A Blockchain-Oriented Software Engineering Architecture for Carbon Credit Certification Systems

TL;DR

This paper presents a blockchain-based architecture for certifying carbon credits from renewable energy sources, integrating IoT data, edge aggregation, and smart contracts to ensure verifiable and compliant records.

Contribution

It introduces a novel blockchain-oriented certification system tailored for small and medium-scale renewable installations, aligning with European standards and supporting third-party verification.

Findings

Demonstrated with a 100 kWp photovoltaic case study

Integrates real-time IoT data collection and on-chain storage

Supports compliance with European legislation and voluntary standards

Abstract

Carbon credit systems have emerged as a policy tool to incentivize emission reductions and support the transition to clean energy. Reliable carbon-credit certification depends on mechanisms that connect actual, measured renewable-energy production to verifiable emission-reduction records. Although blockchain and IoT technologies have been applied to emission monitoring and trading, existing work offers limited support for certification processes, particularly for small and medium-scale renewable installations. This paper introduces a blockchain-based carbon-credit certification architecture, demonstrated through a 100 kWp photovoltaic case study, that integrates real-time IoT data collection, edge-level aggregation, and secure on-chain storage on a permissioned blockchain with smart contracts. Unlike approaches focused on trading mechanisms, the proposed system aligns with European legislation and voluntary carbon-market standards, clarifying the practical requirements and constraints that apply to photovoltaic operators. The resulting architecture provides a structured pathway for generating verifiable carbon-credit records and supporting third-party verification.