
by Bill Chard Resillion was pleased to sponsor and attend the OpenADR Alliance's User Conference Europe, held in London on June 6th and 7th. Over two full days and a packed agenda, we were treated to presentations and case studies across a broad range of energy flexibility topics, and took part in some insightful and sometimes challenging discussion sessions between the 100+ attendees.
Here are four of my main takeaways from the event.
There's Global momentum behind energy flexibility innovation.
This conference was hosted by the UK Government Department for Energy Security & Net Zero, and we heard lots about the UK's Interoperable Demand Side Response programme, which is part of the up to £65m Flexibility Innovation Programme within the Department's £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio, and the policy work driving these initiatives. The IDSR programme focuses on the consumer energy sector, but we also heard from Pearlstone Energy how they are using OpenADR for demand side response in the industrial sector in the UK. From further afield there were presentations from ElaadNL on OpenADR for smart EV charging, and from Cortexo on trials of an energy flexibility system in New Zealand. It's clear that industry and governments worldwide see energy flexibility as vital in addressing future energy challenges.
The range of Distributed Energy Resources that can play a role is remarkable.
Electric vehicles are a huge factor in this whole movement, especially once bi-directional charging stations become mainstream and the EV battery becomes a true grid resource. This is reflected in the growing number of auto manufacturers taking an active interest in OpenADR and other energy flexibility standards, and indeed this conference included a session dedicated to the challenges of EV charging management.
There are challenges in using EVs as DERs though: for a start, it can be hard to manage a grid resource that by definition is mobile! The UK IDSR programme includes other types of resource: home battery storage, heat pumps and other home and water heating systems. Any system that heats a significant volume of water is a potential energy flexibility resource; a system that stores heat can be just as effective a resource as a battery that stores electricity. There's also innovation in other types of thermal battery such as Sunamp's products which are based on high performance phase change materials.
Consumer buy-in is critical.
This event was mostly focused on energy flexibility in consumer markets, and there was unanimous agreement that it's better to achieve adoption through consumers opting in, than to force change directly through legislation. As a start, the industry needs to do more to help consumers understand how they can benefit: installing appliances that can support flexibility and signing up for flexibility services can offer significant financial savings. It's not a silver bullet that will mean cheap energy for ever the cost of energy is still likely to increase as the industry addresses environmental challenges - but consumers can help themselves by making the right choices.
Several speakers also noted the complexity of DSR and the potential for multiple actors and interface points a consumer may have to deal with: Virtual Power Plants and other aggregators, home energy management systems, the energy supplier and the various device manufacturers. Simplicity in both the onboarding and user experience (allowing a consumer to set their key constraints, like I want my car charged for 7am every day and leaving the rest to the system to manage) will be key, which means all parts of the process need to work smoothly together and be robustly tested functionally, for performance and security, and for useability.
Regulation and standardisation need to hit the right balance.
This is important for successfully winning consumer support: people will buy in to the concept of energy flexibility providing it delivers value, and providing it doesn't restrict choice. This means appliances in the home that support energy flexibility must work together, and with any flexibility service, not just tying a consumer to a single platform. This interoperability comes from conformance with common standards. Standards conformance and product labelling also help to assure consumers that the products they are buying meet certain levels of quality. At the moment there is huge activity around standardisation in all areas of energy flexibility: the UK's PAS 1878 for Demand Side Response, existing industry standards like OpenADR and EEBUS, EV smart charging standards like ISO15118 and OCPP, IEEE 1547 for interconnection of distributed energy resources with the grid the list seems endless. As with any large-scale technology evolution, the standards, and the regulatory frameworks that government policies will require, will set the parameters within which industry stakeholders will continue to innovate and add value.
For example, while the UK standard PAS1878 requires OpenADR for communications between the grid actors and the home interface, it is agnostic about protocols between Energy Smart Appliances and that interface. Consider a consumer who wants to buy an electric vehicle charger from one provider that works with any V2X capable vehicle and can communicate DSR options alongside a heat pump from second vendor, and a PV system from third. Consumer choice and flexibility may require convergence at this level to common standards like Matter to achieve both national and consumer energy objectives.
The energy sector is undergoing massive change and the levels of innovation and activity are truly inspiring. At Resillion we're excited to be a part of this, working with partners to enable innovation across the whole energy ecosystem through testing, demonstration an
Europe Stories
06/10/2025
France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...
04/09/2025
Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...
07/08/2025
July 8 2025, 22:30 (PDT) Tata Motors & Dolby Bring Dolby Atmos to Harrier.ev, R...
18/07/2025
Friday 18 July 2025
Credit: Marc Sethi
The Sky Arts Awards will return on 16 September, once again taking place at the iconic Roundhouse in London. Produced b...
18/07/2025
This month, players can dive into special crossover events featuring SpongeBob SquarePants in Snake.io+ and Crossy Road Castle, available exclusively on Apple A...
18/07/2025
Up for the Match brings the fun, the passion-and a bit of Riverdance- tomorrow n...
17/07/2025
Spotify's goal with audiobooks is to help grow the publishing industry and create the best possible experience for booklovers, which is why we're launch...
17/07/2025
Luxembourg, 14 July 2025 - SES received the final regulatory approvals for the SES-Intelsat transaction, including the US Federal Communications Commission.
O...
17/07/2025
Wuppertal July 17, 2025
Riedel Communications Powers Handa Opera on Sydney Har...
17/07/2025
Fox Corporation Executives to Discuss Fourth Quarter and Full Year Fiscal 2025 F...
17/07/2025
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, w...
17/07/2025
The summer is here and RT Radio 1 has unveiled a lively seasonal lineup, packed...
16/07/2025
Spotify's podcast editorial team is always on the hunt for shows and episodes that spark conversation, push boundaries, and keep us coming back for more. As...
16/07/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...
16/07/2025
Join us at IBC this September and take control of your content. Discover how we're bringing a new level of purpose and precision to the application of AI in...
16/07/2025
Wednesday 16 July 2025
Sky and ITV today announced an extension of their long-standing partnership, which will see ITV's content and services remain seamle...
16/07/2025
Sky Sports lifts the lid on Lions life with hilarious behind-the-scenes mockumentaryWednesday 16 July 2025
To view this content, please enable our use of cooki...
16/07/2025
CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA Apple TV+ today earned a record-breaking 81 Emmy Award nominations across 14 hit Apple Original titles for this year's 77th Emmy Awa...
15/07/2025
Independent media outlets in Brazil and Colombia are invited to apply for a new programme aimed at strengthening the long-term resilience of journalism in the f...
15/07/2025
Spotify une fuerzas con DiDi, la app l der en servicios de movilidad, delivery y...
15/07/2025
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO OR TO ANY PERSON LOCATED OR RESIDENT IN THE UNIT...
15/07/2025
U&GOLD has acquired the broadcast rights for Fawlty Towers: The Play (1x120'). Recorded during the show's run at the West End with its original cast, Fa...
15/07/2025
TV SIM builds for the future with high efficiency transmitter from Rohde & Schwa...
15/07/2025
Harmonic's Hybrid, AI-Powered and Live Sports Streaming Innovations are Key ...
15/07/2025
The well-known and well-loved 4099 has been completely revamped. It features amazing CORE+ technology, which eliminates distortion and extends dynamic range, a ...
15/07/2025
Comscore Partners with HyphaMetrics to Launch Advanced Person-Level Audience Mea...
15/07/2025
Peak audiences of over half a million tune into both Kerry v Tyrone and Donegal ...
15/07/2025
PROTON Announces Production Facility Expansion Ahead of IBC2025 posted: 15/07/2025
Proton Announces Production Facility Expansion Ahead of IBC2025
Alongs...
14/07/2025
Enhancing Public Service Broadcasting with
Innovation, Accuracy & Sustainability
New regional detail and local towns featured...
11/07/2025
If you've ever wondered what might be playing in Clark Kent's headphones...
11/07/2025
AI and Multimedia Authenticity Standards Collaboration launches two papers to guide the future of AI integration, today at the AI for Good Global Summit
The...
10/07/2025
The current holder of the prestigious Thomson Foundation Young Journalist of the Year Award has been forced to stop reporting over fears for her safety in Afgha...
10/07/2025
Spotify is turning up the volume on Australian music with a multipronged initiative designed to highlight the dominance of Australian artists on the global stag...
10/07/2025
This is not a drill: Oasis is back on the road-marking its first live performanc...
10/07/2025
The music industry depends on fresh ideas, bold voices, and emerging talent. Yet across the U.K., too many young musicians lack the space to develop their craft...
10/07/2025
10 Jul 2025
VEON and Cohen Circle Secure Investor Commitments for Kyivstar Listing Kyiv, New York, Dubai, and Philadelphia - July 10, 2025 - VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq:...
10/07/2025
Thursday 10 July 2025
The Very Small Creatures
Jaime's Treetop Tales
Emerald
BooSnoo! Christmas Mashup
Pip & Posy's Spooktacular Party
The Very Sm...
10/07/2025
Thursday 10 July 2025
Brand new rewards are coming to Sky customers, with free ...
10/07/2025
Comscore Achieves Full JIC Certification for National TV Measurement Including...
09/07/2025
Wednesday 9 July 2025
Sky Broadband now has the UK's fastest broadband spee...
09/07/2025
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today announced Jeff Williams will transition his role as chief operating officer later this month to Sabih Khan, Apple's senior...
08/07/2025
In an era where digital threats to journalists are becoming increasingly aggressive and widespread, MediaSafe Africa launches as a vital online resource to help...
08/07/2025
This summer, as the energy builds for one of the biggest moments in women's ...
08/07/2025
UKTV today announces that Richard Watsham, Chief Creative Officer at UKTV and Global Director of Acquisitions for BBC Studios/UKTV, has decided to step down fro...
08/07/2025
SAN JOSE, Calif. - July 8, 2025 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced a reco...
08/07/2025
Arvato Systems Optimizes Customer Communication with AOK Niedersachsen
New project in the statutory health insurance sector
Arvato Systems and AOK Niedersach...