Controlling Distributed Energy Resources (DER) Made Easy with OpenADR

As the energy sector moves toward cleaner, more sustainable models, utilities must master control of the customer side of the grid. Rolf Bienert, Managing & Technical Director at OpenADR Alliance, emphasizes that Demand Response (DR) programs—long‑standing industry tools—are a proven solution.

DR programs incentivize participants to shift consumption away from peak times, reducing reliance on costly peaking plants and alleviating strain on transmission and distribution networks. They typically employ direct load‑adjustment requests or variable price signals to engage customers.

Distributed Energy Resources (DER) add complexity to demand‑side control by introducing a growing number of generation and storage assets that can affect grid reliability and power quality. Industry communication standards such as OpenADR, which have long helped utilities manage DR resources, can now extend to this expanding DER portfolio.

DER encompasses renewable generation, energy storage, electric vehicles (EVs), EV charging, and traditional DR targets. Hawaiian Electric Companies, for example, has adopted OpenADR as the protocol for linking utility and customer‑sited DER.

How much control utilities need to manage all grid resources remains an open question, but emerging use cases and models provide guidance.

We view DER in two categories based on size and ownership, with a gray area that will need future attention.

• Large, utility‑controlled systems

Distributed generators, battery storage, and other assets above a certain capacity threshold should be integrated into the utility’s control network. Like large power plants, these resources are critical for grid stability, and the limited number of endpoints simplifies cybersecurity management.

• Small, customer‑owned systems

Residential solar, EVs, home batteries, and similar DERs, though individually small, collectively represent a significant share of future generation and must be coordinated by the grid operator. Challenges include limited access to controls, sheer scale (thousands to millions of units), and data connectivity, analysis, and cyber‑security requirements.

OpenADR in Europe

Pacific Gas & Electric, an early OpenADR adopter, partnered with Dutch utility Elaad NL in the Global Grid Integration Project to develop scalable EV charging solutions. International standards like OpenADR (IEC 62746‑10‑1) are essential for such global scaling. Driivz, a recent European member of the OpenADR Alliance, built a cloud‑based EV Charging Management Platform that is OpenADR‑compliant.

In the U.K., the Energy Networks Association cites OpenADR as a foundational flexible ICT connection for its Open Networks Project, enabling distribution network operators to transition fully to a smart grid.

Slovenian firm Solvera Lynx has created the GemaLogic Energy Flexibility Platform—a virtual power plant implementation that leverages OpenADR event messaging.

As the energy industry shifts to cleaner sources, standards like OpenADR will continue to empower utilities to manage the growing pool of DER—including renewable generation, storage, demand response, and EV charging. OpenADR provides the communication backbone needed to adjust load shape, energy inputs, and power characteristics of DER assets.

The author is Rolf Bienert, Managing & Technical Director, OpenADR Alliance