A Blockchain-based IoT Platform for Energy Sharing in Community-driven Farming Microgrids

Abstract

The growing energy demands within community microgrids and smart villages present significant challenges, especially due to their limited connectivity to centralized power grids. In particular, the development of recent ambitious plans to modernize and grow the agricultural sector, with the aim of ensuring food security, greatly increases energy and water needs. In MGFARM project, we are aiming to develop a Hard- ware/Software platform that allows seamless interconnection between microgrids (e.g., neighboring farms), e.g., the <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">e</sup>xcess produced energy might be shared by neighboring farms. This paper presents a Blockchain-based IoT platform designed to address the energy management challenges within community microgrids, particularly in smart farming and village contexts. By integrating Blockchain technology with IoT, the proposed platform offers a secure and decentralized approach to energy sharing, enhancing both transparency and operational efficiency. Moreover, it enables transparent and equitable energy distribution among stakeholders, promoting sustainability and resilience in agricultural settings. By leveraging collaborative approaches, this research addresses key challenges in decentralized energy sharing, including trust establishment and efficient resource management. This study shed further light on the effectiveness of IoT and Blockchain technologies in enhancing operational efficiency while fostering a culture of shared responsibility within the community microgrid environment.