San Francisco, Ca. - The ZigBee Alliance and the DLMS User Association are teaming up on how to guarantee power grid data compatibility. In addition the are looking to define a method to transport IEC standard DLMS/COSEM messages sending metering data through ZigBee Smart Energy networks.
According to Bob Heile, chairman of the ZigBee Alliance, the result will expand ZigBee Smart Energy to support complex metering applications, and will provide utilities and energy service providers with a standard for a variety of Smart Grid energy management and efficiency programs and services.
"Utilities in Europe, North America, Australia and other regions are looking at ZigBee Smart Energy to deliver home area network connectivity to their Smart Grid programs," he said.
ZigBee Smart Energy enables wireless communication between utilities and common household devices such as smart thermostats and appliances. It improves energy efficiency by allowing consumers to choose interoperable products from different manufacturers giving them the tools to manage their energy consumption more precisely using automation and near real-time information.
It also helps utility companies implement new advanced metering and demand response programs to drive greater energy management and efficiency, while responding to changing government requirements.
The ZigBee Alliance is a non-profit association of more than 300 member companies driving development of ZigBee. The DLMS User Association maintains a liaison since 2002 with IEC TC 13 WG 14, the standardization body responsible for establishing standards for electricity meter data exchange.
The User Association provides registration and maintenance services for the IEC 62056 DLMS / COSEM standards suite, performs pre-standardization work. In addition, the DLMS UA operates the conformance testing scheme. The DLMS/COSEM standard suite (IEC 62056 / EN 13757-1) is the most widely accepted international standard for utility meter data exchange.
