The European Commission is aiming for a climate-neutral economy by 2050, with a strong focus on decarbonisation and the use of renewable energy. “Energy communities” play a key role in this transition by empowering citizens, small businesses and local authorities to generate and consume their own renewable energy, turning them into “energy prosumers”.

To support these operations, new business models based on digital platforms are emerging. In this context, the CONSUMe project, “Research into new models for the production, distribution and consumption of clean energy based on blockchain technology”, proposes a decentralised, robust and reliable solution for energy tokenisation, enabling direct, intermediary-free exchange between participants in these energy communities.

Tokens represent digital assets with a specific value within a digital environment. In the case of the “prosumer”, energy is converted into tokens—blocks of information stored on a blockchain that contain data about the energy. These tokens are immutable and secure elements for transactions.

For example, a household with solar panels can generate energy and sell it to other members of the community through energy tokens or to other energy communities. Consumers can also purchase renewable energy directly from local producers using these tokens, avoiding traditional intermediaries.

CONSUMe will therefore contribute to the implementation of policies in this field by creating a secure and trustworthy environment for collaboration and empowerment, where individuals can make informed decisions about their energy consumption and actively contribute to the transition towards a cleaner energy mix.

This project has been co-funded by the Government of the Principality of Asturias through the 2023 SEKUENS R&D call and by the European Union through the ERDF (file no. IDE/2023/000532).