RETE – Renewable Energy Token Economy
The RETE (Renewable Energy Token Economy) project aims to revolutionize Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) by transforming them into local micro-economies driven by digital green tokens. RETE is an open-source, modular software framework built on a Proof-of-Stake blockchain, enabling the automated issuance, distribution, and settlement of energy credits as ERC-20 tokens. These tokens, validated through real-time data and community rules, are awarded to users for their virtuous energy behaviors such as self-consumption and energy sharing.
The project consists of three main components: a backend infrastructure for token management, a Coordinator Platform for dashboard control, and a mobile User Application with integrated wallet functionalities. Together, these tools facilitate real-time monitoring, peer-to-peer exchanges, and redemption of tokens for local services or fiat currency.
RETE targets a dual impact: improving energy efficiency and creating socioeconomic value within communities. A pilot will be conducted involving over 30 citizens and SMEs. KPIs will include energy efficiency, credit settlement times, and user satisfaction.
The development approach is agile, organized into four Work Packages with milestone-based releases (alpha in M5, beta in M7, and final delivery in M9/M10). The business model is SaaS-freemium, with optional premium features and commissions on token redemption.
By aligning with the TrustChain ecosystem and integrating green DLT practices, RETE offers a scalable, replicable framework to accelerate the energy transition and support sustainable, citizen-driven energy models across Europe.
- Motivation for the project: RETE fills a critical gap by linking energy behavior with local economic value through token incentives. It provides a real-world, open-source use case of green DLT in the energy sector, directly supporting TrustChain’s vision of sustainable and user-centric blockchain solutions.
- Generic use case description: Citizens in a renewable energy community earn tokens for self-consumed energy, which they can exchange via a mobile app for local services or fiat, promoting sustainable behavior and local economic growth.
- Essential functionalities: Automated token minting based on validated energy data, mobile wallet integration, peer-to-peer token exchange, and Coordinator dashboard for community management and reconciliation with national incentives (GSE).
- How these functionalities can be integrated within the software ecosystem: RETE provides modular, open-source components (token engine, APIs, UI) that can be integrated into the TrustChain stack or existing platforms. Its REST APIs and ERC-20 token standard ensure interoperability with other services in the ecosystem.
- Gap being addressed: Existing REC tools lack economic layers that reward sustainable behavior. RETE introduces a blockchain-enabled incentive model that transforms energy data into real community value, bridging the gap between monitoring and real economic engagement.
- Expected benefits achieved with the novel technology building blocks: Boosts renewable energy adoption, increases self-consumption, improves community engagement, provides transparent and efficient incentive management, and enhances TrustChain’s position in the energy sector with a proven green DLT use case.
- Potential demonstration scenario: A live pilot with 30+ users in 2 Energy Communities, the Coordinator dashboard, and the user mobile app to mint and use tokens within the community, validating RETE’s full stack in an operational energy community.
Team
Matteo Di Sabatino
Backend
Mattia Alfieri
CTO
Alessandro Chelli
CEO
Michael Di Genova
CMO