Efficient and Secure Strategy for Energy Systems of Interconnected Farmers′ Associations to Meet Variable Energy Demand

Abstract

Since ancient times, agriculture has been one of the most important resources of national development. At a national level, clean energy is a strategic objective of Romania, in accordance with the EC directive 2016/30.11.2016 (“Clean Energy for All”). At a European level, the European Commission published in January 2019 the “Towards a Sustainable Europe by 2030” strategy, highlighting the strategic importance of the Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain technologies. In this context, the synergy between the energy management of a hybrid energy system and blockchain technology, applied to farmers’ associations, represents a priority research direction in the field of information and communication technology, blockchain, and security. This paper presents the integration of the management of the energy produced by photovoltaic panels owned by farmers’ association, to support the variable energy demand (necessary for water pumps, charging stations of the electric agricultural machines, the animal farms, and the auxiliary equipment) based on the IoT, DLT, blockchain technologies and smart contracts applied to farmers associations registered as users of the SmartFarm platform.