OpenADR Standard Published as an International Publicly Available Specification

March 18, 2014

In February, Open Automated Demand Response (OpenADR) achieved another milestone toward becoming an international standard when the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), a renowned standards development organization, released a profile of OpenADR 2.0 as a Publicly Available Specification (PAS). This action recognizes OpenADR as a standard that will enable our electricity systems to be more responsive and smarter about operating under numerous economic, environmental, and security restraints. OpenADR 2.0 is already a national standard in the United States, as the result of Smart Grid standards interoperability activities coordinated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP).

Demand Response Research Center (DRRC) researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) originally conceived of and developed the OpenADR specification in 2002, to support automated demand response and dynamic pricing electricity programs. Since then it has been further developed by the Organization of Structured Information Standards (OASIS) and has become a national standard that is widely supported by Smart Grid stakeholders and vendors. It is an integral element of Smart Grid activities worldwide. The OpenADR Alliance, a nonprofit organization with more than 100 members, is now responsible for its adoption and is testing a certification authority for an OpenADR 2.0 standard.

"We're very pleased by this action," said Girish Ghatikar, Deputy Leader of Berkeley Lab's Grid Integration group and Vice-Chairman of the OpenADR Alliance. "Its acceptance by the IEC demonstrates that vendors, standards organizations, and users alike recognize OpenADR's broad usefulness in enabling electricity service providers and customers to participate in demand response transactions."

A primary OpenADR focus has always been on empowering customers with choices to manage their energy use and save money. For scaled adoption of standards such as OpenADR across national and global Smart Grid deployments, regulatory and policy mechanisms are recognizing the importance of standards to overcome any market adoption barriers swiftly and effectively. Through appliance standards, buildings codes, and design specifications, OpenADR can enable a fleet of buildings, equipment, and appliances to participate in demand-side management programs that will deliver energy-cost savings, grid transactions, and environmental benefits. Such developments are fundamental to help national and international market actors realize the benefits associated with the Smart Grid more swiftly and in a manner that ensures greater security, interoperability, and reduced cost to society. For example, California's Title 24 building code now requires that standards-based messaging protocols such as OpenADR be included as a part of building energy controls. As more states and countries adopt the OpenADR standard, its use in the Smart Grid will expand, offering customers additional choices in how they use energy.

Development of OpenADR is supported by the California Energy Commission's Public Interest Energy Research Program. The OpenADR Publicly Available Specification is IEC PAS 62746-10-1.

Author

Mark Wilson