OpenADR Alliance hosts first European User Conference

Sponsored by Resillion  

Can initiatives to replace petrol and diesel cars help drive EV charging infrastructure?

Don Dulchinos, Director, Market Facilitation and Rolf Bienert, Managing & Technical Director, OpenADR Alliance

The Biden Administration has recently proposed ambitious plans to meet the country’s climate goals, with proposals to ensure that two-thirds of new passenger cars and a quarter of new heavy trucks sold in the U.S. are all-electric by 2032. This presents a big challenge for automotive manufacturers.  Just 5.8% of new cars and less than 2% of new trucks sold last year were all-electric.

EV growth driving OpenADR Alliance membership in Europe

Last year sales of electric vehicles (EVs) hit a major milestone, with around 10% of the market for the first time. This is being driven mainly by strong growth in the EU – second only to China – where sales of electric cars broke a new record, according to figures released by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA).

OpenADR at RE+
New Applications in Solar, Storage and EV Infrastructure

OpenADR exhibited at RE+ in Anaheim in September.  Having participated in predecessor show Solar Power International, it is clear that the rapid evolution of solar/storage or hybrid solar developments have created new demand for OpenADR.  RE+ is:

The largest and most comprehensive event in North America for the clean energy industry, RE+ is comprised of: Solar Power International (our flagship event), Energy Storage International, RE+ Power (including wind, and hydrogen and fuel cells), and RE+ Infrastructure (electric vehicles and microgrids) and brings together an extensive alliance of renewable energy leaders for multiple days of programming and networking opportunities.

OpenADR: A Game Changer in a Foreseeable Crisis

Wrap up and keep warm the motto for the upcoming winter months ahead in Europe. Natural gas is vital to most countries and today more than ever for Europe's economy.  Europe is at the brink of an energy crisis, due to Russia limiting natural gas supplies as tensions continue to escalate over Ukraine.  According to industry reports natural gas and electricity prices are estimated to be a 1,000% higher than the levels seen in the last decade.

OpenADR Alliance Making its Mark

By Rolf Bienert, Don Dulchinos, and Shannon Mayette, OpenADR Alliance

OpenADR Back to Face-to-Face Events at

Intersolar North America and Energy Storage North America

By Don Dulchinos, Market Facilitation, OpenADR Alliance

The OpenADR Alliance was a sponsor partner for the 2022 Intersolar and Energy Storage North America Show, which this year had a heavy focus on battery technology and its integration with the grid.  The show was our first in-person event in the US in two years. Despite the pandemic there were around 275 exhibitors and 4,500 attendees.

 

Combining OpenADR and EEBUS Equals Full Energy Control
By Rolf Bienert, Managing and Technical Director, OpenADR Alliance

The energy supply is becoming more and more decentralized and volatile, while at the same time mobility and the heating transition are putting a significant load on the grid. This requires a seamless exchange of information between the grid and energy consumers or generators in residential and commercial buildings. EEBUS provides the standard for energy networking behind the grid connection and thus enables load and tariff management at the point of transfer to the building.

Summary

In 2021 we saw things settle back to a more normal state, while still needing to stay flexible and resilient to steer new virus variants, travel mandates, etc. Although in person participation for events was limited the OpenADR Alliance hosted a number of webinars with key partners including a two-day OpenADR Summit. This event included presentations from industry experts and was open to all professionals interested in gaining a better understanding of how the OpenADR standard is being applied in the electricity market and other distribution system reliability activities. You can find the 2021-webinar information at https://www.openadr.org/webinar-series and https://www.openadr.org/virtual-openadr-summit-2021.

Further Activities and Initiatives

In addition to the above, we participated in close to a dozen industry events including DistribuTECH+ where we moderated a virtual panel session Beyond the Plug with panelists from Xcel Energy, Ford Motor, General Motors and Detroit Energy. We wrapped up 2021 at Enlit Europe in Milan, Italy where we showcased the latest developments with OpenADR adoption in Europe, which includes deployments by utilities and their partners in the U.K. and Germany.

OpenADR Alliance: 2020 Year in review and 2021 Outlook
Rolf Bienert, Executive and Technical Director, OpenADR Alliance

GUEST Q&A Blog with Michel Kohanim, CEO of Universal Devices
-Rolf Bienert, Managing and Technical Director, OpenADR Alliance

The OpenADR 2.0 Demand Response Program Guide was designed to further the interoperability of products certified as OpenADR compliant. The certification program is a simple add-on to the current OpenADR 2.0b Profile Certification that is being required by utilities worldwide. To date a number of utilities and manufacturers support the DR Program Guide and certification program.

Guest Blog Q&A with Jan Klube, EVP, Engineering, Electriq Power
By Rolf Bienert, Technical and Managing Director, OpenADR Alliance

It is exciting to see more members participating in the OpenADR 2.0 DR Program testing and certification program.  This is key in getting other members on board to participate in the program so utilities can benefit from the value it provides.

Why the OpenADR International Symposium is a Must-Attend Event – By Rolf Bienert, Managing and Technical Director, OpenADR Alliance

We all have hectic schedules these days and finding time to attend events has become more and more difficult. Most would agree, however, that networking with industry colleagues and subject matter experts in person offers an undeniable benefit, thanks to the new business and learning opportunities that are created.

Japan's move to open its electric energy sector to new entrants presents a ripe business opportunity for U.S. consultancies and other firms and organizations wanting to help it make the transition.

OpenADR Alliance

When you enjoy the position of being the only global standard, it seems only natural that you'll be called upon to consult with new markets. That's how the OpenADR Alliance, based in California, got involved in Japan's move to a competitive market.

The OpenADR standard for automated demand response is often misunderstood as just a standard for demand response. In fact, it is a powerful standard capable of supporting a broad spectrum of applications that fall under the demand response umbrella. As the only global standard for demand response, OpenADR is uniquely positioned to address a multitude of load control and load management applications. To view article click here http://www.greenbiz.com/article/how-utilities-can-help-fix-smart-grid-education-problem

When choosing thermostats which are the best options for Bring Your Own Thermostat programs, always look for OpenADR 2.0b certification. OpenADR 2.0b is a standard-based communication protocol that helps improve energy savings and ease of participation in demand response programs. To view entire article visit: http://www.intelligentutility.com/article/15/03/why-utilities-need-embrace-new-connected-technology

Southern California Edison is the latest utility to pilot the use of electric vehicles for grid services. SCE is using 80 level 2 chargers at different utility facilities for the project in order to test various pricing options for demand response events.

“This is the largest deployment of charge stations enabled for demand response today,” said Brett Hauser, CEO of Greenlots, the company that will provide the smart charging platform for the pilot.  To read entire article visit: http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/sce-tests-electric-vehicles-for-demand-response

The results of a partnership between Duke Energy, Ford and Siemens testing home EV charging technology are in. The 18-month long pilot with Ford and Duke Energy in Erlanger, Kentucky, showed how EV charging solutions are helping homeowners better understand how much they are spending to charge their EVs and how they can manage their energy usage better from the comfort of their home. View article here.

Barry Haaser, managing director, was appointed to the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee reporting to The Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker. Haaser was appointed effective immediately through June 12, 2016 as a representative of the OpenADR Alliance.To view the entire release visit here.

New article by James Mater, QualityLogic and Rolf Bienert, OpenADR Alliance: Let's begin under the premise that you (end-user, utility, aggregator, etc.) want to acquire technology from different vendors, specify the communications interface between products and have all such products install and work together easily and quickly (similar to adding a new printer to your PC - sometimes it's called "plug and play"). To read entire article visit: http://www.energycentral.com/utilitybusiness/informationtechnology/articles/3043