Toronto: Demand management aggregator ENBALA announced on January 27 that it had joined the OpenADR Alliance. The alliance seeks to advance the continued adoption of real-time demand management solutions through an open communications standard. OpenADR (Open Automated Demand Response) is an open and standardized way for utilities and system operators to communicate demand response signals with each other and their participating customers using a common language over any existing IP-based communications network, such as the internet.
OpenADR is important to the continued growth and reliable adoption of ADR by utilities and their customers, ENBALA says. ENBALA is one of three companies that contracted with the IESO last year in a pilot-stage request for proposals to provide the grid with ancillary services for power quality management. See the feature story, "How the IESO and OPA framed the 50 MW of services from storage".
“Real-time, dispatchable demand management is a crucial tool for the modern utility,” said Ron Dizy, President and CEO of ENBALA. “The OpenADR Alliance is helping utilities continue to move forward with the next wave of demand management by developing and fostering a standard communications protocol and enabling more reliable and active customer participation. We’re excited to be a part of this essential Alliance.”
See also "How the IESO and OPA framed the 50 MW of services from storage", this issue