Merit Evaluation of Peer‐to‐Peer Electricity Trading Between Prosumers

Abstract

The enforcement of a feed‐in tariff (FIT) program in Japan has increased the number of installations of photovoltaic generation systems in its residential sector. After the end of an FIT program, the surplus electricity of an individual prosumer is purchased by the utility company at a reduced price, which may have an economic impact on the prosumer. To avoid this adverse effect, peer‐to‐peer (P2P) electricity transactions among prosumers based on blockchain and smart contract technologies as well as introduction of residence‐use stationary storage batteries are generating significant interest. In this study, the potential economic merit of P2P transactions and residential storage battery introduction are evaluated using a total optimization approach. For realizing a more practical perspective, this study also investigates the economic merit based on a partial optimization approach, in which an individual prosumer pursues its own profit. Furthermore, in this study, the grid‐side merit of P2P electricity transactions among prosumers is examined. Comparison of the merits determined by the total and partial optimization approaches shows that the realization of P2P transactions could provide a notable economic merit to the participants and reduce both the required facility capacity and power flow variation. © 2022 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.