As part of Tridium's continued commitment to helping building owners reduce energy use and cost, the company announced the market availability of a new OpenADR (Open Automated Demand Response) simple client driver for the NiagaraAX Framework.

This software driver is based on OpenADR specification 1.0, and enables communication between NiagaraAX Hosts and Utilities, allowing ISO's and Aggregators to support Automated Demand Response Programs.

OpenADR specifications outline a specific communication model that uses the Internet to send Demand Response signals to end-user facilities to curtail energy loads. OpenADR programs are used in commercial, industrial and residential settings to reduce cost, promote interoperability among demand response technologies, and allow utilities and energy providers to better manage pricing and critical load issues while actively engaging with their consumers.

With the OpenADR Client driver, users have the ability to collaborate utilities with end-user facilities to perform automatic load shedding events to curtail energy consumption during peak usage. The system architecture of the OpenADR program includes three parties: the energy provider, the Demand Response Automation Server (DRAS), and the facility that is consuming the energy.

Tridium's OpenADR Simple Driver has been validated with the Akuacom DRAS (www.akuacom.com) and requires NiagaraAX version 3.5 or higher with a licensed OpenADR software module. "The addition of the OpenADR Simple Driver to our expanding portfolio of software drivers provides opportunities to create standards for demand response for a growing population with growing demands, as well as control energy usage while reducing costs," said Marc Petock, Tridium's vice president global marketing & communications.

Additional information about OpenADR can be found at  http://www.openadrcollaborative.org.