The OpenADR Alliance last year launched a new version of its OpenADR communications standard. OpenADR 3 was designed to support utilities, operators, aggregators, and customers as they try to manage the growing range of distributed energy resources (DER) including renewables, energy storage, electric vehicle (EV) batteries and charging infrastructure, as well as demand response resources like commercial buildings or homes.

As an open standard, OpenADR provides highly secure, fast, and reliable two-way information exchange for utility applications with simple communications needs like dynamic price and event signals, allowing customers to modify their usage to save money and reduce their carbon footprint. More complex scenarios such as managing local grid constraints are also supported.

OpenADR 3 allows device and equipment manufacturers to add new functionality more easily into customer products, including smart thermostats, EV charging stations, energy storage, and control systems. The Alliance certification program continues to drive greater interoperability across key sectors and helps users avoid any proprietary elements that require royalty payments.

This commitment to supporting the latest technologies and continuing to evolve our offerings has led to the development and availability of OpenADR 3.1.0. So what has changed? Below is a breakdown of the main, as well as the newest features that have been added to provide an even simpler tool for managing the increasing complexity of the modern energy grid and the growing number of DERs.

Modern Web Services:

OpenADR 3 uses RESTful APIs and JSON for simpler integration with modern energy management systems.

Program Management:

Formalizes "program" construct to define and manage the metadata of demand response offerings, enabling detailed and consistent information exchange, and scope DR events and reports to be associated with specific programs.

Enhanced VEN and Resource Management:

• Provides an API for Virtual Top Nodes (VTNs) to manage Virtual End Nodes (VENs) and their associated resources, streamlining communications.
• Supports data push via Webhook Subscription and message queue.
• Webhooks work well for VENs that can expose a callback server to the Internet, i.e. cloud hosted VENs, aggregators, B2B- NEW in version 3.
• Notifications via message queues for in-home VENs -NEW in version 3.1 

Event Priorities:

• Allows VTNs to offer multiple programs simultaneously and assign priority levels to events, ensuring critical programs are addressed.
• Support for profile specific certifications
• Designed to support the management of a growing number of DERs, including renewables, energy storage, and electric vehicle (EV) charging.

Improved Data Models:

• Includes more detailed data models for pricing, marginal greenhouse gas signals, and emergency alerts.
• Security Enhancements, including TLS  1.2+ and OAuth 2 client credential flow

NEW in 3.1 enhanced object privacy

• A VEN may only read objects it has created
• On object creation VTN associates properties of the requestor’s token with the object
• On read requests, VTN inspects requestor’s token and only returns objects with the proper association
• Utility may ‘assign’ targets to a VEN client by creating or modifying a VEN or resource object with targets.
• On read requests to programs and events, VTN inspects ‘assigned’ targets and only returns objects with matching targets, or none
• Business Logic (BL) client can read all objects

Other NEW changes include:

• Targets are lists of strings, not lists of valueMap objects
• Program object simplified to remove properties that can be expressed in a generic attributes property
• Make /resources a top level collection to avoid potentially large ven responses
• Augment report timing controls
• Compact representation of series data such as multiple PRICEs
• Active query param for /events to filter for current and future events
• Add <>/auth/server endpoint to allow discovery of authentication service
• Add enumeration schemes to aid type checking in implementations
• Provide Definition and User Guide in markdown and pdf formats
• Refactor addressable objects to separate object definition with metadata and requests
• Additional definition of TLS requirement
• And more minor tweaks. See changelog.md

OpenADR 3.1 is the latest example of the Alliance’s desire to better support future energy management needs, such as resiliency and microgrids.  OpenADR 3 is not a replacement for the widely adopted OpenADR 2.0 but rather a complement, providing a new, more modern alternative with added functionality. Our goal is to promote interoperability and we are delighted to expand the certification program to support new versions of the standard. More details can be found on our website. Insert link.

NOTE: If you missed the webinar: Mastering the OpenADR 3 Test Tool and Certification the recording is available at https://www.openadr.org/webinar-series. The webinar discusses the latest OpenADR 3 test tool and certification process. It also provides an overview of the specification, how the tool will improve testing efficiency and how certification is streamlined.