Newsletter | April 2020

April 21, 2020

in Newsletters,

Chairman's View |

5 Years of Data-Access Achievements and the Digital Path Forward

While COVID-19 has presented us all with an unusual and challenging time, I am inspired by the GBA’s member companies who continue to work (safely) to support customers and drive key data-access initiatives forward. Digital access to energy data and energy solutions are key to helping businesses to continue as they begin to recover from the effects of COVID-19.

This year, the Green Button Alliance is celebrating its fifth anniversary and the many significant accomplishments the GBA has achieved in delivering upon the vision of secure, standardized Green Button energy-data access.

5-Year Achievements:

Developed Green Button Connect My Data; the industry’s open data-access and secure- data-sharing protocol for digital data-sharing platforms and services that protect customer privacy.
Expanded Green Button internationally, with international utilities and research institutes participating through the GBA.
Educational support of global energy-data access policies; a significant number of U.S. states; Ontario, Canada; and South Korea are working on policies.
Enhanced Green Button Connect My Data standard (NAESB REQ.21 ESPI); published by the North American Energy Standards Board (NAESB) in January.
Developed Green Button DMD and CMD Testing and Certification program.
Today, millions of residential and commercial customers now have access to their Green Button energy data with more deployments planned.

Looking ahead, GBA will:

Communicate the value of Green Button standards-based Connect My Data as the proven, digital data-access and -sharing standard for utilities, customers, third-party solution providers, & state- and province-wide implementations.
Educate stakeholders that adherence to the standard is essential to ensure customer data privacy, faster on-boarding of solutions, & seamless interoperation with apps and services.
Focus on the environmental benefits of energy-data access to promote the interconnection of DERs including solar, EV, and energy storage.
Focus on enabling small commercial and industrial customers with access to their consumption data.
Continue standards development for third-party solution providers.

We’re looking forward to once again showcasing Green Button progress and successes at our Annual General Meeting (AGM) to be held in September. As always, you’re all invited (members and non-members) to join us for this highly anticipated event. Until then, we thank our members and our staff for their continued vision and leadership.

Stay well, everyone,

Syed Mir, Chairman

Green Button News & Updates |

NAESB Publishes Enhanced Standard for Green Button

On 30 January, the North American Energy Standards Board (NAESB), a member of the Green Button Alliance, published the latest revision of the NAESB Retail Energy Quadrant Book 21 (REQ.21) Energy Services Provider Interface (ESPI) standard, commonly known as the Green Button standard. The OpenADE Task Force, an industry technical-development workgroup hosted by the Green Button Alliance, had previously submitted updates and enhancements to the REQ.21 ESPI standard which were ratified by NAESB in April 2019. The newly published Green Button standard includes the following updates:

Replaced OAuth 1.0 with OAuth 2.0 for “Confidential Clients.”
Updated security requirements to TLS 1.2 as a minimum.
Revised the Energy Usage Information (EUI) data structure and definitions.
Created the Retail Customer (PII) data structure and definitions.
Deprecated original Use Cases that do not meet OAuth 2.0 data security requirements.
Added Use Case for Download My Data (DMD).
Simplified Use Case 2: “Customer Authorization process.”
Documented Standard ESPI Application Program Interface (API) formats.

The Green Button Alliance thanks Cade Burks, Chair of the NAESB ESPI Task Force; Mary Do, Chair of the NAESB Retail Market Quadrant Executive Committee; Elizabeth Mallett, Deputy Director, NAESB; and Jonathan Booe, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, NAESB; for guiding the updated Green Button standard through NAESB’s review and publishing process. The GBA thanks Donald F. Coffin, Technical Manager, Green Button Alliance and the OpenADE Task Force for their work in developing the enhancements to the Green Button standard.

The Green Button standard is now available for purchase from NAESB for US$ 250.

SVCE’s Data Hive Pilot with UtilityAPI Provides Free, Authorized Access to Standardized and Automated Energy Usage Data to Help Accelerate Clean Energy Projects

Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE), a community energy choice agency, launched SVCE’s Data Hive , a flagship pilot project with GBA member UtilityAPI . SVCE’s Data Hive enables customers to easily and securely opt-in to share their utility data, including billing history and smart meter intervals, with external energy solution-provider companies — removing traditional data-access barriers and speeding clean-energy projects.

SVCE's Data Hive streamlines the energy-data collection and -sharing process by providing instant, authorized, and secure access to standardized and automated energy-usage and -billing data. Data Hive offers customers a selection of over 40, and counting, solution provider companies that are registered for data sharing. Solution provider companies can utilize Data Hive to easily request authorization from customers — simplifying clean-energy projects such as adding solar, EV, or energy storage, for both the customer and the solution provider. Data Hive, powered by UtilityAPI’s energy data exchange platform, leverages the Green Button Connect standard and follows the DataGuard Energy Data Privacy program guidelines. The Data Hive service is provided free-of-charge by SVCE for its customers. Follow UtilityAPI on LinkedIn and Twitter .

GridRewards Pilot Program Launched; Enables Energy Users to Participate in Con Edison ’ s Demand Response Programs and Earn Cash Rewards for Energy Efficiency

Sustainable Westchester, a nonprofit consortium of Westchester municipalities, in partnership with GBA member Logical Buildings , has launched its GridRewards pilot program. The GridRewards program leverages Logical Buildings’ SmartKit AI™ gamified mobile app to enable residences and businesses in Westchester County, New York with a Con Edison account to digitally monitor and manage their energy usage and participate in Con Edison’s demand response programs. The SmartKit AI app notifies GridRewards’ program participants when Con Edison triggers a demand-response event allowing them to take simple, digitally guided actions to reduce their energy use. The program participants’ collective effort provides grid relief, which contributes to a more reliable grid and enables customers to earn cash rewards while reducing their carbon footprint.

Logical Buildings’ AI-driven SmartKit AI app, with real-time intelligence, leverages Green Button Connect to automatically and securely access smart-meter data via Con Edison’s new Advanced Meter Infrastructure (AMI) in Westchester. Customers with an eligible Con Edison account can enroll online in minutes through simple authorization and onboarding steps and can then download the SmartKit AI app to get customized energy-efficiency insights to help them understand and reduce their energy usage. With the rollout of the GridRewards program, millions of customers have become eligible for demand response.

“GridRewards is providing our largest opportunity yet to show how real-time intelligence and a widespread, gamifed app to reduce energy use through that intelligence can create real income for the people who opted into the program,” said Jeff Hendler, CEO, Logical Buildings. “Especially with many families potentially using more energy while working from home and facing greater financial uncertainty during the COVID-19 crisis, this is an important new way of making sure more people can share in the benefits of smart energy usage.”

Follow Logical Buildings on LinkedIn and Twitter .

Quantum New Energy Launches EnerWisely™, a Sustainability Platform to Optimize Energy Consumption

GBA member Quantum New Energy has announced EnerWisely™, a science-based sustainability platform that enables users to optimize their energy consumption. The EnerWisely platform leverages existing smart meter infrastructure to turn consumption data into smart energy choices that reduce costs and cut carbon emissions.

EnerWisely includes two services: Energy FingerPrint™ and Energy MatchMaker™ and is available in both English and Spanish language. The services offer continuous monitoring and periodic progress reports to support customers’ energy goals. EnerWisely is currently available to Texas households with plans to expand nationally. Quantum New Energy is a proud adopter of the U.S. Department of Energy's DataGuard Energy Data Privacy Program . Follow Quantum New Energy on LinkedIn and Twitter ; & follow EnerWisely on Twitter .

Thank you GBA Members!

The Green Button Alliance thanks its member companies ! Member companies include forward-looking utilities and service providers; government entities; energy efficiency innovators; research institutes; and affiliate organizations. The GBA proudly welcomes its newest members buildee , Solar Data Pros , SwytchX , and Builddie !

Accelerated Innovations

Agave Systems

AmGreen

Big Data Energy Services

Brilliency

Bryant Roofing & Solar

Builddie

buildee

CABA

Edison Electric Institute

Ontario Ministry of Energy, Northern Development & Mines

Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative

Welcome to our newest members:

In the Headlines |

16 April: "In New York, A New Way for Stay-at-Home Customers to Get Paid for Shaving Peak Energy," Greentech Media. Logical Buildings; Green Button Connect My Data.
13 April: "'Data Hive' Opens for Solar, Battery Vendors in Silicon Valley," Greentech Media. UtilityAPI, Green Button Connect My Data.
13 April: "How to Match Your Electricity Rate with Facility Usage," facilitiesnet. Green Button Download My Data.
02 April: "States Take the Lead by Requiring Utilities to Increase Energy Efficiency," buildee blog post.
19 March: "PSC Expands Access to Data Needed to Meet State's Clean Energy Goals; New Policies will Establish Privacy and Cybersecurity Requirements for Access to Energy Related Data," New York Public Service Commission (NYPSC) press release.
20 February: "Mission:data Collaborates with North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein on State-of-the-Art Data Portability and Privacy Rule," Mission:data post.
18 February: "Accelerated Innovations and MyMeter® Continue to Grow Worldwide with Empresa Electrica de Guatamala (EEGSA)," Accelerated Innovations press release.
10 February: "Ohio's Final Workgroup Report on Smart Meter Data Access: Are We there Yet? Not Quite, Kids..." The DW Energy Blog. Update on Green Button Connect My Data in Ohio.
February, 2020: "NAESB ESPI and Green Button," page 4, NAESB Bulletin.
21 January: "Smart Buildings Market to Reach USD 109.48 Billion by 2026; Rising Environmental Concerns to Contribute Healthy Growth, States Fortune Business Insights™," Fortune Business Insights press release.
14 January: "Blockchain Project to help JPMorgan Reach 100% Renewable Energy Goal," S&P Global Platts. JPMorgan partners with swytchX.

Upcoming Meetings |

GBA ’ s Upcoming All-Member Meetings

The GBA’s next All-Member Call will be held via dial-in and web on Tuesday, 12 May at 2:00pm EDT. All members are invited to attend. Participation logistics will be emailed to GBA Members.

The GBA hosts the OpenADE Task Force technical meetings following the GBA’s monthly All-Member Call. The next one-hour OpenADE Task Force meeting will be held on Tuesday, 12 May at 3:00pm EDT. GBA members and non-members are invited to attend. Visit the GBA’s online calendar for logistics.