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Open Automated Demand Response (OpenADR) is a communications standard developed for the automated exchange of energy demand management information between utilities and their customers. The primary goal of OpenADR is to enable utilities to manage demand on the electrical grid during peak periods or high electricity prices by sending signals to enrolled customers or flexibility suppliers (aggregators), who then reduce their electricity consumption in response to these signals. This process helps maintain grid reliability and avoids the need for more expensive network upgrades and the use of less environmentally friendly peaking power plants.
In 2018, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) approved the OpenADR 2.0 profile specification as an international standard (IEC 62746–10–1).
The standard supports various applications such as price-responsive demand, direct load control, and grid reliability services. By automating the demand management process, OpenADR aims to make it more efficient and scalable, enabling broader participation from different types of electricity users, from large industrial facilities to residential consumers, especially if they have invested in distributed energy resources (DER) such as solar/wind generation, battery storage, EV charging or controllable load.
OpenADR provides a framework for the interoperable and standardised communication of demand management signals. It defines the messages, data models, and communication protocols to facilitate the automatic response to electricity grid needs. The OpenADR Alliance, a nonprofit consortium of stakeholders, oversees the development, adoption, and compliance of the OpenADR standard to ensure its effectiveness and broad acceptance in the market.
A VEN, or Virtual End Node, is a crucial component within the OpenADR framework. The VEN acts as the client-side interface or endpoint that receives Demand Management (DM) signals or messages from the Virtual Top Node (VTN). The VTN is the central server or control system coordinating and communicating these DM events and commands. The VEN is typically located at a flexibility supplier that aggregates control of a set of energy resources such as solar/wind generation, battery storage, EV charging or controllable load (Distributed Energy Resources) or at the consumer level in energy management systems in commercial buildings, industrial sites, or residential complexes.
When a VEN receives a DM event or signal from a VTN, it interprets this information and takes appropriate action to adjust the electricity consumption or generation of the facility it controls. This could involve reducing or shifting energy usage during peak periods, turning off non-essential equipment, or adjusting heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) settings to lower energy demand. It could also include sending more energy onto the grid by discharging battery storage. The goal is to respond to the grid’s needs, including alleviating stress during peak demand times, accommodating fluctuations in renewable energy generation, or participating in dynamic pricing programs.
VENs play a pivotal role in the OpenADR ecosystem by enabling end-users or demand-side participants to automatically respond to DR events, contributing to more efficient and reliable grid operation and promoting the integration of renewable energy sources. A single VEN would talk to a single VTN.
Read more about the OpenADR® Specifications at the OpenADR Alliance website.
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