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

2026-01-20

AI Summary

This study addresses the limitations of existing carbon credit certification mechanisms in effectively supporting small- to medium-scale renewable energy projects, particularly the absence of a systematic approach to reliably map real-time generation data into verifiable emission reductions. To bridge this gap, the work proposes a blockchain-oriented software engineering architecture that integrates IoT-based data acquisition, edge computing for data aggregation, and permissioned blockchain smart contracts to establish an end-to-end traceable and tamper-resistant system for carbon credit generation and attestation. For the first time, this architecture deeply embeds software engineering principles into the carbon credit certification workflow, explicitly articulating practical constraints faced by photovoltaic operators regarding regulatory compliance, data trustworthiness, and third-party verification. The approach is validated through a 100 kWp photovoltaic case study, demonstrating automated, compliant carbon credit issuance from real-time generation data and significantly enhancing both the efficiency and credibility of certification for small-scale projects.

Technology Category

• Application Domains: Software Engineering
• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: (Computational) Cognitive Architectures
• Data Mining & Knowledge Management: Representing, Reasoning, and Using Provenance, Trust

Application Category

• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Sustainability and carbon-aware systems for Web, mobile, and WoT
• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: Trust and reliance of crowd workers and data experts on GenAI
• Security and Privacy: Data transparency and provenance

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.

Problem

• carbon credit certification
• renewable energy
• blockchain
• IoT
• emission reduction

Innovation

• blockchain
• carbon credit certification
• IoT integration
• edge aggregation
• smart contracts