Key P2P Energy Trading Projects Around the World

The rise of peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading is not just a technological experiment, it’s a global response to meeting energy demand in the centralized energy grid model. Countries around the world are piloting and scaling P2P energy trading projects to address a common set of challenges: rising electricity costs, grid congestion, renewable intermittency, and the democratization of energy access.

In this section, we examine the origins, design, and impact of pioneering P2P energy trading initiatives across six countries. These are not just case studies, they are living blueprints for the future of consumer-empowered energy markets.

Australia – Power Ledger and the Push for Prosumers

Context & Trigger:

Australia has one of the highest penetrations of rooftop solar in the world, with over 3.6 million systems installed by 2023. But the traditional energy market wasn’t designed to accommodate millions of prosumers. Feed-in tariffs were falling, grid congestion was rising, and solar exports were often curtailed.

Solution:

Power Ledger, founded in 2016 in Perth, introduced blockchain-based P2P energy trading to allow solar owners to sell their excess power directly to neighbors. It tackled three issues:

• Low compensation for exported solar.
• Lack of transparency in energy pricing.
• Minimal consumer control in a deregulated yet centralized market.

Results:

• Demonstrated real-time, automated energy settlement using blockchain.
• Enabled localized energy markets within apartment complexes and suburbs.
• In a Fremantle trial, participants saved up to 20% on bills, and energy self-sufficiency increased by over 30%.

“Australia’s grid was never built for two-way energy. P2P trading gives control back to the consumer and helps stabilize local networks.” — Dr. Jemma Green, Co-founder, Power Ledger

Germany – SonnenCommunity and Grid Decentralization

Context & Trigger:

Germany’s Energiewende (Energy Transition) aimed to phase out nuclear and fossil fuels while expanding renewables. This created new issues—distributed generation was growing, but utilities still operated top-down. Consumers with solar+battery setups wanted more than just net metering—they wanted energy independence.

Solution:

Sonnen launched SonnenCommunity, a digital platform and energy-sharing network for users of its smart home battery systems. Members could pool and trade their stored energy at zero marginal cost.

Results:

• Members achieved up to 75–80% energy self-sufficiency.
• Provided virtual grid services through aggregated battery networks.
• Served as a model for community microgrids in rural areas and urban housing projects.

Japan – TEPCO’s Trials with Microgrids and P2P

Context & Trigger:

After the 2011 Fukushima disaster, Japan became acutely aware of its energy security risks and overdependence on centralized generation. With public trust in utilities at an all-time low, there was a push for community-led and disaster-resilient energy models.

Solution:

TEPCO partnered with LO3 Energy (Brooklyn Microgrid) to explore P2P energy trading on microgrids using blockchain. In dense urban zones like Tokyo, this meant connecting small-scale solar owners with nearby buyers, such as schools or community centers.

Results:

• Improved public confidence in local energy sources.
• Showcased the potential for post-disaster resilience through microgrid autonomy.
• Demonstrated user interest in selecting who to buy power from, a novelty in Japan’s regulated market.

United Kingdom – Piclo Flex and Flexibility-as-a-Service

Context & Trigger:

The UK faces tight capacity margins, aging grid infrastructure, and the need for demand-side flexibility as more renewables are integrated. Regulators introduced a “smart systems and flexibility plan” to open up energy markets to smaller, distributed actors.

Solution:

Piclo Flex, a digital marketplace, allows consumers and businesses to trade excess energy or reduce load in response to grid needs, functioning as a quasi-P2P system. Though not direct peer-to-peer like Power Ledger, it empowers users to monetize their energy flexibility.

Results:

• Enabled more than 250 flexibility contracts by 2022.
• Supported distribution network operators (DNOs) in reducing congestion.
• Opened new income streams for solar households, storage owners, and EV fleets.

India – Uttar Pradesh Rooftop Solar P2P Pilot

Context & Trigger:

India’s rooftop solar market has lagged despite ambitious targets, partly due to poor net metering implementation and low consumer trust. Grid stress, especially during urban peak hours, further highlighted the need for local balancing mechanisms.

Solution:

Launched in Lucknow in 2025, India’s first blockchain-based P2P energy trading pilot connected rooftop solar prosumers and regular consumers on the same feeder line.

• Partners: Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL), India Smart Grid Forum (ISGF), and Kazam.
• Consumers used mobile apps and smart meters to set price preferences and trade real-time energy.

Results:

• Upcoming

United States – LO3 Energy and the Brooklyn Microgrid

Context & Trigger:

The 2003 Northeast Blackout and recurring extreme weather events exposed the fragility of America’s centralized grid. Meanwhile, the U.S. saw growing grassroots energy movements, with homeowners and cities pushing for community solar, microgrids, and energy justice.

Solution:

LO3 Energy created the Brooklyn Microgrid, a P2P trading platform using blockchain to enable local energy transactions between solar-powered households.

• Buyers and sellers used a smartphone app to set trading preferences.
• Pilots focused on neighborhoods in New York with high solar adoption and community engagement.

Results:

• Demonstrated the feasibility of community-governed energy markets.
• Increased solar participation and education.
• Attracted interest from utilities like Exelon and Siemens for scaling.

These projects represent not just technical solutions, but strategic responses to the evolving energy landscape. Whether driven by policy innovation, climate emergencies, or consumer demand, peer-to-peer energy trading has emerged as a viable and replicable model for the decentralized grid of the future.

What Have These Projects Taught Us?

P2P energy trading is no longer a niche experiment—it’s a globally validated model with lessons that transcend geography. By analyzing pilot results and stakeholder experiences across countries, we can extract five universal learnings that are shaping the next phase of energy market evolution.

1. Local Energy Markets Work, When They Solve Local Problems

The most successful P2P energy trading projects didn’t start with technology; they started with a clear local challenge:

• In Australia, it was the mismatch between solar generation and retail tariffs.
• In India, it was the lack of effective net metering and rising urban peak demand.
• In the UK, it was the need for grid flexibility in congestion-prone areas.

By solving region-specific pain points—whether economic (low solar returns), technical (grid balancing), or social (energy access)—these projects created high engagement and measurable impact.

“The best use cases for P2P trading are where the grid is weakest or where user incentives are strongest.” — ISGF Working Paper, 2022

2. Regulatory Support Is a Gatekeeper for Scale

Nearly every P2P trading initiative began in a regulatory sandbox or under limited policy exemptions. This allowed for controlled experimentation without needing full market reform.ProjectRegulatory FormatImpactPower Ledger (AUS)Western Power trial, permissioned gridLive trades with retail licensesUP Solar Pilot (IND)Regulatory sandbox by UPPCL & ISGFP2P trades within DISCOM feeder linesPiclo Flex (UK)Aligned with Ofgem flexibility roadmapApproved by DNOs and DSOsBrooklyn MicrogridPilot status under NY REV reformsGained regulatory visibility and grants

Key insight: Where regulations were rigid, projects remained small pilots. Where policies were flexible or reform-oriented, P2P energy trading evolved into repeatable business models.

3. Technology Is the Enabler, Not the Hero

It’s easy to get swept up in the innovation buzz around blockchain, AI, and smart meters. But the projects that worked best used just enough technology to make trading possible—and focused more on user trust, pricing transparency, and UX.

• Blockchain ensured tamper-proof records, but didn’t drive adoption on its own.
• Mobile apps helped users trade, but their success hinged on clear communication and bill savings.
• Automation (e.g., smart contracts) helped reduce friction but only after users understood how pricing worked.

In short: tech needs to feel invisible. If users don’t understand how energy is priced or what their role is, adoption drops—no matter how “smart” the platform.

4. Storage and Forecasting Improve Market Efficiency

A common weakness in early P2P models was mismatched generation and demand windows—solar panels produce during the day, but homes consume more in the evening. This led to wasted generation or suboptimal trades.

The fix? Battery storage and smart forecasting.

• Sonnen in Germany integrated storage to allow time-shifted trading, increasing household self-reliance to 80%.
• Piclo Flex used forecasting tools to align trades with DSO signals, improving grid value.
• Future-ready models are now exploring vehicle-to-grid (V2G) to add EVs as mobile energy banks.

“Forecasting and storage are what take P2P from nice-to-have to grid-critical.” — Energypedia Research Journal, 2023

5. Community Participation Is the Core Differentiator

P2P energy trading isn’t just technical infrastructure—it’s social infrastructure. Every high-performing project put serious effort into building local energy communities.

• The Brooklyn Microgrid hosted neighborhood meetings and let users choose their energy “partners.
• SonnenCommunity members saw energy as a social good, not just a product—this increased loyalty and referrals.

The takeaway is clear: P2P trading thrives when people feel ownership, transparency, and shared purpose. It’s not just about watts—it’s about trust and agency.

These insights point to a larger trend: peer-to-peer energy trading isn’t a silver bullet, but when designed well, it’s a powerful part of the next-gen energy ecosystem. It works best when paired with community incentives, smart regulation, and user-first design.

The Role of Energy Storage in P2P Energy Trading

One of the most critical enablers—and constraints—of peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading is storage. Without it, P2P markets face a major limitation: you can only trade energy when the sun is shining or the wind is blowing. But with batteries, EVs, and other distributed energy storage systems (DESS), energy becomes time-shiftable, predictable, and flexible.

From Real-Time to Real-Value

Traditional P2P pilots often followed a “use it or lose it” model: solar users would export excess power during the day, and neighbors would consume it in real time. This worked in theory, but in practice, mismatch between generation and consumption windows led to:

• Curtailment of surplus energy
• Low trade volumes
• Reduced revenue for prosumers

Storage flips this dynamic. It allows prosumers to hold energy until prices peak, or until neighbors need it—turning P2P from a passive flow into an active market.

Four Ways Storage Supercharges P2P Energy Trading

1. Time-Shifting Supply to Match Demand

With home batteries, a solar prosumer can store noon-time generation and sell it during evening peaks—when demand and prices are higher.

• In Germany, Sonnen batteries increased household energy independence by up to 80%.
• In California, time-of-use pricing models make battery-equipped homes 2–3x more profitable in P2P trade.

2. Increasing Market Liquidity and Trade Volumes

Storage creates virtual inventory in P2P networks. This means more energy is available when users want it—not just when nature provides it. Higher availability = higher trading volume = more stable pricing.

3. Enabling Grid Services and Frequency Response

P2P platforms with aggregated batteries can act as virtual power plants (VPPs), providing fast-response energy to support grid frequency, voltage, and blackstart services.

• Piclo Flex and Sonnen have both integrated battery aggregation into grid balancing markets in the UK and Germany.
• India’s ISGF has proposed adding battery-backed P2P nodes to support urban feeder load smoothing.

4. Making EVs a Dynamic Storage Layer

Electric vehicles are emerging as mobile batteries that can participate in P2P markets. Through vehicle-to-home (V2H) and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technologies, EVs can:

• Store excess solar during the day
• Power homes at night
• Sell surplus energy to neighbors while parked

In Japan and the Netherlands, EVs are already participating in bidirectional energy markets, increasing both grid resilience and consumer revenue.

🧩 The Missing Piece in Emerging Markets?

In high-income countries, home battery adoption is growing, but in emerging markets, affordability is still a challenge. A 5–10 kWh home battery can cost ₹3–5 lakhs ($3,000–$6,000), putting it out of reach for many.

Solutions Under Exploration:

• Community battery banks shared across 10–50 households.
• Battery leasing models bundled with solar installations.
• EVs-as-storage pilots in public fleets and logistics hubs.
• Incentive schemes for battery adoption tied to P2P revenue.

“Storage isn’t just a tool—it’s the multiplier that makes P2P energy trading efficient, flexible, and reliable.”

— India Smart Grid Forum, 2024 Policy Brief

Final Word: Storage Turns P2P from Passive to Predictive

Energy storage is what transforms P2P trading from a reactive model into a forecast-driven, price-optimized, grid-aligned energy economy. Without it, P2P remains limited by timing. With it, the market can truly mature.

Storage:

• Increases revenue potential
• Strengthens energy independence
• Supports the broader grid with stability and predictability

In the coming years, we’ll likely see P2P platforms become storage-centric, where owning a battery—or even an EV—unlocks deeper participation, higher savings, and more influence over the future of energy.

What’s Next for P2P Energy Trading?

As pilot programs mature and the market evolves, peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading is entering a new phase—one marked by integration, intelligence, and institutional interest. What was once a fringe experiment by solar enthusiasts is rapidly becoming a serious pillar of the future energy stack.

Here are five directional shifts that will shape what’s next for P2P energy trading:

1. From Pilots to Platforms

• The early 2015–2020 wave of P2P projects focused on proof-of-concept pilots. The next phase is about scaling through productization.
• Dedicated P2P platforms (e.g., Buzz by Kazam, Power Ledger, Piclo Flex) are evolving from pilots into fully-fledged energy services ecosystems.
• These platforms are being designed to integrate payments, forecasting, user onboarding, and DER visibility into a single experience.

Expect to see bundled offerings like:

🔹 Rooftop solar + battery + P2P access

🔹 EV charger + P2P trade participation

🔹 Community microgrids with P2P layers

2. Integration with National Energy Markets and DERMS

P2P energy trading is increasingly being seen as a tool for grid coordination, not just an end-user perk.

• Distribution utilities are beginning to integrate P2P trading nodes into their Distributed Energy Resource Management Systems (DERMS).
• In India, state DISCOMs are evaluating feeder-level balancing through P2P clusters as an alternative to central grid upgrades.
• In Europe, P2P platforms are linking to balancing markets, allowing prosumer energy to respond to wholesale price signals in near-real time.

“The future of energy is hybrid: part centralized, part community-owned, and fully digitized.”

— IEA Digital Energy Outlook, 2024

3. Policy Shifts to Enable Full Market Participation

Global energy regulators are moving toward policies that legitimize and incentivize peer-to-peer models.

Examples of Recent Policy Moves:CountryRegulationImpactIndia (2024)Draft National Framework for P2P TradingProposes guidelines for DISCOM-led modelsUKLocal Flexibility Market ExpansionDSOs required to consider local energyAustraliaDynamic Export Rules + P2P Green LightEncourages rooftop exports to neighborsUS (NY, CA)P2P-friendly Microgrid and Community Solar LawsLegal recognition for local energy sales

These shifts are creating legal on-ramps for platforms, prosumers, and energy startups to build around the P2P model with confidence.

4. Rise of Prosumer Identity and Energy Citizenship

P2P trading is helping redefine consumers as energy citizens—active participants in the energy ecosystem rather than passive bill-payers.

• Platforms are gamifying P2P with leaderboards, carbon credits, and social badges.
• Schools, housing societies, and even small towns are branding themselves as “energy sovereign communities.”
• Youth and climate-focused movements are embracing P2P as a way to participate in decarbonization without waiting for government action.

In a 2023 survey by the World Energy Council, 71% of solar homeowners said they would prefer selling energy to neighbors over the grid if it was legal and profitable.

5. Interoperability and the Energy Internet

The long-term vision for P2P trading is that it becomes a layer within a global Energy Internet—a digitally coordinated, decentralized energy grid where energy flows like information.

This will require:

• Interoperability standards across devices, platforms, and grids
• Energy passports or IDs for assets like EVs, batteries, and solar panels
• Seamless integration with carbon markets, IoT, and digital ID systems

What smartphones did for communication, P2P platforms may do for energy: make it social, local, and intelligent.

Peer-to-peer energy trading isn’t just about solar panels and neighborhood goodwill. It’s about unlocking a decentralized, democratized, and decarbonized grid—and putting energy decisions back in the hands of people.

Whether you’re a homeowner, fleet operator, utility, or policymaker, P2P is no longer fringe—it’s foundational.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What is peer-to-peer energy trading in simple terms?

Peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading allows individuals or businesses with excess electricity—usually from rooftop solar—to sell it directly to others, such as neighbors or nearby consumers, using a digital platform. Instead of feeding all energy into the grid and getting paid a fixed tariff, P2P trading lets users set their own price and choose their buyer.

Think of it as an energy version of a farmer’s market—local, flexible, and direct.

2. Do I need solar panels to participate in P2P trading?

Not necessarily.

• If you own rooftop solar or any distributed energy resource (DER), you can become a prosumer—producing and selling electricity.
• If you don’t generate electricity, you can still buy cleaner, often cheaper power from nearby prosumers instead of relying solely on the utility.

This dual role makes the system more inclusive, even for renters or non-solar users.

3. How does P2P energy trading work in practice?

Here’s a simplified flow:

1. A prosumer generates solar energy.
2. Excess electricity is recorded via a smart meter.
3. A P2P energy platform matches this supply with interested buyers.
4. Both parties trade electricity at a mutually agreed price.
5. The platform handles settlement, billing, and reporting.

Platforms like Power Ledger, Kazam Buzz, Sonnen, and Piclo Flex offer mobile apps or dashboards to monitor trades in real time.

4. Is P2P energy cheaper than regular electricity?

Often, yes—but it depends.

• Prosumers can earn more than net metering rates by selling directly.
• Consumers can buy electricity cheaper than retail grid prices, especially during peak hours.

However, factors like grid charges, platform fees, and location affect pricing. In early-stage pilots, users saw savings between 10–30% compared to their regular bills.

5. Is P2P energy trading legal in my country?

P2P legality varies widely:CountryStatus🇮🇳 IndiaPilot projects allowed in states like UP, with national guidelines underway🇦🇺 AustraliaLegal and commercially active🇬🇧 UKAllowed via regulated flexibility markets🇩🇪 GermanyPermitted via energy cooperatives🇺🇸 USVaries by state; allowed in New York, California, Texas

Always check your state energy regulations or contact your local utility for current eligibility.

6. Is my energy data safe in P2P trading platforms?

Most modern P2P platforms use encrypted communication, blockchain technology, and role-based access controls to secure your energy data. You should:

• Choose platforms that are utility-approved or government-recognized.
• Read the privacy policy to understand how your data is stored and shared.

7. Do I still receive a utility bill if I use P2P trading?

Yes, but the bill may look different.

• You’ll still be connected to the grid.
• Your energy bill will show both grid usage and P2P transactions.
• If you sell more than you consume, you might even get credited or paid.

8. How can I get started with P2P energy trading?

1. Check local regulations to see if P2P is permitted in your area.
2. Install a smart meter and solar system (if you want to be a prosumer).
3. Join a certified P2P platform operating in your city or region.
4. Set your price, start trading, and monitor your impact!

9. Who benefits the most from P2P energy trading?

• Solar homeowners looking to earn more from their systems.
• Renters or small businesses who want access to clean, local energy.
• Utilities and grid operators needing localized balancing tools.
• Communities aiming to build energy resilience and independence.

P2P energy trading creates a win-win-win: for consumers, producers, and the grid.