nexisting state of the art has not focused on the privacy preservation\nrequirement of these energy systems -- the transaction level data can provide\nmuch greater insights into a prosumer's behavior compared to smart meter data.\nThere are specific safety requirements in transactive microgrids to ensure the\nstability of the grid and to control the load. To fulfil these requirements,\nthe distribution system operator needs transaction information from the grid,\nwhich poses a further challenge to the privacy-goals. This problem is made\nworse by requirement for off-blockchain communication in these networks. In\nthis paper, we extend a recently developed trading workflow called PETra and\ndescribe our solution for communication and transactional anonymity.\n