Blockchain Papers

Vahid Sohrabi Tabar, Saeid Ghassem Zadeh, Sajjad Tohidi

No abstract is available for this record.

Karen Mould, Fábio Silva, S. Knott, Brian O’Regan

Solar and wind energy technologies, due to their nature of weather dependency, have been recognized as not the complete solution for the renewable energy transition. Creating a solution for the short fall is empirical if we are to remove the dependency on fossil fuels and reach net zero targets. The production of hydrogen, biogas and other gases can be produced sustainably, which can also allow for the utilization of waste materials or the ability to store energy and allow a greater positive impact on our environment. However, production of these gases is not always as transparent or environmentally friendly as perceived, so with the aid of certification and blockchain, we can create a system that can guarantee their environmentally positive origin, and ultimately help assist the transition to a greener future. This paper explores the varying production methods, with consideration to their environmental impact, and the implications of the use of certificates and blockchain to monitor production, trade and usage.

Lefu Maqelepo, Nathaniel J. Williams, Jay Taneja

Abstract A global push to achieve universal electricity access, paired with drastic reductions in the cost of decentralized electricity technologies, has led to significant research on how best to roll out access to rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa. Various geospatial electrification models have been developed to aid the decision-making process considering decentralized grid alternatives such as mini-grids and solar home systems. Despite these tools suggesting that in many cases, decentralized systems are a more cost-effective electricity access pathway, grid extension still predominates in practice. This is due, at least in part, to institutional structures in most countries that provide significant direct and indirect subsidies to grid extension projects, commonly through publicly-owned utilities. These sources of finance are generally not available to primarily privately operated off-grid energy service providers. However, the subsidy provided for grid extension projects is not well understood. In this paper, we employ utility grid extension costs and revenue data, and geospatial grid infrastructure data to estimate the size and distribution of subsidy implicitly provided to rural grid extension projects for 129 communities in Mombasa County, Kenya. We also estimate subsidies for hypothetical off-grid electricity systems in the same communities that would deliver equivalent services to the grid. We allocate the cost of shared medium voltage (MV) distribution infrastructure using a marginal and an average cost method for grid extension and compare these with subsidies for off-grid systems. We find that the average of average subsidy per customer across communities for grid extension is US$5,118 and US$5,330 for the two MV cost allocation methods respectively, while for the off-grid systems the corresponding average of average subsidies are US$3,380, using a real discount rate of 1.3% evaluated from a nominal discount rate of 8% and inflation rate of 6.7%. Our results show that in the communities in our case study, 40% and 37% of the communities would command less subsidy while served by minigrids over the grid, and the switch would save 50% and 54% of the total cost for average and marginal cost allocation methods respectively. We also show that by using a multi-model approach to electrification and by reallocation of implicit subsidies that have been exclusive to grid extension to other technology options utilities can cast the net wider, without an increase in budgets.

Uyikumhe Damisa, Peter Olabisi Oluseyi, Nnamdi Nwulu

Inadequate gas supply is partly responsible for the energy shortfall experienced in some energy-poor nations. Favorable market conditions would boost investment in the gas supply sector; hence, we propose a blockchain-based fair, transparent, and secure gas trading scheme that facilitates peer-to-peer trading of gas. The scheme is developed using an Ethereum-based smart contract that receives offers from gas suppliers and bid(s) from the thermal plant operator. Giving priority to the cheapest offers, the smart contract determines the winning suppliers. This paper also proposes an economic dispatch model for gas-deficient plants. Conventional economic dispatch seeks to satisfy electric load demand whilst minimizing the total gas cost of generating units. Implicit in its formulation is the assumption that gas supply to generating units is sufficient to satisfy available demand. In energy poor nations, this is hardly the case as there is often inadequate gas supply and conventional economic dispatch is of little practical value. The proposed economic dispatch model’s objective function maximizes the quantity of available gas and determines the optimal power output of each generating unit. The mathematical formulation is verified using data from the Egbin thermal station which is the largest thermal station in Nigeria and is solved using the General Algebraic Modeling System (GAMS). Obtained results indicate the viability of the novel approach as it results in a net power gain of 35 MW. On the other hand, the smart contract proved effective in accurately selecting winning suppliers and making payment.

Wanjun Xia, Muntasir Murshed, Zeeshan Khan, Zhenling Chen · 5 authors

No abstract is available for this record.

Mariela Tapia, Leonard Ramos, Detlev Heinemann, Edwin Zondervan

Abstract Solar energy plays a crucial role in helping cities to decentralize energy production and thus decarbonize the energy mix. Reliable resource assessments are needed to support the deployment of solar power systems, especially in cities of developing countries where large solar potential remains untapped. The aim of this work is to assess the potential of rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) in three populated cities in Ecuador’s mainland (Quito, Guayaquil and Cuenca) and in the Galapagos Islands. The assessment involves (i) the estimation of the available rooftop area based on geographic information system data, (ii) the calculation of energy yield based on hourly satellite-derived irradiance and meteorological data, and (iii) the economic feasibility assessment in terms of levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) compared to representative electricity tariffs. In addition, a sensitivity analysis is carried out to assess the variability of the estimated technical and economic potential with respect to changes in the input parameters. The results reveal a total available rooftop area of about 144 km 2 , mainly concentrated in urban parishes. The estimated energy yield is 16.94 ± 3.38 TWh/a, which could cover almost twice the annual energy consumption in 2019 of the study areas. The economic assessment shows that the LCOE ranges between 7.65 and 21.12 USD cents/kWh. However, the comparison of LCOE against representative residential tariff suggests that rooftop PV technology is not cost-competitive under most of the financial scenarios. The findings from this study will be of interest for local authorities and other decision makers to design policies and financing strategies to increase the penetration of rooftop PV and thus exploiting the large potential assessed in the study areas. The described methodology can be used for assessing the potential in other regions of Ecuador and thereby support the diversification and decarbonization of the energy mix in the country.

Ling Zhang, Hayot Berk Saydaliev, Xiaoyu Ma

No abstract is available for this record.

Cláudia Olímpia Neves Mamede Maestri, Maria Elisabeth Moreira Carvalho Andrade

No abstract is available for this record.

Sebastian Finke, Michele Velenderić, Semih Severengiz, Oleg Pankov · 5 authors

Access to affordable, reliable and clean energy is an important sustainability goal of the United Nations. In areas where the public electricity grid is unreliable or unavailable, photovoltaic systems can be a solution. However, they are cost-intensive, mainly because of the energy storage systems. Mini-grids can be an answer for reducing upfront investment and overall system lifetime costs while increasing electricity availability. The mini-grid technology is mature, nevertheless, there are downsides when it comes to integrating existing solar systems of different manufacturers. The system topology is usually predefined and a central instance controls the mini-grid. Thus, the integration of existing power systems is difficult due to the communication constraints of these systems with the mini-grid controller. Including existing power systems into a decentralized mini-grid, can highly increase cost-efficiency. In a decentralized approach payments for the consumed energy between mini-grid actors are required. Accounting is, however, a complex administrative procedure, if the respective power systems are owned by different individuals and organizations. A transparent blockchain-based temper-proof approach can be a solution to automate metering and billing, allowing automatic payments between independent subsystem owners using smart contracts. In order to further optimize the smart mini-grid, an artificial intelligence learning algorithm for a dynamic electricity price needs to be developed. This smart and decentralized approach for building Mini-Grids is a novelty bringing solar systems one step closer to self-sufficiency. This paper describes how a smart mini-grid solution can be implemented using the Don Bosco Solar & Renewable Energy Center campus mini-grid in Tema, Ghana as a case study.

Kenji Otsuka

Abstract The last decade has witnessed several events that had a serious impact on people’s attitudes toward environmental sustainability regionally and globally. This chapter depicts how transboundary cooperative initiatives by states and nonstate actors tackle transboundary air pollution and climate change in East Asia. It also examines the opportunities and challenges we face in the very recent landscape shift toward carbon neutrality and the deepening concerns for climate emergencies. Multilateral cooperative institutions in East Asia have focused on the monitoring of air pollutants and information sharing of related policies and measures among member countries. It should also be noted that there are some transboundary coalitions of independent scholars and research-type NGOs in Northeast Asia who conduct joint research on the decarbonization of energy systems and disseminate up-to-date knowledge and information on decentralized nature-based renewable energy. For further development of transboundary cooperation in East Asia, opportunities exist as an increasing potential for multilateral policy dialogue beyond the borders and broadening partnerships for local and transboundary coalitions with global alliances on the one hand; and challenges in just and safe transition, decarbonization of overseas financing, and seeking energy resilience on the other.

Sebastian Groh, Raluca Dumitrescu, Daniel Philipp

No abstract is available for this record.

Amirhossein Nikzad, Mahmood Mehregan

No abstract is available for this record.

Edwin Muchapondwa, Marc Jeuland, Abebe Shimeles

Access to electricity leads to overall economic growth through improved agricultural and firm productivity, public service delivery, and enhanced household investment in human capital, net income, and general quality of life. Yet more than 540 million people in Africa still lack electricity today, and many more suffer from unreliable power supply. The considerable untapped renewable energy potential, and the associated rapid reductions in cost, make sustainable and decentralized electricity service a promising option for the continent, for transforming these deficits into opportunities. However, knowledge on how to finance and implement new models of electrification remains limited, because the results from prior impact evaluations are inconclusive and do not cover all relevant interventions or dimensions. Following a review of policy and research issues, we propose that five essential principles should guide future research efforts in this domain: (i) use of mixed/multi methods that adequately cover the varied implications of electricity access, (ii) choice of econometric methods that provide more credible estimates of impacts, (iii) use and combinations of more informative treatment data, (iv) careful theorizing and consideration of the potential for heterogeneous treatment effects, and (v) accounting for effects from treatments of different magnitudes. We demonstrate the last three of these with an illustrative application of the World Bank Multi-Tier Framework data for Kenya. New insights emerge as research moves from a focus on average treatment effects to heterogeneous and multi-valued treatment effects. Notably, the impacts of electrification may depend on the extent to which households and other economic agents can make complementary investments to benefit from an electricity connection. Thus, electrification may need to be combined with complementary programmes, for example, those that make appliances more accessible and affordable. A greater focus on holistic impact evaluation approaches is needed to make economic research on sustainable electrification more informative and policy-relevant.

Amirreza Talaiekhozani, Majid Lotfi Ghahroud, Shahabaldin Rezania

Nowadays, electricity consumption has increased worldwide due to the activity of cryptocurrency miners. Much of Iran’s electricity is generated by fossil fuel power plants. So, generating more electricity means producing more air pollutants in Iran. There is not sufficient information about the effects of cryptocurrency mining on Iran’s air pollution. This study aims to estimate the amount of carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and particulate matter (PM) emitted by Iran’s power plants when they generate extra electricity for cryptocurrency miners. In this study, we firstly estimated the amount of fuel used for the electricity needed for cryptocurrency miners. Then, the amounts of emitted NOx, CO, VOCs, SOx, and total PM for generation of such electricity were estimated via the guidelines of the European Environment Agency for emission inventory estimation. The results showed that an on average of 3530, 1547, 103, 11, and 35 tons of NOx, CO, VOCs, SOx, and total PM, respectively, have been emitted into the atmosphere in Iran annually.

Maimuna Kabatesi

No abstract is available for this record.

Juan Carlos Osorio-Aravena, J. de la Casa, Jan Amaru Töfflinger, Emilio Muñoz

No abstract is available for this record.

Gnana Lakshmi, Gomathi Thiyagarajan

Blockchain, a revolutionary technology is a buzzword and has gained huge popularity and attention. Blockchain creates an immutable chain of transaction blocks without the intervention of a trusted third party that enables secured trustless environments. Distributed ledger technology such as blockchain has drawn significant interest from government agencies, financial institutions, start-ups, technology enthusiastic, financial institutions, and the academic and research community. This technology can support a wide range of applications from identity management to IoT applications. The energy industry has been consistently catalyzed by innovations like decarbonization, decentralization, and digitization. With numerous organizations developing low-cost renewable energy revolution like solar powers, wind energy, and Energy as a service, our proposed solution would ease the demand for energy supply in rural areas by combining blockchain and IoT. To address the growing demand of the rural electrifying process we propose a Distributed Application (DApp) that can securely record the ownership and consumption of energy generated through solar panels connected through an IoT device. This DApp empowers rural energy supply trading without grids and has the potential to improve the incentives to utility providers by offering carbon credits or renewable energy certificates thus attracting investors.

Aqsa Rana, Gyula Gróf

No abstract is available for this record.

Juan Liu, Jun Lv, Hasan Dınçer, Serhat Yüksel · 5 authors

No abstract is available for this record.

A. Bennouna

To our knowledge, they were no detailed numbers published recently on decentralized solar energy in Morocco, even if it starts to gain importance. In the country, demand for photovoltaic solar modules has experienced three major phases: a long period of "relative gloom" (1995-2010) between two phases of rapid growth (1985-1995 and 2010-2018). Today, the inevitable acceleration of solar PV systems connected to the grid has become a reality, despite the absence of any regulation in a legislative framework that has become permissive. It is increasingly urgent to adopt an Application Decree of the net-metering approach to encourage subscribers to declare their solar PV installations to allow verifying that the installed inverters are of sufficient quality and that they do not send unwanted harmonics in the network. At the same time, butane gas, in addition to its use in cooking, is widely preferred for heating domestic water, because of the subsidy. This subsidy is unfair competition to solar water heaters and should be removed because it greatly benefits the richest quintile of the population[i], slightly increasesMorocco's energy dependency by pushing for the waste of so cheap butane gas and surely encourages its use in pumping for agricultural irrigation. [i] Amin BENNOUNA, (in French) "Energy: The poorer we are, the less we are subsidized!", Finance News Weekly No. 722, 05 June (2014) https: ///DOI.ORG/10.13140/RG.2.2.26437.09447

Ümit Cali, Ozan Çakır

The objective of this study is to introduce a new use case under smart energy cyber-physical-social system (CPSS) that brings together the competence of distributed ledger technology (DLT) and essence of peer-to-peer local energy markets. This use case involves donation sharing under a DLT-based charity system to support financially-disadvantaged citizens in covering their residential energy requirements in an anonymous and effective manner, as a means to contend the notorious energy poverty problem. Essential architecture and processes for such a sharing concept are discussed by adopting a layer-based representation of the smart energy CPSS. Fundamental step-by-step interactions among its functional layers for realizing prospective social welfare benefits are illustrated. Based on this framework, two distinct donation sharing mechanisms that work under a DLT-empowered local market setting are proposed. Operation of these donation sharing mechanisms are illustrated on a local energy market with resorting to a sample daily energy profile and a series of hybrid scenarios. Effect of donation sharing on accounts of market participants and charity system are detailed.

Qiaozhen Guo, Qiao‐Chu He, Ying‐Ju Chen, Wei Huang

No abstract is available for this record.

Olakunle Alao, Paul Cuffe

Sub-Saharan Africa requires affordable, reliable, and sustainable electricity to boost its economic, social, and human development. The main challenge posed to the region's electricity sector is the large investment gap needed to finance new power projects. The employment of new and innovative financing options is required to bridge this investment gap. Independent power projects have become one of the fastest-growing sources of new finance in the region. However, their development is constrained by the limited availability of debt finance for project implementation. The limited capital and bureaucratic burden of traditional financial institutions coupled with the high risks in the region ensures that the debt finance required by independent power projects is raised only after an arduous voyage and at high interest rates. We address these challenges by proposing a novel decentralized finance instrument, a blockchain special purpose vehicle that streamlines the processes in the financial layer of a traditional special purpose vehicle -- finance mobilization, revenue collection, and revenue disbursal. Specifically, the proposed decentralized finance instrument facilitates the mobilization of finance for the special purpose vehicle from a location-independent crowd, revenue collection from the electricity offtaker in a risk-mitigated manner, and disbursal of eventual project revenues to investors.

Tristan Partridge

No abstract is available for this record.