Datacenter Energy Billing via Blockchain Smart Meters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing datacenters face challenges in accurately determining energy consumption by customer computing systems, leading to over- or under-estimation of energy usage, which affects billing and resource management.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system that utilizes blockchain technology and smart contracts to accurately track and manage energy consumption by integrating energy consumption data into a blockchain network, allowing for real-time monitoring and billing based on actual energy usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If estimation techniques are used to determine energy consumption, then billing can be performed without direct measurement infrastructure, but energy consumption accuracy deteriorates leading to over- or under-estimation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary measurement infrastructure comprising smart meters deployed at datacenter locations that directly measure energy consumption of computing systems. These smart meters act as mediators between the energy distribution system and the billing system, providing accurate real-time energy consumption data without requiring customers to install their own measurement infrastructure. The measured data is transmitted through a communication network to a billing system that uses blockchain technology for verification and recording.
2Measurement precision
If direct measurement of energy consumption is implemented, then energy consumption accuracy improves, but system complexity increases due to additional infrastructure requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal smart metering infrastructure that serves multiple functions: directly measuring energy consumption, transmitting data through communication networks, storing verified consumption data on blockchain ledgers, and enabling transparent billing. This multi-functional system eliminates the need for separate measurement, communication, and verification infrastructures that would otherwise be required, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high measurement accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where measured energy consumption data is continuously transmitted to stakeholders including customers, datacenter operators, and billing systems. Blockchain technology provides immutable verification of the measured data, creating a feedback loop that ensures accuracy and transparency. This feedback mechanism allows real-time monitoring and verification without requiring complex manual verification processes.
3Reliability
If blockchain technology is used to verify energy consumption data, then data integrity and transparency improve, but computational overhead and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by having smart meters measure and transmit energy consumption data in real-time before billing cycles commence. Energy consumption data is continuously recorded and verified on the blockchain ledger throughout the billing period, rather than attempting to process large volumes of data at the end of each billing cycle. This preliminary recording and verification approach reduces computational overhead during billing processing while maintaining data integrity through continuous blockchain verification.
Data Source
AI summary
A datacenter including a first voltage sensor and/or first amperage sensor along with a second voltage sensor and/or second amperage sensor. The first amperage and voltage sensors are associated with a first computing device (FCD) and the second amperage and voltage sensors are associated with a second computing device (SCD). The datacenter also includes an electronic control unit (ECU) that communicates with the FCD and the SCD. The ECU is configured to receive FCD energy consumption information and additional updated FCD energy consumption information via the first voltage and/or amperage sensor(s). FCD energy consumption information is associated with energy consumed by the FCD during a first customer billing cycle. The ECU is also configured to divide a first blockchain mining reward into a first customer portion and a first datacenter portion and withhold the first customer portion when the first datacenter portion is less than a first minimum threshold.