‘Homeowners with solar panels could sell extra power to neighbours’: Examining local energy trading

How did you become interested in renewable energy research?
I studied electrical engineering in India, and when it was time to choose a master’s degree, the Paris Agreement had just been signed. This inspired me to make a positive impact by helping people adopt renewable energy. So I focused my master’s in this area.
Later, while working with the Energy and Resource Institute in India, I became fascinated by the concept of peer-to-peer energy trading, which ultimately motivated me to pursue a PhD. I moved to the University of Galway to research this area further, under the guidance of Prof John Breslin.
How does peer-to-peer energy trading work?
Peer-to-peer energy trading allows individuals or businesses that generate surplus electricity, often from renewable sources like solar panels or wind turbines, to sell that excess energy directly to others in their community rather than selling it back to the main grid.
This can happen on both small and large scales. For example, a homeowner with rooftop solar panels could sell extra power to neighbours, creating a local energy market. Similarly, someone with a private electric vehicle charging station could allow others to pay to use it, creating additional revenue and fostering energy-sharing within the community.
What kind of work do you do on that?
I look at platforms and systems that can enable this kind of trading between peers. I design algorithms that help balance supply and demand within these local energy markets and ensure fair pricing between participants. This involves simulating different scenarios such as various types of energy sources and user behaviours to understand how these peer-to-peer systems can operate optimally.
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What was your PhD on?
My research focused on how local energy trading could work on an island community, and we particularly looked at how to develop a platform for one of the Aran Islands. Local trading of renewable energy could be beneficial on an island, because it removes the need to depend on electricity coming from the mainland. As part of developing this model, I looked at how competitive game theory could maximise the revenue and savings for the people who are trading.
As well as the engineering, what other factors do you need to consider for peer-to-peer energy-trading systems?
There are a lot of factors that can be quite specific to local environments, such as regulatory frameworks and also social acceptance. We learned a lot from talking to people living on the island.
They had questions about how the trading transactions would work, and also whether the technology would have an impact on bird life. We were able to show that the turbines for micro-generating electricity are very small, so unlikely to affect wildlife, and that was helpful. Data privacy and security are also key factors that need to be considered.
What are you working on now?
I finished my PhD about a year ago and I moved to UCD Energy Institute to work with Prof Andrew Keane, under the NexSys project, which is a research programme on next-generation energy systems. My research focuses on creating optimisation techniques and game-theoretical models that enable individuals and communities to trade surplus energy securely and effectively. I’m also exploring peer-to-peer energy trading within campus environments.
And what do you like to do to take a break?
I love travelling, and I’m also a trained Indian classical dancer. While many people are familiar with Bollywood dancing, which is lively and fun, Indian classical dance is much older and deeply rooted in tradition, with each state having its own unique style.