Dr George Blumberg

This chapter describes blockchains and illustrates this explanation using the results of a prototype project for an industrial application for a construction project. The chapter describes the application and how modular software components can be used to assemble a blockchain solution. The chapter concludes with a design of the system architecture. The background to blockchain technology includes a description of the evolving nature due to communal, open software consortia and an accelerated prototyping of systems. Four recommendations are made in the chapter. These include the need to form consortia for prototyping applications, encouraging government involvement, the need for engagement with the open software development community, and the suggestion that systems should be designed to support Lean production. A final section offers a range of discussion topics on the current state of the technology and where to expect area of increased interest. These are summarized in three areas: Lean management, Industry 4.0 and smart cities, and topics around privacy and security.

Positive Energy Blocks (PEBs) is a paradigm useful in the transition to a low carbon economy. This novel approach makes use the collective ownership of renewable energy generation and storage system to optimise their use. In addition to the networking of devices, PEBs also require a suite of managerial systems that can be used to integrate data with the network. One possible solution to this integration is by using Blockchain technology, which has the potential to resolve several issues in data management, security, and community integration. However, the use of Blockchains within PEBs has not been fully engineered or tested, and this paper presents the results of an exploration into possible solutions. The methods adopted in this research are descriptive and exploratory approaches in modelling a network of PEBs. This research points out how Blockchain technology would be used in the organisation process within a network of PEBs and would be useful for academics and professionals interested in delivering a new generation of buildings and services and in promoting collaborations.