Built on Collaboration, This Partnership Bridges the Gap Between Smart Home Innovation and Utility Demand Response
SAN RAMON, CA / ACCESS Newswire / May 11, 2026 / The Connectivity Standards Alliance and the OpenADR Alliance today announced a formal liaison agreement to enable their mutual members to accelerate the adoption of grid-connected residential energy management solutions. This collaboration across two leading standards organizations addresses a growing need for seamless communication between smart home devices and the energy grid.
Utilities face mounting pressure to manage a grid shifting rapidly toward renewable energy sources, just as electric appliances, including EV chargers, heat pumps, solar installations, and home battery systems, become increasingly common in homes worldwide. At the same time, those device manufacturers are navigating a complex landscape of energy management standards, creating uncertainty and making it difficult to determine which protocols to support and how to implement them.
The liaison agreement establishes a clear division of applications. The Matter smart home protocol, stewarded by the Connectivity Standards Alliance, handles in-home communication between appliances and an energy gateway. The OpenADR 3 protocol, developed by the OpenADR Alliance, enables communication between the gateway, utilities, and grid operators. Together, these two protocols can enable an end-to-end pathway from the grid to the individual device.
“This collaboration is about enabling utilities, manufacturers, and platforms to make things simpler for everyone across the energy ecosystem,” said Connectivity Standards Alliance Head of Testing and Certification Jon Harros. “By bringing the energy ecosystem together, our members are creating a clear roadmap for device makers, and enabling utilities to scale with confidence, resulting in trusted, reliable solutions consumers can depend on.”
This collaboration opens the door to meaningful and tangible benefits across the energy value chain. Manufacturers can save go-to-market time, up-front investment, and ongoing maintenance by establishing a single development path that more easily unlocks the new revenue opportunities through Flexible Service programs. By enabling their devices to respond to grid signals, consumers benefit through bill credits and additional incentives while utilities gain a standardized, scalable mechanism for demand response. For regulators, several of whom have already signaled interest in mandating OpenADR 3, gain assurance an interoperable solution exists.
“OpenADR has been a proven standard for demand-side management and flexibility since 2012,” said Rolf Bienert, Managing and Technical Director of the OpenADR Alliance. “By working with the members of the Connectivity Standards Alliance, we can help position the next generation of smart home devices to participate in the flexibility programs that utilities and governments are counting on.”
Together, members of both organizations are working to make it easier to turn connected homes into active participants for a smarter, more resilient energy future. Utilities, service providers, and device makers are encouraged to join the OpenADR Alliance and Connectivity Standards Alliance to collaborate and accelerate bringing this vision to market.
About the Connectivity Standards Alliance
The Connectivity Standards Alliance is the foundation and future of the Internet of Things (IoT). Established in 2002, its wide-ranging global membership collaborates to create and evolve universal open standards for the products transforming the way we live, work, and play. With its Members’ deep and diverse expertise, robust certification programs, and a full suite of open IoT solutions, the Alliance is leading the movement toward a more intuitive, imaginative, and useful world.
The Connectivity Standards Alliance Board of Directors is comprised of executives from Allegion, Amazon, Apple, ASSA ABLOY, Bosch, CableLabs, Comcast, Espressif, Eve by ABB, Fortune Brands, Google, Haier, Huawei, IKEA, Infineon Technologies AG, LEEDARSON, Legrand, LG Electronics, Lutron Electronics, Midea, Nordic Semiconductor, NXP Semiconductors, OPPO, Resideo Technologies, Samsung Electronics, Schneider Electric, Siemens, Signify (Philips Hue and WiZ), Silicon Labs, Somfy, STMicroelectronics, Tuya, and Verizon.
About the OpenADR Alliance
The OpenADR Alliance, a non-profit corporation created to foster the development, adoption, and compliance of OpenADR and related energy flexibility standards, helps utilities manage the growing pool of distributed energy resources (DER), which includes renewable energy, energy storage, demand response (DR), and electric vehicle charging. The OpenADR standard supports communications to all DR and DER resources to manage changes in load shape, energy inputs, and power characteristics of DER assets. The EcoPort standard additionally enables smart appliances to be connected.
Media Contacts:
Connectivity Standards Alliance
Ted Miller
[email protected]
OpenADR Alliance
Amanda Hassall
Origin Communications
+44 (0)7855 359889
[email protected]
SOURCE: OpenADR Alliance
