Blockchain + digital grid builds an efficient energy trust system

Recently, the Shenzhen Power Supply Bureau's scientific and technological project "Research on Ubiquitous Business Access Technology for Power Distribution and Utilization Communication Based on Blockchain" has officially passed the expert group's acceptance and review. This is the first blockchain technology project of China Southern Power Grid. The project applies blockchain technology to the trusted access field of domestic power distribution communication for the first time, providing an exploration direction for the implementation of blockchain technology in the energy field such as electricity.

It is reported that the project targets the common needs of secure, reliable and real-time sharing of data in the energy Internet ecosystem with the participation of multiple parties. It has made breakthroughs in the secure and reliable naming service technology based on blockchain and the secure and reliable real-time data sharing technology integrating blockchain and information center network (ICN). It has developed relevant software, data sharing network node equipment and access terminal equipment, and realized the secure and reliable real-time distribution capability of data in cross-domain IoT scenarios with the participation of multiple parties. It has also carried out application demonstrations in the power distribution and utilization communication network scenarios that carry both internal and external power grid services.

Improving grid security

Meeting the diverse needs of power grid services

"Blockchain technology is a technology that provides trusted data sharing services in an untrusted and insecure network environment. It has the characteristics of supporting multi-center collaboration, open and transparent operating rules, tamper-proof shared data, and reliable value transfer. It is technically capable of supporting the participation of multiple parties in the energy Internet to share data and collaborate on business, and has become one of the core technologies for building the energy Internet." Gao Qiang, a communications technology expert at the Shenzhen Power Supply Bureau, told reporters.

Regarding the practical significance of blockchain technology for power grid companies, Xia Zhenlai, a researcher at the Institute of Enterprise Management of the Southern Power Grid Energy Institute, believes that at this stage, customers are showing trends of clean, diversified, personalized, and experiential energy and power services, and blockchain technology can help solve the above problems. Secondly, blockchain technology has a lot of room for use in promoting data sharing, optimizing business processes, reducing operating costs, and improving collaborative efficiency. In the process of handling power business, it can reduce the repetitive workload of employees, improve work efficiency, and achieve quality and efficiency improvement. It can also reduce the communication costs of related cross-collaborative businesses and improve work efficiency.

"Where there is data, there is a place for blockchain." Xia Zhenlai emphasized that power grid companies have two major pain points in management. One is the difficulty in applying big data, and the other is the difficulty in departmental coordination. Power grid companies have a large amount of valuable data such as power grid production and operation, customer service, and electricity trading, but due to insufficient technology and management methods, they have not played their due value. The use of blockchain technology, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence technology can store, manage, and apply the big data of power grid companies. In addition, power grid companies have always adopted line-block management, with strong professional capabilities but weak coordination capabilities. The use of blockchain technology to decentralize, leave traces throughout the process, be traceable, open and transparent, and share interactively with multiple nodes can force all lines and levels to achieve deeper and larger-scale coordination, which is of practical significance for promoting the implementation of corporate strategies and plans.

Effectively break through information barriers

Realizing data value

In August this year, State Grid Blockchain Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. was officially unveiled. The company focuses on blockchain technology research, product development, public service platform construction and operation, and is positioned to create public technical means for the construction of ubiquitous power Internet of Things, to realize the super link of the interconnection of all things, the security line of defense for fair market transactions, and the credit guarantee of the digital economy.

"As a disruptive innovative technology, the technical form of blockchain is highly consistent with the company's 'three types and two networks' reform and development strategy. It can provide a solid foundation of trust and create a good network security trust environment. It can effectively solve the problems of data integration, network security, and multi-subject collaboration faced in the construction of ubiquitous power Internet of Things. It plays an irreplaceable core role in the construction of ubiquitous power Internet of Things." Wang Dong, deputy director of the Network Informatization Center of State Grid E-Commerce Co., Ltd. and head of State Grid Blockchain Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., said.

For example, by using blockchain technology, home appliance companies and power grids can realize the trusted sharing of various home appliance data while ensuring their respective data rights and security. Based on more complete data, on the one hand, it can further promote the improvement of the intelligent level of home appliances and enhance customer experience; on the other hand, home appliances can respond to power load demand in a timely manner and better achieve energy conservation and emission reduction, and customers can also obtain certain energy-saving subsidies and other benefits from the power grid.

Charging piles based on blockchain ecosystem

Realizing the sharing economy model

At present, new energy vehicles are developing rapidly, and the traditional automobile industry is facing huge changes. Blockchain technology can also help the formation of new electric vehicle business models.

An expert in the automotive field told reporters that under the current technical conditions, it is difficult to share private charging piles. Data between different charging pile operators is difficult to communicate, "people" information is not transparent, supervision mechanism is missing, and there is no unified and standardized charging standard, which makes users and pile owners dare not easily trade. Simply put, the fundamental reason why private piles cannot be shared is that there is no trust between the two parties in the transaction. But the emergence of blockchain has broken this deadlock, because it is essentially a "machine" for building a trust mechanism, which can be used as a technical means to solve the problem of shared charging.

As a decentralized, fully visible, and fully trusted distributed accounting technology, blockchain can connect different charging operators to the blockchain platform through a simple interface to build a charging service platform. The service platform stores the personal encrypted information of users and charging pile owners. Before a transaction occurs, both parties can download the decrypted data, understand each other's credit level, and ensure the smooth progress of the transaction.

Blockchain also has the characteristic that data cannot be tampered with, which can solve the concerns of stakeholders about "information being untrue". When both parties to the transaction fully recognize and confirm the execution of the transaction, the blockchain will form a multi-party supervised and unchangeable smart contract. After the transaction is completed, the natural payment characteristics of the blockchain platform can ensure that each fund is irrefutably transferred to the designated account. According to the concept, shared private charging piles are considered to be one of the most applicable energy fields for blockchain technology.

In addition, the electric vehicle charging data collected by the blockchain can interact with the smart meters installed on the charging piles, and then share the charger speed, location and usage data with the huge customer base in the power grid through the big data platform of the smart grid.

In summary, blockchain technology can not only increase the utilization rate of private charging piles and solve the problem of difficulty in charging electric vehicles, but also promote the development of the electric vehicle industry and achieve energy conservation, emission reduction and energy transformation.