Examining need and use cases for blockchain-based technologies to improving the utilization of renewable generation on the distribution grid.

1. How Blockchain could give us
a cleaner grid?
Mayank Malik
Chief Architect
Grid Integration Systems and Mobility (GISMO)
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University Aug 2018

2. Agenda
1. Brief overview of grid operations
2. Issues with current state
3. How blockchain can help
4. Use Cases

3. Part 1:
Brief overview of grid operations

4. Grid Topology

5. Designed to...
● work with centralized producers
● reliably transfer power in one direction
● work with predictable loads

6. Where does our energy come from?

7. Part 2:
Issues with current state

8. Growth of
distributed
generation

11. Regulatory encouragement
Hawaii: 100% renewables by 2045
California: 100% renewables by 2045
New York: 50% renewables by 2030

12. It would be great to transition to renewables
led by solar, but...
● Upfront cost
● Weather dependence
● Solar generation is unreliable
● Energy Storage solutions are expensive

13. Electrification of
Transportation

14. California homes use 557 kWh/month (avg)

15. EV Charging Today
● 50,000 EV charging outlets in US at 17,000+ public locations
● 50% of EV owners in US have their own chargers at home
● 800,000 EVs currently on the road
● Back-end systems are responsible for authenticating users,
controlling the energy exchange, getting meter data from a
charging pole and performing a financial transaction while
involving financial services and roaming providers

16. It would be great to completely electrify our
transportation systems, but
● Upfront cost
● Difficult to predict loads
● Lack of charging infrastructure
● Too many types of charging contracts
● Lack of interoperability

17. Part 3:
How blockchain can help?

18. Is blockchain a hammer looking for a nail?

19. Blockchain offers potentially compelling
solutions when...
❏ Data which should be stored collectively is fragmented at source
❏ Multiple producers of data exist
❏ There is absence of trust
❏ There is absence of security

20. ‘Issues’ that Blockchain can solve
❏ Multiple databases referencing same set of objects
❏ Significant reconciliation activity
❏ Operational inefficiencies due to manual processes

21. ‘Catalysts’ that could prompt funding and
effort
❏ Significant change in costs
❏ Increased regulatory requirements
❏ End of life systems

22. Solar and Wind lead Global Investments in Renewables

23. Solar Leading in Innovations in Renewable Energy

25. Blockchain adoption could yield the following
benefits...
❏ Reconciliation elimination
❏ Standardisation and harmonisation
❏ Automation; ‘code as law’; Smart Contracts
❏ Reduced systemic risks

26. Part 4:
Use Cases

27. Peer-to-Peer Energy Exchange Platform
All electric vehicles need charging
and, hence, electricity. With
electricity being produced by
individuals using rooftop solar
panels and windmills, we need
peer-to-peer markets for exchange
of this energy between the
producers and consumers.

28. Vehicle to Grid Services
http://electricschoolbuscampaign.org/electric-vehicle-grid-services-can-feed-stabilize-power-supply/

29. Energy Blockchain Tracker -
https://tinyurl.com/ycqxaojg

30. mayank13@stanford.edu
https://gismo.slac.stanford.edu
Thank you.