The HomePlug Alliance, Wi-Fi Alliance, and ZigBee Alliance have signed a game changing agreement that formalizes the Consortium for SEP 2 Interoperability. The Consortium says the alliance will “provide the Smart Grid ecosystem—including utilities, product vendors and consumers—confidence in application and device interoperability. The agreement defines the structure for the Consortium as it develops an interoperability testing suite.”

The Consortium, which was announced this past August, is committed to accelerating the market availability of interoperable Smart Energy Profile 2 (SEP 2) products so that homeowners can get full benefit from the numerous energy management capabilities of the smart grid through wired and wireless networks. In 2009, the United States National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) selected SEP 2, an Internet Protocol-based application, as a standard for home energy management devices.

The Consortium will validate interoperability for a broad spectrum of wired and wireless devices, including thermostats, appliances, electric meters, gateways, and electric vehicles.

Consortium chairman Edgar Figueroa says, “Product interoperability is essential to the realization of the Smart Grid. The Consortium will work to enable interoperability validation across the diverse Smart Grid ecosystem.”

Bob Heile, vice chairman of the Consortium for SEP 2 Interoperability, adds: “Leveraging the collective expertise of every Consortium member will ensure that SEP 2 delivers a positive experience that helps consumers make smart choices about their energy use.”

The Consortium bills itself as “an inclusive, communications technology-agnostic forum formed to unify and accelerate the realization of interoperable SEP 2 products.” Established in 2011 by HomePlug Powerline Alliance, Wi-Fi Alliance and ZigBee Alliance, the Consortium offers membership to organizations with a business interest in SEP 2. For more information, visit www.sep2i.org.

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