In December 2015 the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) researchers brought an integrated and interoperable grid one step closer to reality by demonstrating the versatility of a leading connectivity standard in a common device that costs about $5.
EPRI loaded and ran its Linux-based, OpenADR 2.0b automated demand response software on a Raspberry Pi Zero, a cheap yet powerful computer meant to represent the kind of inexpensive devices, such as thermostats, that can be created today. In doing this, EPRI proved that OpenADR could be used cost effectively in residential and small commercial applications, in addition to its common use in industrial and large commercial applications.
OpenADR 2.0b, which has seen adoption worldwide since its release in 2013, is a communication protocol for demand response (the ability of a load to respond to signals from the grid). Once loaded with the software, a device using the OpenADR standard to communicate is activated by an OpenADR server (called a “virtual top node,” or VTN) which sends a standard message to any client (called a “virtual end node,” or VEN) connected to it. One beauty of the standard is that the same device can act as both a VTN and a VEN, allowing a VEN that has received a message to act as a VTN and pass messages to additional devices. Thus, the architecture is hierarchical and infinitely scalable.
The EPRI open-source implementations of the OpenADR 2.0b VTN and VEN were released in February 2014 and are proving to be very popular. OpenADR was originally developed for the California Energy Commission by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and is used for managing large electrical loads by investor-owned utilities in California. When the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP) worked to identify and address interoperability gaps, they identified OpenADR as a key standard for demand response. As a result, OpenADR is listed in the Smart Grid Catalog of Standards.
In the past, OpenADR may have been viewed as only being suitable for large systems and facilities, and only being able to operate on PC-like platforms. But with the current state of technology, OpenADR can operate on small, inexpensive platforms. The Raspberry Pi Zero is just one example of such a platform and is a lightweight version of the popular Raspberry Pi platform. Running Linux, EPRI was able to load the same OpenADR 2.0b client that had been used previously, demonstrating the portability of the standard.
While technically straightforward, this demonstration is significant because it shows that the range of target end devices and the number of potential applications that OpenADR can feasibly address has expanded tremendously.
This fact is further supported by recent field demonstrations in which EPRI is running the OpenADR client on Wi-Fi modules for residential load control applications. Besides the demonstrations being done by the project, EPRI’s certified, open-source OpenADR 2.0b VTN and VEN implementations have each been downloaded thousands of times and are being used in a wide range of EPRI and commercial projects.
For more information about EPRI’s Information, Communication and Cyber Security work visit www.epri.com.
About the Authors
Dr. Walt Johnson is a Technical Executive at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) where he specializes in smart grid strategies, technologies, standards, applications, and IT Enterprise Architecture for EPRI’s Information and Communication Technology research. He manages EPRI’s Automated Demand Response and Ancillary Services Demonstration Projects and supports EPRI’s Transmission and Distribution Modernization Demonstration Projects on Data Analytics. He also heads EPRI’s ICT Innovators Forum for solution providers. As an IT systems specialist with more than thirty years of national and international experience, Dr. Johnson has held leadership positions at NASA, Gartner, Raychem, and the California ISO, and headed a CIGRÉ task force on architectural standards for real-time grid control systems. Prior to joining EPRI, he worked for DNV KEMA as a business process subject matter expert supporting execution of smart grid and energy IT consulting projects involving ISOs, RTOs, and global industry consortia. He holds a B.A. (cum laude) in Chemistry from Claremont McKenna College and a Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from Indiana University. He is a member of IEEE and of Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society.
Brian K. Seal is a Technical Executive at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) where he manages EPRI’s Information and Communication Technology research in the areas of advanced metering, demand response, and integration of distributed energy resources. In this role, Brian has been actively involved in international efforts to create standards for interoperability of consumer appliances, solar inverters, and smart meters. Prior to joining EPRI in 2008, Brian worked for 20 years at Cellnet (now Landis+Gyr) and Schlumberger (now Itron) where he managed product design and development of utility metering and communication equipment. Brian received Bachelors and Master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, is an active member of IEEE, IEC, and other standards groups, and has been awarded several patents related to utility communication systems.
Dr. John J. Simmins is a Technical Executive at the Electric Power Research institute (EPRI) where he manages the Information and Communication Technology for Distribution project set. His current research focuses integrating back-office applications and integrating with devices and personnel in the field. Dr. Simmins also leads the EPRI efforts in the use of augmented reality, social media, data analytics, and visualization to improve grid resilience. Prior to joining EPRI Dr. Simmins was with Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative where he managed the engineering and operations applications. He received his B.S. and a Ph.D. in Ceramic Science from Alfred University.
