RETE - Renewable Energy Token Economy

An open-source platform for managing Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) through blockchain-based incentive distribution, a local marketplace, and transparent governance tools.

RETE turns energy data into community tokens (ERC-20) that citizens can spend with local merchants, creating a circular economy loop that rewards sustainable energy behaviour.

Overview

RETE provides a complete operational stack for Energy Communities:

• Coordinator Dashboard -- Manage members, distribute tokens (individually or via CSV), configure blockchain settings, run burn cycles, and monitor community activity
• Citizen Dashboard -- View token balance, transaction history, wallet details, and browse the marketplace
• Provider Dashboard -- Create and manage products/services, track sales and token inflows
• Marketplace -- Citizens spend tokens on local goods and services using gasless permit-based transfers
• Multi-Chain Support -- Configurable chain profiles (Ethereum Sepolia, Alastria, or any EVM-compatible network)

Architecture

┌─────────────────┐     ┌─────────────────────────┐     ┌──────────────┐
│   React Client  │────▶│   Node.js / Express     │────▶│  PostgreSQL   │
│   (Vite)        │◀────│   REST API + WebSocket   │◀────│  (Drizzle ORM)│
└─────────────────┘     └──────────┬──────────────┘     └──────────────┘
                                   │
                                   ▼
                        ┌─────────────────────┐
                        │  EVM Blockchain     │
                        │  (ERC-20 Tokens)    │
                        └─────────────────────┘

Frontend: React 18, Vite, Tailwind CSS, Radix UI, TanStack Query, Wouter Backend: Node.js, Express, Drizzle ORM, Passport.js, Socket.IO, ethers.js Database: PostgreSQL Blockchain: ERC-20 smart contracts on any EVM-compatible chain (factory-based deployment)

Features

Token Operations

• Factory-based ERC-20 token creation per community
• Minting via single entry or CSV batch upload
• Permit-based marketplace purchases (no manual approval needed)
• Periodic burn cycles with downloadable audit reports
• Token reset and chain switching

Community Management

• Role-based access control (Coordinator, Provider, User)
• User invitation and onboarding
• CSV import/export for distribution and reporting
• Real-time WebSocket notifications for transactions and balance updates

Marketplace

• Product creation with categories and pricing in community tokens
• Community-scoped product visibility
• Purchase confirmation with on-chain verification
• Provider revenue tracking and analytics

Security

• Session-based authentication with secure cookies
• Encrypted keystore export for wallet portability
• Role-based API access control
• Privacy by design principles

Prerequisites

• Node.js 20+
• PostgreSQL 16+
• An EVM-compatible blockchain endpoint (e.g., Ethereum Sepolia RPC URL)

Getting Started

1. Clone and install

git clone <repository-url>
cd RETE
npm install

2. Configure environment variables

Create a .env file in the project root:

DATABASE_URL=postgresql://user:password@localhost:5432/rete
SESSION_SECRET=your-session-secret

3. Set up the database

npm run db:push

4. Run in development

npm run dev

The application will be available at http://localhost:5000.

5. Build for production

npm run build
npm run start

Project Structure

├── client/                 # React frontend (Vite)
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── components/     # UI components (dashboard, marketplace, wallet, etc.)
│   │   ├── hooks/          # Custom React hooks
│   │   ├── lib/            # Utility functions
│   │   └── pages/          # Page components
│   └── index.html
├── server/                 # Node.js backend
│   ├── index.ts            # Entry point
│   ├── routes.ts           # API route definitions
│   ├── db.ts               # Database connection
│   ├── storage.ts          # Data access layer
│   ├── blockchain.ts       # Blockchain interaction logic
│   ├── websocket.ts        # WebSocket event handling
│   └── vite.ts             # Vite dev server integration
├── shared/
│   └── schema.ts           # Database schema (Drizzle ORM) and Zod validators
├── script/
│   └── build.ts            # Production build script
├── drizzle.config.ts       # Drizzle Kit configuration
├── vite.config.ts          # Vite configuration
└── package.json

Scripts

Command	Description
npm run dev	Start development server
npm run build	Build for production
npm run start	Run production build
npm run check	TypeScript type checking
npm run db:push	Push schema changes to database

Acknowledgements

This project was developed by Apio S.r.l. as part of the NGI TrustChain project (Open Call 5), funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No. 101093274.

The platform was validated in collaboration with CER Pescara (Renewable Energy Community of Pescara, Italy).

License

MIT