Blockchain-Enabled Transactive Home Energy Management Systems in
Distribution Networks
Abstract
As home energy management systems (HEMSs) are implemented in homes as
ways of reducing customer costs and providing demand response (DR) to
the electric utility, homeowner’s privacy can be compromised. As part of
the HEMS framework, homeowners are required to send load forecasts to
the distribution system operator (DSO) for power balancing purposes.
Submitting forecasts allows a platform for attackers to gain knowledge
on user patterns based on the load information provided. The attacker
could, for example, enter the home to steal valuable possessions when
the homeowner is away. In this paper, we propose a framework using a
smart contract within a private blockchain to keep customer information
private when communicating with the DSO. The results show the HEMS
users’ privacy is maintained, while the benefits of data sharing are
obtained. Blockchain and its associated smart contracts may be a viable
solution to security concerns in DR applications where load forecasts
are sent to a DSO.