EMAIL
INTERVIEW
– Barry Haaser and Ken
Sinclair
OpenADR 2.0 and the Connection Community
The OpenADR community is relatively young. Founded two years ago, the group has grown to nearly 80 companies.
Sinclair: Barry, tell us about OpenADR 2.0 and the Connection Community.
Haaser: Thanks Ken. The OpenADR community is relatively young. Founded two
years ago, the group has grown to nearly 80 companies. It reflects a
broad cross section of the ecosystem for automated demand response.
Sinclair: Remind us again, what is automated demand response?
Haaser: Automated demand response allows electricity providers and system
operators to communicate demand response event and price information
using the Internet. The OpenADR standard was created to help utilities
implement new approaches to shifting electricity load by sending an
automated message to the building requesting participation in a load
event or indicating a change in the price of electricity. This will
have a profound impact on building energy efficiency as the management
system are now able to work with real-time data to establish their
strategies.
Sinclair: How is that?
Haaser: OpenADR will require a certain amount of automation on the customer
side. Buildings will need to react to the OpenADR signal and implement
an action of some type depending on the severity of the message.
Preprogramming buildings will require additional investments in
controls that are likely to be subsidized by the energy service
provider. Unlike traditional demand response, OpenADR does not perform
direct load control. Customers receive an event message and related
information requesting a proscribed amount of electricity load or
indicating a change in price. Buildings will now have to ebb and flow
with changes in the grid without manual intervention. Of course a
manual load reduction is also possible when needed.
Sinclair: So this is good for the buildings industry?
Haaser: This is great for the buildings industry. New opportunities will emerge
for suppliers of control systems capable of accepting OpenADR signals.
In many cases, newer control systems can be updated to receive the
message. This is a great business opportunity for system integrators
and installers as well who will need to configure systems to interact
with the smart grid. This is no longer your father’s building control
system. This is a “grid connected” system that is dynamic, reacts
instantly and provides feedback.
Sinclair: Do you see a new Connection Community emerging?
Haaser: I see this as an extension of an existing community that really hasn’t
been initiated into the smart grid yet. Industry outreach and education
is starting to get underway now targeting system integrators and
control system suppliers.
Sinclair: When will we see the first OpenADR products come to market?
Haaser: I am happy to report that the first products based on the OpenADR 2.0a
profile specification have been tested and certified. Honeywell,
EnerNOC, IPKeys, and Universal Devices all have completed the
certification process. Unfortunately, I do not know when they will
start shipping, but I would assume very soon. More information on the
certified products can be found on the OpenADR website at openadr.org.
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