# Selling Solar Power Directly to Neighbors

> Blockchain-based peer-to-peer solar power trading lets households sell surplus solar electricity directly to their neighbors — without a utility as middleman. Projects include Brooklyn Microgrid (New York, 2016, LO3 Energy + ConsenSys), Power Ledger (Australia, ASX-listed) and Electron (UK). Residents with solar panels become electricity providers for their street.

**Sector:** Tertiary sector · **Industry:** Energy utilities · **Organisation:** E.ON, Powerledger, lokale Stadtwerke · **Maturity level:** Pilot

Canonical URL: https://www.sapientblock.com/en/use-cases/e-on-solarstrom-direkt-nachbarn-verkaufen

## Documentation status

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

## Description

Peer-to-peer solar power trading solves the fundamental problem of the energy transition: solar system owners receive little for their surplus power (feed-in tariff), while neighbours have to buy the same power expensively from the supplier.

Brooklyn Microgrid (New York, 11 April 2016): LO3 Energy and ConsenSys enabled the world’s first blockchain-based P2P energy transaction — a resident of President Street sold solar power to the neighbour opposite. The system: smart meters measure production and consumption; smart contracts on Ethereum automatically manage payments when power flows; power remains in the local microgrid (resilience). Power Ledger (Perth, Australia, ASX: PLT): commercially active in Australia, India, Japan, USA; deployed in several residential and commercial districts. Electron (UK): works with Ofgem (UK energy regulator) in the sandbox for P2P energy regulation. Germany: The Blockchain-Reallabor Hürth developed several energy P2P demonstrators; SoLAR projects in NRW. Regulatory challenge: In Germany, direct sale of solar power to neighbours is restricted by regulation — however, the tenant electricity model and energy communities (Renewable Energy Directive III) open new avenues.

## Sources

- [Power Ledger deploys first blockchain-based P2P energy trading system](https://www.energynomics.ro/en/power-ledger-deploys-first-blockchain-based-p2p-energy-trading-system/)
- [How P2P trading helps an electricity retailer exposed to volatile spot prices](https://powerledger.io/media/how-p2p-trading-helps-an-electricity-retailer-exposed-to-volatile-spot-prices-a-case-study/)
- [Elia and Powerledger to explore peer-to-peer energy trading on blockchain](https://www.enlit.world/library/elia-and-powerledger-to-explore-peer-to-peer-energy-trading-on-blockchain)