Blockchain y sostenibilidad: qué papel juega en la energía del futuro
Blockchain and sustainability are two concepts that, at first glance, seem to have little to do with each other, but are increasingly connected. In this article, we review some of the key ideas on how blockchain is being applied to the energy sector and what role it can play in its transformation.
The energy market has barely changed throughout its history. There have been innovations and improvements, but no truly disruptive change in the way energy is consumed. That is beginning to change thanks to the combination of several technologies: renewable energies and batteries, which allow for a degree of energy independence; the Internet of Things, which connects devices and facilitates data collection; and big data, which allows all that information to be analyzed. Blockchain is added to this combination, opening the door to new, more decentralized energy management models.
What is blockchain? It is a decentralized database technology that guarantees exchange operations in a transparent and unalterable way. It was born linked to Bitcoin, but has found applications in many other fields, including energy, precisely because it brings transparency, security, and immutability to transactions, as it is a neutral database that helps different market players reach a consensus. Any registered transaction is fixed without the possibility of modification, which brings traceability to any process.
What can blockchain bring to the sustainability of the energy market? Several things. More transparency in all energy-related processes within an organization, facilitating communication between departments. More decentralized models, where consumers can also be producers and exchange energy in local environments, close to where it is generated and consumed. And greater accessibility, by making it easier for areas without prior energy infrastructure to develop small self-sufficient economies based on the exchange of energy between neighbors.
The current energy infrastructure is designed for a centralized model, in which generation and consumption are connected in a unidirectional way. Recent innovations point toward a different model: bidirectional flow, more local consumption, and a more collaborative economy in which the same agents are both producers and consumers (prosumers). Adapting current infrastructure to this model is not immediate, but there are already projects exploring decentralized energy management schemes based on microgrids, where consumption is covered by energy generated nearby or by the user themselves.
Regulation will play an important role in this entire process, as regulatory frameworks will need to be adapted to accommodate these new models of energy exchange between individuals and companies. In many countries, including those of the European Union, regulations on self-consumption and energy communities continue to evolve to facilitate precisely this type of exchange, although the pace and scope vary by region.
Among the benefits of combining blockchain and sustainability are the possibility of creating more inclusive models that help reduce energy poverty, the reduction of intermediaries in exchange processes, and a smaller emissions footprint by encouraging renewable energy generation at a local level.
At Smarkia, we closely follow these trends because, beyond distributed energy generation, they have interesting applications for energy service companies, utilities, and regulatory bodies. We continue to work to be a reference platform in energy management, wherever that energy is and wherever it comes from.