OpenADR Alliance announces first OpenADR 3.0 certified products with E.ON, EVoke Systems and Universal Devices

To manage growth in distributed energy resources and automating demand response and grid flexibility initiatives

Global standards body, the OpenADR Alliance has announced the first OpenADR 3.0 certified products as demand for standards-based solutions for energy management grows globally. The newly certified products cover a diverse range of applications developed by Alliance member companies, E.ON Energy Networks, EVoke Systems, and Universal Devices, including the first VTN (Virtual Top Node) solution to achieve OpenADR 3.0 certification.

Published just over a year ago, the OpenADR 3.0 communications standard represents a major step forward in energy management technology. It reflects the growing need for interoperability, reduced complexity, and greater flexibility in today’s energy systems. With its focus on standardisation, OpenADR 3.0 addresses the challenges faced by utilities, grid operators, and aggregators in managing the growth in distributed energy resources (DER) and automating demand response and grid flexibility initiatives to improve energy management efficiency.

Rolf Bienert, Managing and Technical Director at the OpenADR Alliance, comments: “The role of standards like OpenADR 3.0 are key to the success of a changing energy market, simplifying energy management and improving flexibility. This is more important than ever as increasingly innovative products enter the market. We’re excited to see members releasing the first certified OpenADR 3.0 products to the market and to see the standard go from strength to strength.”

First OpenADR 3.0 certified products:
- Swedish Distribution System Operator, E.ON Energy Networks with the flexibility platform SWITCH, has successfully completed interoperability testing to become the first VTN (Virtual Top Node) solution to achieve OpenADR 3.0 certification. SWITCH provides tooling for grid owners and lets them interface with customers that have controllable resources. By communicating power demand adjustments with OpenADR, both forecasted and in real-time, grid issues can be managed proactively and safely. With system integrations and power metering, the data flow can be fully automated by SWITCH with no manual input required. Employing OpenADR 3.0 also enables a viable path for Swedish grid owners to harmonise and standardise IT communication for flexibility use cases such as demand response. This creates value for end customers through reduced electricity costs due to better optimisation of the existing grid infrastructure, as well as reduced waiting times to get a new grid connection.

- Leading software-driven Charge Network Operator, EVoke Systems, has released its Energy Services Exchange (ESX) platform with OpenADR 3.0 integration, developed in collaboration with Argonne National Laboratory and industry partners. ESX enables utilities and grid operators to aggregate and optimise EV load management and DER coordination. By seamlessly communicating demand response and price signals to EV chargers, energy storage systems and other assets, ESX can improve overall system stability and incentivise customers participating in demand response programs.

- Universal Devices, Inc., a pioneer in energy management and automation solutions, has launched an OpenADR 3.0 certified Virtual End Node (VEN) across its platform. In a bid to remove barriers to smart grid adoption, the company released the VEN implementation as open source to enable widespread access and innovation. Orly Hasidim, COO at Universal Devices, adds: "This certification represents our commitment to creating an energy ecosystem where utilities and consumers can seamlessly participate in demand response and dynamic pricing programs." Pacific Gas & Electric Company is currently exploring a Demand Response Emerging Technology demonstration to evaluate the benefits of OpenADR 3.0 in collaboration with Universal Devices, further demonstrating the open standard potential to enhance grid flexibility and load management.

Why OpenADR 3.0 certification?
An open standard, OpenADR 3.0 provides highly secure, fast, and reliable two-way information exchange for utility applications with simple communications needs. OpenADR 3.0 simplifies messaging, including pricing, offering more dynamic pricing structures, as well as better enabling greenhouse gas signalling, grid code adjustments and capacity management communication.

OpenADR certification encourages the development of a global ecosystem of standards-based products, eliminating single-vendor lock-in and ensuring interoperability. Only products that have been through the OpenADR Alliance Certification Program can claim OpenADR certified status. Testing is conducted at one of 10 approved test facilities using test assets created by the OpenADR Alliance in collaboration with other vendors.

OpenADR is participating at DISTRIBUTECH 2025 in Dallas, Texas (March 24-27) at booth 1847, alongside Alliance members. For more information visit: https://www.openadr.org/.

About the OpenADR Alliance
The OpenADR Alliance, a non-profit corporation created to foster the development, adoption, and compliance of OpenADR and related standards, helps utilities manage the growing pool of distributed energy resources, which includes renewable energy, energy storage, demand response and electric vehicle charging. The OpenADR standard supports communications to all DER resources to manage changes in load shape, energy inputs and power characteristics of DER assets. The recently added EcoPort standard additionally enables smart appliances to be connected. More information can be found at http://www.openadr.org/.

Media contact:
Amanda Hassall, Consultant
Origin Communications
M: +44 (0)7855 359889
E: amanda@origincomms.com