Echelon Corp. has partnered with the Energy Services Network Association (ESNA), a non-profit corporation composed of utilities, manufacturers, and integrators, to publish and standardize the Open Smart Grid Protocol (OSGP) as a European and International standard. OSGP is the protocol used by Echelon’s Networked Energy Services (NES) System, a smart grid infrastructure. By publishing OSGP as an open standard, it will enable independent implementation of interoperable meters and other smart grid devices from multiple vendors on the same network. This gives electric utilities the ability to buy “best of breed” products and to avoid vendor lock-in that increases costs and reduces innovation.
More than just a protocol for smart meters, OSGP provides secure, scalable control networking services for any device connected to the low-voltage power grid, as well as critical information about the health of the distribution line itself, which further improves reliability and lowers operating costs.
“The Open Smart Grid Protocol has become a de facto standard for smart meters and smart grid infrastructure communications with more than three million meters already installed or with orders to be installed over the next few years,” said Gordon Pedersen, president of ESNA and head of smart grid projects at SEAS-NVE, the largest consumer-owned utility in Denmark. “Working with Echelon, our members, and other industry partners, we look forward to formalizing and publishing OSGP as a European and international standard for smart grid communications to benefit utilities, their customers, and suppliers.”
Built on open ISO/IEC and IEEE standards, OSGP adds additional security and reliability services necessary to properly network and manage devices in the smart grid. With millions of devices deployed worldwide, OSGP brings field-proven reliability and scalability to the smart grid.
