Universal Smart Energy Framework and review process meets its first real test case
BARCELONA, Spain - 15 November 2016 – Actility, innovator in smart grid applications such as demand response, is the first company to be declared compliant with the majority of requirements of USEF. USEF is an open standard intended to accelerate an integrated smart energy future that is efficient, sustainable, and cost effective. The audit of Actility’s services was carried out by DNV GL, founding partner of the USEF Foundation. DNV GL found that Actility was compliant with the requirements relevant for existing flexibility products, and was sufficiently agile to be able to address requirements on future flexibility products. As Actility’s products are now proven to be fit for the emerging smart grids ecosystem, the company is ready to create significant value for all stakeholders in the flexibility market.
“We see USEF as a great next step to further unlock the value of flexibility at our current and upcoming smart energy customers and projects,” comments Actility CTO Olivier Hersent. “The use of the standardized and harmonized processes drives open innovation, lowers entry barriers for other partners and directly supports us in our large scale roll out of flexibility services throughout Europe. We're happy to learn that our current processes resemble the USEF methodology so closely, showing we are a front runner in the market, and we're looking forward to our first official fully USEF compliant project in the near future."
The energy market is undergoing a massive transformation as new ways to manage and store energy, and increasing capacity in renewable resources comes on stream. This creates a third dimension in the market, beyond energy supply and demand: flexibility. Instead of generating more power in response to peaks in demand, a smart grid can actively manage energy usage instead, time-shifting non-critical energy use. Actility, as an aggregator offering a demand-response service to national grid providers, is a pioneer of flexibility, and is fully aligned with the USEF Foundation’s goals to deliver the foundations of one integrated system which benefits all players - new and traditional energy companies and consumers.
Hans de Heer, Principal Consultant at DNV GL, says: “We are very pleased that Actility is the first company to be assessed on USEF compliancy. This gives Actility not only new possibilities in the energy market but also proves the worth of the Universal Smart Energy Framework. We foresee that market entry barriers will be significantly reduced if the flexibility markets and processes are organized throughout Europe in a harmonized and standardized way. Adopting the USEF framework will improve the quality of the market processes, ensuring flexibility can be unlocked in a reliable and efficient way.”
The Universal Smart Energy Framework is an open standard which clearly defines different roles in the energy ecosystem, the processes and interactions between them, and the business and contractual agreements for those interactions. Specifically, USEF identifies three possible customers of flexibility: the Transmission System Operator (TSO), the Balance Responsible Party (BRP) and the Distribution Sytem Operator (DSO). USEF is paving the way for a Distribution Network Operator (DNO) to develop into a system operator, actively managing its network by utilizing flexibility for congestion management and voltage control purposes. Actility was audited at the request of a leading DNO which expects its partners and suppliers to be USEF compliant in the future. Passing such a test gives competitor advantage; in this market, and beyond, the audit also put the USEF Framework and review process through its first real test case.
Hans de Heer as well as other DNV GL and Actility experts will be available at the European Utility Week 2016 (DNV GL booth #3D131) to answer your questions in Barcelona, Spain 15-17 November.
About Actility
Actility is an industry leader in Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN) and end to end IoT solutions for industry. With deep expertise in demand-response systems for energy utilities, Actility is extending its range of utility applications and services, building on ThingPark, its carrier-grade IoT platform. ThingPark offers a growing ecosystem of partners; low-power, long-range wireless networks for sensors and devices; an operating system and middleware that enables web applications to connect seamlessly with data from different sensors; and a B2B e-commerce market featuring tested and approved IoT device, connectivity, and application partners. Actility is a founding member of the LoRa Alliance.
About USEF
The Universal Smart Energy Framework (USEF) is a market design for the exchange and settlement of flexible energy use. It defines the roles, interactions, rules and guidelines required to unlock and maximise the value of flexibility within the market. Its extendable reference implementation promotes the use of a common standard to accelerate the development and unification of all smart energy technologies, projects and markets on a regional, national and international scale.
About DNV GL
Driven by our purpose of safeguarding life, property and the environment, DNV GL enables organizations to advance the safety and sustainability of their business. We provide classification and technical assurance along with software and independent expert advisory services to the maritime, oil & gas and energy industries. We also provide certification services to customers across a wide range of industries. Operating in more than 100 countries, our professionals are dedicated to helping our customers make the world safer, smarter and greener.
In the Energy industry
In DNV GL we unite the strengths of DNV, KEMA, Garrad Hassan, and GL Renewables Certification. DNV GL’s 2,500 energy experts support customers around the globe in delivering a safe, reliable, efficient, and sustainable energy supply. We deliver world-renowned testing, certification and advisory services to the energy value chain including renewables and energy efficiency. Our expertise spans onshore and offshore wind power, solar, conventional generation, transmission and distribution, smart grids, and sustainable energy use, as well as energy markets and regulations. Our testing, certification and advisory services are delivered independent from each other. Learn more at dnvgl.com/energy.
Press contacts:
- Actility: Anne van Gemert, anne.vangemert@actility.com, +33 6 4737 3021
- DNV GL: John Giezen, john.giezen@dnvgl.com, +31 6 4608 7032