Wi-SUN Alliance Promotes Interoperable Home Energy Management Profile Implementations in collaboration with ECHONET Consortium.

TOKYO and SAN JOSE, Calif., July 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Members show live demonstrations of IPv6-based network solutions for ECHONET Lite The Wi-SUN Alliance, a global organization leading the promotion, standards compliance, and interoperability testing of Smart Utility Network devices, today announced a major milestone in furthering multi-vendor, multi-layer interoperability for such devices.  At the Wireless Japan 2013 exhibition Wi-SUN member companies demonstrated interoperable independent, standards-based products using JJ-300.10, "Home Network Communication Interface for ECHONET Lite (IEEE802.15.4/4e/4g@920MHz-band Wireless)". The Wi-SUN Alliance ECHONET Working Group (WG) is defining a complete Wi-SUN interoperable technical profile and test and certification program for home energy management systems (HEMS) based on ECHONET Lite through collaboration with the Test and Certification WG in Wi-SUN Alliance and ECHONET consortium. The member companies implemented the Wi-SUN specification for ECHONET Lite as defined by the Wi-SUN Alliance Working Group.

The Wi-SUN™ Alliance, a global ecosystem of companies creating seamless interoperable wireless communication solutions for use in energy management, and the ECHONET™ Consortium, an organization promoting the development of basic software and hardware for home networks, today announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreement to collaborate on the development of a certification program for products based on ECHONET standards, in particular, the certification of ECHONET Lite applications using the Wi-SUN Interoperable Certification Program.

The ECHONET standards are globally applicable, international communication standards for linking home appliances made by different manufacturers and providing various services using easily installed transmission media in both new and existing homes. The Internet Protocol (IP) based ECHONET Lite standard was endorsed as the Japanese Smart House Standard by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). ECHONET Lite defines application level communications for electric appliances and electronic equipment to connect to a home energy management system while allowing the use of any appropriate communication standard.

"The Wi-SUN Alliance is pleased to collaborate with ECHONET Consortium by providing a communication technology that is reliable, scalable and secure for controlling energy management systems in a smart home," said Chairman Phil Beecher of the Wi-SUN Alliance. "Both the Wi-SUN Alliance and ECHONET Consortium are not only committed to establishing certification programs in Japan but also to promoting these international standards around the world."  Moreover, the Wi-SUN and ECHONET joint proposal was selected by the TTC (Telecommunication Technology Committee) of Japan as a standard communication interface for Japanese Standard Home Energy Management Application Protocol, ECHONET Lite. (The standard number is JJ300.10, mode A and C). The profile (mode A) is suitable for operation on a variety of IP-based technologies. This collaboration establishes a communications technology-agnostic forum to unify and accelerate the realization of interoperable ECHONET-Lite protocol based products through the Wi-SUN test and certification program. The collaboration intends to utilize the processes and best practices recommended by the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP) for smart grid testing and certification programs.

As a result of the MoU, the first TTC standard based on this agreement - JJ-300.10, "Home Network Communication Interface for ECHONET Lite (IEEE802.15.4/4e/4g@920MHz-band Wireless)" was published.

"As the organization that initiated the Wireless Smart Utility Network standards activity, the Wi-SUN Alliance is committed to ensuring that the years of work invested by a broad stakeholder community, translate into success in the marketplace," said Phil Beecher, chairman of the Wi-SUN Alliance. "The Wi-SUN Alliance is pleased to contribute its considerable experience and expertise in Smart Energy product certification to this new independent certification and testing consortium to ensure that consumers get smart products that are easy to use, independent of communications technology."    

"Wi-SUN Alliance, which is responsible for certifying and promoting wireless smart utility networks technology, is excited to be working with other leading industry organizations to help accelerate the adoption of the Smart Grid throughout the world," said Hiroshi Harada, Wi-SUN Alliance board co-chair and chair of the ECHONET WG. "We believe ECHONET-Lite is an important component in the integration of Smart Grid services inside and outside the home and we are committed to using our expertise to help drive industry adoption."

The collaboration between ECHONET and Wi-SUN for Interoperability invites participation from other trade associations in communications technology that have an interest in developing an interoperable smart grid.

Wi-SUN membership continues to grow; since the beginning of this year 13 new organizations have joined Wi-SUN Alliance.

About the Wi-SUN Alliance
Wi-SUN: Seamless Connectivity

The Wi-SUN Alliance is an association of companies working together to enable reliable, cost-effective, low-power, wireless Smart Utility products based on an open global standard IEEE 802.15.4g. The Wi-SUN Alliance membership comprises solution providers and original equipment manufacturers worldwide. Membership is open to all corporations. Additional information can be found at www.wi-sun.org

Wi-SUN is a registered trademark of the Wi-SUN Alliance. IEEE 802.15.4 is a trademark of the IEEE. Other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

For more information, visit www.Wi-SUN.org

Contact: Bhupender Virk, MWG Chair: +81-80-1137-5574, [email protected]

SOURCE Wi-SUN Alliance