IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/renene/v262y2026ics0960148126001850.html

Promoting sustainable P2P energy trading among microgrids via a fair and adaptive pricing mechanism

Author

Listed:
  • Wu, Songmei
  • Guo, Hui
  • Wang, Fei
  • Shi, Tianling
  • Deng, Yan
  • Zhang, Xiaokang
  • Yang, Ying
  • Ren, Lintao

Abstract

Peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading offers a cost-effective solution for energy exchange among microgrids (MGs). However, its widespread adoption faces critical challenges, including network constraints, market fairness and trading sustainability. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a novel distributed P2P energy trading mechanism based on a hybrid game-theoretic framework. The mechanism aims to enhance market fairness through rational pricing of dynamic network usage fees and P2P energy trading prices, thereby fostering the sustainability of P2P transactions. The interaction between the active distribution network (ADN) and the MG alliance is modeled as a Stackelberg game, and the ADN charges the MG dynamic network fees. Internally, a cooperative game based on Nash bargaining is employed to solve P2P energy trading volumes and prices among MGs, ensuring fairness in energy pricing. Moreover, the fairness of the proposed pricing mechanism is analyzed using the Gini coefficient. Finally, simulation results on the IEEE-33 bus system demonstrate that the fair and dynamic pricing mechanism can achieve near-optimal social welfare, promoting P2P energy trading among MG and ensuring a win-win scenario for ADN and MGs.

Suggested Citation

  • Wu, Songmei & Guo, Hui & Wang, Fei & Shi, Tianling & Deng, Yan & Zhang, Xiaokang & Yang, Ying & Ren, Lintao, 2026. "Promoting sustainable P2P energy trading among microgrids via a fair and adaptive pricing mechanism," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 262(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:262:y:2026:i:c:s0960148126001850
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2026.125360
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960148126001850
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.renene.2026.125360?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Tarashandeh, Nader & Karimi, Ali, 2024. "Peer-to-peer energy trading under distribution network constraints with preserving independent nature of agents," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 355(C).
    2. Liao, Wei & Xiao, Fu & Li, Yanxue & Peng, Jinqing, 2024. "Comparative study on electricity transactions between multi-microgrid: A hybrid game theory-based peer-to-peer trading in heterogeneous building communities considering electric vehicles," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 367(C).
    3. Milanovic, Branko, 1997. "A simple way to calculate the Gini coefficient, and some implications," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 56(1), pages 45-49, September.
    4. Thomas Morstyn & Niall Farrell & Sarah J. Darby & Malcolm D. McCulloch, 2018. "Using peer-to-peer energy-trading platforms to incentivize prosumers to form federated power plants," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 3(2), pages 94-101, February.
    5. Vikash Kumar Saini & Chandra Shekhar Purohit & Rajesh Kumar & Ameena S. Al-Sumaiti, 2023. "Proof of Work Consensus Based Peer to Peer Energy Trading in the Indian Residential Community," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-25, January.
    6. Chen, Weidong & Wang, Junnan & Yu, Guanyi & Chen, Jiajia & Hu, Yumeng, 2022. "Research on day-ahead transactions between multi-microgrid based on cooperative game model," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 316(C).
    7. Mansour-Saatloo, Amin & Pezhmani, Yasin & Mirzaei, Mohammad Amin & Mohammadi-Ivatloo, Behnam & Zare, Kazem & Marzband, Mousa & Anvari-Moghaddam, Amjad, 2021. "Robust decentralized optimization of Multi-Microgrids integrated with Power-to-X technologies," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 304(C).
    8. Hussain, Jawad & Han, Yang & Huang, Qi & Wang, Congling & Hussain, Fazal & Ahmed, Syed Adrees, 2025. "A fully decentralized prosumer-centric peer-to-peer energy trading of photovoltaic and battery energy for social welfare maximization considering system voltage constraints," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 247(C).
    9. Zhixin Zhang & Min Chen & Teng Zhong & Rui Zhu & Zhen Qian & Fan Zhang & Yue Yang & Kai Zhang & Paolo Santi & Kaicun Wang & Yingxia Pu & Lixin Tian & Guonian Lü & Jinyue Yan, 2023. "Carbon mitigation potential afforded by rooftop photovoltaic in China," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.
    10. Long, Chao & Wu, Jianzhong & Zhou, Yue & Jenkins, Nick, 2018. "Peer-to-peer energy sharing through a two-stage aggregated battery control in a community Microgrid," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 226(C), pages 261-276.
    11. Peter Fairley, 2015. "Energy storage: Power revolution," Nature, Nature, vol. 526(7575), pages 102-104, October.
    12. Wu, Biao & Zhang, Shaohua & Yuan, Chenxin & Wang, Xian & Wang, Fei & Zhang, Shengqi, 2024. "Cooperative energy and reserve trading strategies for multiple integrated energy systems based on asymmetric nash bargaining theory," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 313(C).
    13. Botelho, D.F. & de Oliveira, L.W. & Dias, B.H. & Soares, T.A. & Moraes, C.A., 2022. "Integrated prosumers–DSO approach applied in peer-to-peer energy and reserve tradings considering network constraints," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 317(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Azim, M. Imran & Tushar, Wayes & Saha, Tapan K. & Yuen, Chau & Smith, David, 2022. "Peer-to-peer kilowatt and negawatt trading: A review of challenges and recent advances in distribution networks," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    2. Meng, Yuan & Qiu, Jing & Zhang, Cuo & Lei, Gang & Zhu, Jianguo, 2024. "A Holistic P2P market for active and reactive energy trading in VPPs considering both financial benefits and network constraints," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 356(C).
    3. Zhou, Yuekuan & Lund, Peter D., 2023. "Peer-to-peer energy sharing and trading of renewable energy in smart communities ─ trading pricing models, decision-making and agent-based collaboration," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 207(C), pages 177-193.
    4. Cui, Shiting & Zhu, Ruijin & Wu, Jun, 2024. "A double layer energy cooperation framework for prosumer groups in high altitude areas," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 224(C).
    5. Wang, Zibo & Yu, Xiaodan & Mu, Yunfei & Jia, Hongjie, 2020. "A distributed Peer-to-Peer energy transaction method for diversified prosumers in Urban Community Microgrid System," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 260(C).
    6. Hu, Qian & Zhu, Ziqing & Bu, Siqi & Wing Chan, Ka & Li, Fangxing, 2021. "A multi-market nanogrid P2P energy and ancillary service trading paradigm: Mechanisms and implementations," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 293(C).
    7. Jani, Ali & Jadid, Shahram, 2023. "Two-stage energy scheduling framework for multi-microgrid system in market environment," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 336(C).
    8. Tushar, Wayes & Saha, Tapan Kumar & Yuen, Chau & Azim, M. Imran & Morstyn, Thomas & Poor, H. Vincent & Niyato, Dustin & Bean, Richard, 2020. "A coalition formation game framework for peer-to-peer energy trading," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 261(C).
    9. Ge, Haotian & Zhu, Yu & Zhong, Jiuming & Wu, Liang, 2024. "Day-ahead optimization for smart energy management of multi-microgrid using a stochastic-robust model," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 313(C).
    10. Andreolli, Francesca & D’Alpaos, Chiara & Kort, Peter, 2025. "Does P2P trading favor investments in PV–Battery Systems?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    11. Samende, Cephas & Cao, Jun & Fan, Zhong, 2022. "Multi-agent deep deterministic policy gradient algorithm for peer-to-peer energy trading considering distribution network constraints," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 317(C).
    12. Siripha Junlakarn & Phimsupha Kokchang & Kulyos Audomvongseree, 2022. "Drivers and Challenges of Peer-to-Peer Energy Trading Development in Thailand," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-25, February.
    13. Wang, Zibo & Yu, Xiaodan & Mu, Yunfei & Jia, Hongjie & Jiang, Qian & Wang, Xiaoyu, 2021. "Peer-to-Peer energy trading strategy for energy balance service provider (EBSP) considering market elasticity in community microgrid," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 303(C).
    14. Kuruseelan S & Vaithilingam C, 2019. "Peer-to-Peer Energy Trading of a Community Connected with an AC and DC Microgrid," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-15, September.
    15. Zhang, Bidan & Du, Yang & Chen, Xiaoyang & Lim, Eng Gee & Jiang, Lin & Yan, Ke, 2022. "A novel adaptive penalty mechanism for Peer-to-Peer energy trading," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 327(C).
    16. Zhou, Yue & Wu, Jianzhong & Song, Guanyu & Long, Chao, 2020. "Framework design and optimal bidding strategy for ancillary service provision from a peer-to-peer energy trading community," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 278(C).
    17. Xu, Xun & Shao, Zhenguo & Chen, Feixiong & Cheng, Guoyang, 2025. "Stochastic robust optimization scheduling for integrated energy system cluster based on data-driven method," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 400(C).
    18. Zhou, Kaile & Fei, Zhineng & Hu, Rong, 2023. "Hybrid robust decentralized optimization of emission-aware multi-energy microgrids considering multiple uncertainties," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 265(C).
    19. Jiang, Yanni & Zhou, Kaile & Lu, Xinhui & Yang, Shanlin, 2020. "Electricity trading pricing among prosumers with game theory-based model in energy blockchain environment," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 271(C).
    20. Lei, Yu-Tian & Ma, Chao-Qun & Mirza, Nawazish & Ren, Yi-Shuai & Narayan, Seema Wati & Chen, Xun-Qi, 2022. "A renewable energy microgrids trading management platform based on permissioned blockchain," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:262:y:2026:i:c:s0960148126001850. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/renewable-energy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.