# 5Gain - Decentralized Energy Management

> The 5Gain project develops a blockchain-controlled peer-to-peer energy trading platform for decentralized energy systems. The solution combines 5G communication technology with AI-based load management to optimize grid stability with increasing decentralized renewable energy feed-in. The system enables prosumers to trade surplus energy directly with other consumers while improving grid utilization.

**Sector:** Tertiary sector · **Industry:** Renewable energy · **Organisation:** adesso SE, DEW21, TU Dortmund · **Maturity level:** Pilot

Canonical URL: https://www.sapientblock.com/en/use-cases/adesso-erneuerbare-energie-peer-to-peer-handeln

## Documentation status

- **Project status:** Pilot
- **Evidence:** Evidence medium
- **Editorial review:** Ufuk Avci, 15 April 2026

## Description

The 5Gain project is a German research initiative on local P2P energy trading based on blockchain technology. The concept: households with photovoltaic systems sell surplus electricity directly to neighbours — smart contracts on the blockchain automatically regulate price, billing and quantity balancing, based on smart meter data.

The traditional German energy market only knows the feed-in tariff for prosumers: surplus electricity is fed into the grid at a regulated price, while neighbours buy at a higher price from the utility provider. P2P energy trading on blockchain would change this: producers receive more, consumers pay less. 5Gain (50komma2 magazine) examined this model for the German context. Blockchain components: smart meters for real-time measurement data, smart contracts for automatic price discovery (market mechanism: producer offers, consumer buys) and billing, public or private blockchain for immutable transaction documentation. From a regulatory perspective, Germany has taken initial steps in this direction with the EEG 2023 and Energy Sharing: §14a EnWG allows controllable consumption devices; energy sharing in community self-supply is emerging. Globally, projects like Brooklyn Microgrid (LO3 Energy + Siemens) and Powerledger (Australia) show that users save 6–12% on electricity costs and producers earn 18–37% more.

## Benefits

- Energy supply companies can open up new revenue streams as platform operators while simultaneously reducing costs for grid stabilisation.
- The system improves grid stability through optimised load distribution and better integration of fluctuating renewable energy sources.
- Automated smart contracts significantly reduce transaction costs and billing errors in energy trading.
- The decentralised structure increases the resilience of the energy system against failures and external disruptions.
- Employees receive modern digital tools for more efficient grid management and real-time monitoring of energy flows.

## Challenges

- Companies must make significant investments in new IT infrastructures and employee training without guaranteed returns.
- Dependence on stable 5G networks and mobile operators can affect the entire system in case of outages.
- Coordination between various actors such as prosumers, grid operators and regulatory authorities requires complex governance structures.
- Employees must acquire extensive new knowledge in blockchain technologies and AI systems, which requires time-consuming further training.

## Technology foundation

The system is based on a hybrid blockchain architecture that uses Ethereum technology and processes automated energy trading transactions via smart contracts. Blockchain technology is particularly suitable for this use case as it enables transparent and secure transactions between many decentralised energy producers and consumers without a central control point.

## Sources

- [5Gain Projektdokumentation](https://50komma2.de/502_01-22.pdf)