Blockchain Intermediary for Real-Time Electricity Shortage Balancing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for managing electricity transactions from renewable sources face challenges in predicting demand and supply, leading to surpluses or shortages, which can result in increased fees or unnecessary generation, as they rely on inaccurate predictions and lack real-time adjustment mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
An intermediary system utilizing a blockchain network to receive and transmit data on supply and usage of electricity, enabling real-time management of transactions by identifying shortages and requesting transfers between intermediaries to balance demand and supply.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If an intermediary predicts the amount of usage and purchases the asset from a producer, then transactions can be facilitated, but prediction errors lead to surplus or shortage of the asset
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediary system performs preliminary actions by receiving supply amounts from multiple suppliers and usage amounts from multiple users in advance, calculating the shortage amount before actual transactions occur, and requesting additional assets from other intermediary systems proactively rather than reactively
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms by continuously monitoring supply and usage amounts, calculating shortages in real-time, and adjusting asset requests dynamically based on the difference between total supply and total usage, creating a closed-loop control system
2Reliability
If an intermediary purchases excessive asset to ensure supply, then supply reliability is improved, but operation cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediary system dynamically adjusts asset purchasing decisions based on real-time calculations of supply and usage amounts from multiple suppliers and users, rather than relying on static predictions or fixed safety stocks, allowing optimal asset acquisition that matches actual demand
Solution Approach 2:
The system aggregates supply amounts from multiple suppliers and usage amounts from multiple users, creating a diversified portfolio that reduces reliance on any single source and enables more accurate collective prediction of total supply and demand
3Reliability
If an intermediary generates additional asset to cover shortage, then supply demand balance is maintained, but unnecessary generation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
When a shortage is detected, the intermediary system acts as a mediator by requesting asset transfers from other intermediary systems rather than generating additional assets locally, allowing efficient redistribution of existing assets to balance supply and demand across the network
Data Source
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AI summary
An intermediary system (5c1) of an intermediary for intermediating transactions of an asset between a supplier of the asset and a user of the asset. The intermediary system (5c1) includes a reception unit (51c1, 102) and a transmission unit (51c 1, 102). The reception unit (51c1, 102) receives, through a blockchain network, each of a plurality of amounts of supply for a specific asset produced by a specific type of production method. Each of the plurality of amounts of supply being supplied by a corresponding one of a plurality of suppliers within a fixed period. The reception unit (51c1, 102) receives, through the blockchain network, an amount of usage of the specific asset used by a predetermined user within the fixed period. The transmission unit (51c1, 102) transmits, to another intermediary system (5c2) of another intermediary, a request for transfer of the specific asset corresponding to an amount of shortage of the specific asset based on a shortage of the specific asset to be intermediated to the predetermined user. The shortage is indicated by a difference between a sum of the plurality of amounts of supply and the amount of usage.