Matter and OpenADR Join Forces to Link Smart Homes with the Power Grid

Smart energy management is about to get a lot easier. This week, the teams behind Matter, the smart-home interoperability standard, and the OpenADR protocol, which facilitates communication between the grid and homes, announced a collaboration. This partnership aims to streamline how connected devices can engage in demand response programs (DR), potentially leading to savings on your utility bills.

In demand response programs, customers agree to reduce or shift their electricity usage in exchange for credits on their utility bills or other incentives. The Connectivity Standards Alliance, which oversees Matter, and the nonprofit OpenADR Alliance have detailed how their protocols will work together to automate this process.

Matter will manage communication within the home between smart, connected devices like EV chargers, heat pumps, or solar installations and an energy gateway that gathers real-time data. Meanwhile, the OpenADR 3 protocol will facilitate communication between the gateway, utilities, and the grid. This collaboration aims to create a seamless connection from the grid to your home’s electrical devices.

When energy demand peaks, these appliances can make minor adjustments or reductions in their energy consumption, potentially through a home energy management system. For instance, a freezer might postpone a defrost cycle, a washing machine could delay starting a load, or a hot water tank might pause its heating.

Historically, demand response programs have primarily targeted HVAC systems, which are the biggest energy consumers in homes. However, by integrating more electrical appliances into the grid, utilities could reap significant benefits. This has been challenging due to various fragmented standards, but a recent announcement from the CSA and the OpenADR Alliance suggests that this partnership will simplify the development of products that can participate in DR programs, providing utilities with a “standardized, scalable mechanism for demand response.”

As the push for electrification continues, connecting more appliances to demand response programs could lead to savings for homeowners while assisting utilities in managing the grid’s demands.