Recording of Tuesday, June 23, 2026 | The smarter E Europe Conferences 2026 | Language: English | Duration: 9:40 .

OpenADR and Customer Engagement in Energy Management Systems

OpenADR serves as a communication protocol enhancing interaction between Distribution System Operators (DSOs) and energy management systems, targeting residential and small to medium business customers. It facilitates the flow of information without dictating the actions of DSOs or aggregators, emphasizing the importance of standards for compatibility among devices. Price signals and energy transactions are evolving, particularly in the U.S., where OpenADR is implemented for demand response and automated data reporting. Approximately 50% of U.S. customers are associated with utilities using OpenADR in demand response programs, with notable adoption in countries like Japan and Sweden. Customers maintain control of their energy management needs, establishing clear boundaries between their systems and DSOs. Various manufacturers are working to prioritize customer comfort and integration with standards like Matter. Collaboration among technologies and stakeholders aims to simplify customer engagement with the grid, promoting off-the-shelf interoperability.

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Speaker

Rolf Bienert
Managing Director
OpenADR Alliance

Talk of session: From Local Experiments to Lasting Markets: The Future of DSO Flexibility

As distribution system operators (DSOs) gain experience with local flexibility markets, the focus is increasingly shifting from pilot projects to stable, scalable and enduring solutions. This session will examine what it takes to move from experimental local flexibility schemes to robust markets that can be reliably integrated into system operation and investment planning. The discussion will address regulatory readiness, market design choices, standardization, coordination with other system operators and the conditions needed to provide long-term security for flexibility providers. By bringing together DSOs, policymakers, market actors and technology providers, the event aims to identify practical pathways towards sustainable local flexibility markets that support a resilient and decarbonized electricity system.

Further Talks of this session:

From Local Experiments to Scalable Flexibility Markets: What Europe Is Learning

Speaker

Kris Kessels
Senior Researcher Energy Markets
VITO/EnergyVille
Belgium

To Talk

Unlocking Local Flexibility - One Market, Multiple Buyers

Speaker

Guro Grotterud
Director of Regulatory Affairs and Senior Project Manager
NODES
Norway

To Talk

Small Batteries, Big Flexibility: Aggregated Distributed Storage for DSOs

Speaker

Cristina Corchero García
CTO
Bamboo Energy S.L.
Spain

To Talk

From Pilot to Portfolio: Making Local Flexibility Work for DSO in Different Member States

Speaker

Torsten Knop
European Regulation
E.ON SE
Germany

To Talk

The Next Step in Solving Congestion on All Voltage Levels

Speaker

To Talk

Panel Discussion

To Talk

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