Blockchain Technology for Energy Optimization

Digitalization, decentralization, and the pursuit of sustainability goals call for new technological solutions to optimize the production, distribution, and consumption of energy. Among these, blockchain technology is emerging as a transformative enabler — providing transparent, secure, and programmable infrastructures for managing energy flows, market transactions, and environmental assets.

From peer-to-peer renewable energy trading to carbon and plastic credit tokenization, blockchain has the potential to bridge technical efficiency, economic value creation, and social inclusion, particularly in regions and sectors where traditional systems fail to deliver trust and accountability.

This Special Issue aims to explore the role of blockchain in enabling energy optimization from technical, financial, economic, and social perspectives. It seeks to gather interdisciplinary contributions that advance theory and practice, demonstrate innovative use cases, or evaluate policy and governance implications of blockchain-based energy systems.

We invite original research, conceptual papers, and case studies addressing (but not limited to) the following areas:

1. Technical and Infrastructural Innovations

- Blockchain architectures for smart grids, distributed energy generation, and microgrids.
- Integration with IoT, AI, and edge computing for real-time energy optimization.
- Consensus mechanisms and energy efficiency: minimizing blockchain’s carbon footprint.
- Smart contracts for automated energy trading, storage, and balancing.
- Cybersecurity, interoperability, and scalability challenges for blockchain-based energy infrastructures.
- Gas Consumption Optimization in Ethereum Smart Contracts
- Blockchain-Enabled Decentralized Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS)
- Blockchain-based Auctioning Systems for Renewable Energy Microgrid
-Blockchain Levelised Cost of Energy (BLCOE)
- Smart Contract-oriented Distributed Energy Systems (DES)

2. Financial and Economic Models
- Tokenization of energy and environmental assets (e.g., carbon, renewable, or plastic credits).
- Blockchain-enabled energy markets: pricing, incentives, and liquidity mechanisms.
- Financing decentralized renewable projects via blockchain (crowdfunding, DeFi, or green tokens).
- Measurement, verification, and monetization of sustainability outcomes.

3. Socio-Economic and Regional Perspectives
- Blockchain for inclusive energy access in emerging economies.
- Governance frameworks for decentralized energy systems.
- Public–private partnerships and the role of policy innovation.
- Ethical, regulatory, and equity considerations in blockchain-based energy systems.
- Blockchain technology for Energy Efficiency in Built Environment Projects
- Tokenization of Renewable Energy in Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Tradeoffs
- Blockchain-enabled Net-Zero Energy Buildings

4. Applications and Case Studies
- Real-world pilots or implementations demonstrating measurable energy or emission benefits.
- Comparative analyses of blockchain adoption in different energy markets or geographies.
- Lessons learned from failures, transitions, or hybrid (on/off-chain) systems.

Suggested Focus for Submitted Papers:
- Empirical evidence of blockchain’s impact on energy efficiency or sustainability.
- Novel frameworks or algorithms improving transparency or coordination in energy networks.
- Economic or behavioral modeling of blockchain-based energy markets.
- Comparative policy or governance analyses across countries or regions.
- Integration of blockchain with other emerging technologies to enhance resilience and adaptability.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Community Case Study
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Community Case Study
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Blockchain, Blockchain-enabled energy systems, Smart contracts, Energy Management, Energy Optimization, Peer-to-peer energy trading, Energy asset tokenization, Decentralized energy markets, Blockchain and sustainability, Energy Efficiency

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.