The Connectivity Standards Alliance and the OpenADR Alliance have 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 towards 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.”
This collaboration opens the door to meaningful and tangible benefits across the energy value chain. Manufacturers can save go-to-market time, up-front investment and ongoing maintenance by establishing a single development path that more easily unlocks the new revenue opportunities through Flexible Service programmes. By enabling their devices to respond to grid signals, consumers benefit through bill credits and additional incentives, while utilities gain a standardised, scalable mechanism for demand response. For regulators, several of whom have already signalled interest in mandating OpenADR 3, gain assurance an interoperable solution exists.
“OpenADR has been a proven standard for demand side management and flexibility since 2012,” said Rolf Bienert, Managing and Technical Director of the OpenADR Alliance. “By working with the members of the Connectivity Standards Alliance, we can help position the next generation of smart home devices to participate in the flexibility programmes that utilities and governments are counting on.”
Together, members of both organisations are working to make it easier to turn connected homes into active participants for a smarter, more resilient energy future. Utilities, service providers and device makers are encouraged to join the OpenADR Alliance and Connectivity Standards Alliance to collaborate and accelerate bringing this vision to market.
