The Connectivity Standards Alliance and the OpenADR Alliance today announced a formal liaison agreement to enable their mutual members to accelerate the adoption of grid-connected residential energy management solutions. This collaboration across two leading standards organisations addresses a growing need for seamless communication between smart home devices and the energy grid.
Utilities face mounting pressure to manage a grid shifting rapidly toward renewable energy sources, just as electric appliances, including EV chargers, heat pumps, solar installations and home battery systems, become increasingly common in homes worldwide. At the same time, those device manufacturers are navigating a complex landscape of energy management standards, creating uncertainty and making it difficult to determine which protocols to support and how to implement them.
The liaison agreement establishes a clear division of applications. The Matter smart home protocol, stewarded by the Connectivity Standards Alliance, handles in-home communication between appliances and an energy gateway. The OpenADR 3 protocol, developed by the OpenADR Alliance, enables communication between the gateway, utilities and grid operators. Together, these two protocols can enable an end-to-end pathway from the grid to the individual device.
"This collaboration is about enabling utilities, manufacturers and platforms to make things simpler for everyone across the energy ecosystem," said Connectivity Standards Alliance head of testing and certification, Jon Harros. "By bringing the energy ecosystem together, our members are creating a clear roadmap for device makers, and enabling utilities to scale with confidence, resulting in trusted, reliable solutions consumers can depend on."