Flipturn, the unified control center for EV fleet and charger operations, became OpenADR certified in 2023.
What is OpenADR certification?
OpenADR is a demand response protocol that lets a software platform like Flipturn exchange information bidirectionally with utilities and other demand response service providers. Certification is performed by the OpenADR Alliance's testing partners and requires passing more than 100 individual tests of platform functionality.
OpenADR certification is a requirement for software providers in SCE's Charge Ready program. We've covered Flipturn becoming an approved SCE Charge Ready network provider separately.
How does the OpenADR protocol work?
The OpenADR protocol is device- and manufacturer-agnostic, which allows for interoperability between many different systems. It is a server/client message-exchange protocol where the server is typically the utility (VTN) and the clients (VENs) are the nodes that respond to information sent by the utility.
OpenADR's design treats client nodes as best equipped to make their own decisions on how to respond. The protocol informs and motivates rather than directly controlling end devices.
For example, if there is a spike in demand on a random Monday between 6-7pm, the VTN notifies VENs, which can then choose how to respond — for instance, by reducing power consumption on their EV chargers.
What opportunities does OpenADR certification open for Flipturn's customers?
Now that Flipturn is OpenADR certified, the platform can be configured to react to demand response events from utilities. Energy management handles the integration; for sites that need local enforcement of utility signals during network outages, the Flipturn Controller is also OpenADR certified and approved for several utility programs including PG&E Flex Connect.
OpenADR-enabled demand response programs exist across the country. Southern California Edison uses OpenADR's automated demand response in its critical peak pricing program, which pays customers to reduce energy usage during demand response events. One SCE customer participating in CPP, Railex, averaged nearly 300 kW in load reduction per event, yielding more than $32,653 in savings.
Hawaiian Electric uses OpenADR to manage a large pool of distributed energy resources including solar PV, storage batteries, and EV charging. The utility linked batteries across 6,000 homes to create a decentralized power plant, using OpenADR to communicate when grid demand will surge so it can draw on a portfolio of 25 MW of solar and 80 MW of battery capacity.
For locations and status of every OpenADR deployment, see the OpenADR Alliance deployment map.
If you operate EV charging stations and want to enroll in a demand response program, book a demo.
About Flipturn
Flipturn is a leading charging management solution for fleets. The platform combines energy management to minimize utility costs, charger monitoring to improve uptime and issue resolution speed, and fleet charging management for cost per mile and range insights.
