Open Communication Standards for Energy Storage and Distributed Energy Resources

Abstract

Purpose of Review

This article reviews the status of communication standards for the integration of energy storage into the operations of an electrical grid increasingly reliant on intermittent renewable resources. Its intent is to demonstrate that open systems communicating over open standards is essential to the effectiveness, efficiency, reliability and flexibility of an electrical grid composed of an intelligent network of distributed energy resources.

Recent Findings

Grid-integrated energy storage is expected to increase dramatically over the next 10 years, a prediction which assumes substantial industry alignment to a common set of communication standards that will make this growth possible. Four industry alliances have emerged in recent years as the dominant players in the development of open standards for energy storage systems and distributed energy resources: the MESA Standards Alliance (mesastandards.org), the SunSpec Alliance (sunspec.org), the OpenADR Alliance (openadr.org), and the Open Charge Alliance (openchargealliance.org).

Summary

Historical and pragmatic evidence demonstrates that industry-wide adoption of freely accessible and industry-driven open communication standards is essential to maintaining the grid’s flexibility and responsiveness. Two case studies—from Snohomish PUD in Everett, Washington, and at Austin Energy in Austin, Texas—illustrate the application of open communication standards to grid-integrated, utility-scale energy storage, and to the management of circuits with a high penetration of residential solar photovoltaic and actively managed loads.