The DIFEI Research Project Overview

I believe that renewable energy faces an implementation problem, rather than a technical problem. Solar and wind are already price-competitive with traditional coal-fired power plants, yet these projects have very large capital constraints with lengthy payback periods––discouraging individual groups from taking on multiple projects.

With this insight and years of following the renewables industry, I created the DIFEI project, which aims to drastically increase the amount of capital invested in energy infrastructure projects by decentralizing the investment. DIFEI is a Decentralized Investment Framework for Energy Infrastructure and will examine the implementation constraints, financial feasibility, and regulatory requirements of creating a decentralized, blockchain-powered framework for financing energy infrastructure projects.

Here’s a sample interface that will continuously evolve as the project does, including more valuable metrics and Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) / tax credits.

Overall exchange:

Imagine if a solar farm could be divided up and traded just like a share in a public company.

Individual Portfolio:

You could earn dividends from enegry sold on a pro-rata basis, as well as speculate on overall prices.

Developing the Model

I think the most important result of this research will be the creation of a comprehensive model for energy projects developed on DIFEI, covering all key players, compliance issues, operating activities, user interfaces, system architectures, and projected financial outcomes. Here’s the model I’m working with right now and will be continuously refining.

Last updated 6/6/18

Rather than batch research into compliance, blockchain, financial feasibility, etc., I will be continuously proving or disproving the model, adding or removing elements where necessary. I think that working from the top down, i.e. what does it take for this component of the stock market to exist, leads to the most productive, pointed research.

If you have any tips, insights, questions, or just want to get in touch, I’d love to hear from you. Dr. Mohammed Beshir will be serving as a faculty mentor for the project (Professor of Electrical Engineering at USC), providing insights from his time in the energy industry as well as from his comprehensive knowledge of power systems.

I couldn’t be more excited to embark on this research, and I hope that you’ll find some insight in the findings posted here. Now let’s go bring about a sustainable future.

If you have any comments, questions, or insights, we’d love to hear them! Comment below or send us an email | Follow The DIFEI Research Project to get regular updates about renewable energy, blockchain, and our research.