EnergyNet Explained: Internetification of Energy Distribution

Abstract

In developing EnergyNet we have leveraged and are extending lessons from telecom's shift from a centralized, circuit-switched phone system to decentralized, packet-switched data networks. EnergyNet utilizes 1) an Energy Router that enforces galvanic separation and utilizes software-controlled energy flows over a DC backplane, 2) Energy Local and Wide Area Networks (ELAN/EWAN) based on DC microgrids that interconnect through an open Energy Protocol (EP), and 3) a control plane comprised of the Energy Router Operating System (EROS) and EP Server which is managed at operator scale through an Energy Network Management System (ENMS). We distinguish the architectural contribution (Tier-1 including components, interfaces, and operating model) from expected outcomes contingent on adoption (Tier-2). The latter includes local-first autonomy with global interoperability, near-real-time operation with local buffering, removal of EV-charging bottlenecks, freed grid capacity for data centers and industrial electrification, as well as a trend toward low, predictable, fixed-cost clean energy. Evidence from early municipal demonstrators illustrates feasibility and migration paths. The contribution is a coherent, open, and testable blueprint for software-defined, decentralized energy distribution, aligning power-systems engineering with networking principles and offering a practical route from legacy, synchronous grids to resilient, digitally routed energy distribution systems.