The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

A blockchain-based infrastructure for reliable and cost-effective IoT-aided smart grids

A blockchain-based infrastructure for reliable and cost-effective IoT-aided smart grids
A blockchain-based infrastructure for reliable and cost-effective IoT-aided smart grids
One of the main trends in the evolution of smart grids is transactive energy, where distributed energy resources, e.g. smart meters, develop towards Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices enabling prosumers to trade energy directly among each other, without the need of involving any centralised third party. The expected advantages in terms of cost-effectiveness would be significant, indeed technical solutions are being investigated and large-scale deployment are planned by major utilities companies. However, introducing transactive energy in the smart grid entails new security threats, such as forging energy transactions.
This paper introduces an infrastructure to support reliable and cost-effective transactive energy, based on blockchain and smart contracts, where functionalities are implemented as fully decentralised applications. Energy transactions are stored in the blockchain, whose high replication level ensures stronger guarantees against tampering. Energy auctions are carried out according to transparent rules implemented as smart contracts, hence visible to all involved actors. Threats deriving from known vulnerabilities of smart meters are mitigated by temporarily keeping out exposed prosumers and updating their devices as soon as security patches become available.
IoT security, blockchain, smart meter, smart contract, transactive energy
Lombardi, Federico
78e41297-64c9-4c1e-9515-8eb59334a795
Aniello, Leonardo
9846e2e4-1303-4b8b-9092-5d8e9bb514c3
De Angelis, Stefano
3a260021-da00-4b26-b9f0-b91dcf70cb19
Margheri, Andrea
4b87c32d-3eaf-445e-8ac0-8207daace2e1
Sassone, Vladimiro
df7d3c83-2aa0-4571-be94-9473b07b03e7
Lombardi, Federico
78e41297-64c9-4c1e-9515-8eb59334a795
Aniello, Leonardo
9846e2e4-1303-4b8b-9092-5d8e9bb514c3
De Angelis, Stefano
3a260021-da00-4b26-b9f0-b91dcf70cb19
Margheri, Andrea
4b87c32d-3eaf-445e-8ac0-8207daace2e1
Sassone, Vladimiro
df7d3c83-2aa0-4571-be94-9473b07b03e7

Lombardi, Federico, Aniello, Leonardo, De Angelis, Stefano, Margheri, Andrea and Sassone, Vladimiro (2018) A blockchain-based infrastructure for reliable and cost-effective IoT-aided smart grids. Living in the Internet of Things Conference: Cybersecurity of the IoT - A PETRAS, IoTUK & IET Event, Savoy Place, London, United Kingdom. 28 - 29 Mar 2018. 6 pp .

Record type: Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)

Abstract

One of the main trends in the evolution of smart grids is transactive energy, where distributed energy resources, e.g. smart meters, develop towards Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices enabling prosumers to trade energy directly among each other, without the need of involving any centralised third party. The expected advantages in terms of cost-effectiveness would be significant, indeed technical solutions are being investigated and large-scale deployment are planned by major utilities companies. However, introducing transactive energy in the smart grid entails new security threats, such as forging energy transactions.
This paper introduces an infrastructure to support reliable and cost-effective transactive energy, based on blockchain and smart contracts, where functionalities are implemented as fully decentralised applications. Energy transactions are stored in the blockchain, whose high replication level ensures stronger guarantees against tampering. Energy auctions are carried out according to transparent rules implemented as smart contracts, hence visible to all involved actors. Threats deriving from known vulnerabilities of smart meters are mitigated by temporarily keeping out exposed prosumers and updating their devices as soon as security patches become available.

Text
BlockIT_conf - Author's Original
Download (238kB)

More information

Published date: 15 January 2018
Venue - Dates: Living in the Internet of Things Conference: Cybersecurity of the IoT - A PETRAS, IoTUK & IET Event, Savoy Place, London, United Kingdom, 2018-03-28 - 2018-03-29
Keywords: IoT security, blockchain, smart meter, smart contract, transactive energy

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 417098
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/417098
PURE UUID: 9a39363f-7920-4b08-9b0a-df3e55b4dfa5
ORCID for Federico Lombardi: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-6463-8722
ORCID for Leonardo Aniello: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-2886-8445
ORCID for Stefano De Angelis: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-1168-9064
ORCID for Andrea Margheri: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-5048-8070
ORCID for Vladimiro Sassone: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-6432-1482

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 19 Jan 2018 17:30
Last modified: 10 Sep 2024 01:40

Export record

Contributors

Author: Federico Lombardi ORCID iD
Author: Leonardo Aniello ORCID iD
Author: Stefano De Angelis ORCID iD
Author: Andrea Margheri ORCID iD
Author: Vladimiro Sassone ORCID iD

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×