Development and Demonstration of the Open Automated Demand Response Standard for the Residential Sector

The goal of this study was to demonstrate a demand response system that can signal nearly every customer in all sectors through the integration of two widely available and non-proprietary communications technologies—Open Automated Demand Response (OpenADR) over Internet protocol and Utility Messaging Channel (UMC) over FM radio. The outcomes of this project were as follows: (1) a software bridge to allow translation of pricing signals from OpenADR to UMC; and (2) a portable demonstration unit with an Internet-connected notebook computer, a portfolio of DR-enabling technologies, and a model home. The demonstration unit provides visitors the opportunity to send electricity-pricing information over the Internet (through OpenADR and UMC) and then watch as the model appliances and lighting respond to the signals. The integration of OpenADR and UMC completed and demonstrated in this study enables utilities to send hourly or sub-hourly electricity pricing information simultaneously to the residential, commercial and industrial sectors.