What Is Green Button, and Why Do Utilities Need It?
By now, you may have heard of the Green Button Initiative, but do you know what it is and how it affects your utility and community? We’ve compiled a list of the 10 most frequently asked questions about Green Button to help you.
Questions about Green Button
When and where did Green Button start?
What is Green Button?
What is Download My Data?
What is Connect My Data?
Why is access to utility data so important?
How does Green Button work?
Who benefits from the Green Button Initiative?
What is OEB Green Button Regulation 633/21?
How does OEB Green Regulation affect utilities in Ontario?
How can my utility be Green Button compliant?
When and where did Green Button start?
In 2011 Aneesh Chopra, the US Chief Technology Officer, called for all utilities to develop a “Green Button” similar to the Healthcare Blue Button so that consumers could have access to their energy usage data in a simple downloadable format. With this data, consumers would make smart choices about their energy consumption. If the data were standardized, then innovations in applications could transform the way people use energy.
In 2012 the Ontario Ministry of Energy challenged Ontario utilities to make energy-usage data available to consumers as well.
What is Green Button?
Green Button is a standardized format for consumers to download and analyze their energy data to make informed choices about their energy usage. The Green Button standards, both CMD and DMD, enable utility customers to access their usage data easily and securely in a consumer-friendly and computer-friendly format.
To know what Green Button is, you also need to understand the Green Button Alliance.
In February 2015, the Green Button Alliance (GBA) was formed because the US Department of Energy (DOE), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the White House called for an industry-led initiative to accelerate industry adoption and application development of Green Button standards. With the help of the existing North American Energy Standard Board (NAESB) and UCA International User Group standards, the GBA developed a robust industry ecosystem including independent system operators (ISOs), electric utilities, and regional transmission operators (RTOs). The alliance works to create a foundation to support the development, testing, and deployment of the Green Button standard. They also work to speed up adoption across the water, electric, and natural gas markets.
What is Download My Data?
Download My Data (DMD) enables utility customers to download their utility usage data in an industry-standard XML format. When customers download their data, they can then analyze it in a software application of their choice. When a customer downloads this data, s/he sees historical and present energy usage to analyze trends and make informed decisions about their utility usage.
A utility can be certified as DMD standards-compliant by testing their solution with the GBA’s Green DMD File Validator. GBA offers this testing free of charge, and it only takes a few minutes to confirm that the files meet the DMD standard.
What is Connect My Data?
Connect My Data (CMD) is an open-data standard for securely accessing and sharing utility data. CMD ensures that consumer data are protected and privacy is maintained when accessed by third-party solutions. Connect My Data is also known as “Green Button Connect” (GBC), MyData, and “Share My Data,” depending on the provider.
Connect My Data is the standard for the energy industry to give consumers easy access and secure sharing of their utility data. CMD was formerly known as NAESB Reg. 21 Standard (Energy Services Provider Interface Model Business Practices). With CMD, utility customers can transfer their data to a third-party provider that will monitor and manage their utility usage.
Utilities can be certified for Green Button CMD to prove that they are standards-compliant. To be deemed compliant, a utility must show that a customer has authorized access to their data and that their data will be sent via secure transmission to third-party solutions. A consumer’s confidential information must remain private and secure, and utilities must submit to testing with the GBA to confirm that they are CMD compliant.
Why is access to utility data so important?
Awareness
To change their consumption behaviors, consumers need to be aware of usage patterns.
Mitigation
When a consumer measures his environmental impact, climate change mitigation starts. Society benefits from consumers making informed choices to reduce their carbon footprint.
How Does Green Button CMD Work?
A home or business’s smart meter collects usage data and sends that information to the utility. The utility then converts the data into the Green Button format. A customer selects the app they want to analyze their data and gives the utility CMD permission to share it with the third-party app. Then the consumer has access to his/her data and can analyze the data to make choices about utility usage.
Who benefits from the Green Button Initiative?
Consumers and utilities both benefit from the Green Button Initiative.
Consumers
Energy efficiency – consumers can use green button data to select when they use energy and how much they use. With those choices, their homes and businesses become more energy-efficient.
Energy conservation – consumers can use their data to conserve energy and water to help reduce their carbon footprint.
Learn energy use patterns – by looking at historical data, consumers can learn their energy usage patterns and make smart decisions that reduce usage and save money. When using energy on off-peak hours (also known as peak-shaving), consumers help reduce the strain on the grid and save money.
Make smart energy consumption choices – by analyzing their data, consumers can make smart energy choices (peak-shaving) to reduce their carbon footprint and save money.
Secure access to consumption data – with Green Button standards in place, consumers can rest assured that they will have secure access to their data, and their private information will remain confidential.
Determine if investments are performing as promised – it’s not enough to buy an energy-saving appliance, consumers need to know that their new purchases are functioning as the manufacturer promised. Analysis of consumption data will help determine if appliances are performing as intended.
Save money on utilities – with peak-shaving activities, buying energy-saving appliances, and analyzing usage, consumers can save money on energy and water usage.
Utilities
Streamline customer care efforts – if customers can download their data and use a third-party app to analyze it, they will not need to contact customer support. As consumers become savvier, utilities will streamline their customer care efforts.
Empower customers with energy usage patterns – when customers have control over their historical data, they can see patterns and make changes that will reduce the strain on your utility and your infrastructure.
Encourage energy efficiency – the more consumers become aware of their energy consumption and the cost of that consumption, the more they will be more energy efficient. Again, informed consumers make good choices that help the environment and reduce your utility and infrastructure strain.
Help customers save money – when customers have access to their data, they can see their usage pattern. Knowing when and where they consume energy and water will help them make informed decisions that will save them money. Utilities that benefit their customers save money to improve customer satisfaction.
Assist in decarbonizing the province – by helping consumers to reduce their carbon footprint, utilities will be assisting in decarbonizing the province.
What is OEB Green Button Regulation 633/21?
On November 1, 2021, the Ontario Ministry of Energy enacted 633/21 that requires electric and natural gas utilities across the province to certify with the Green Button Alliance in CMD and DMD and implement the Green Button Connect My Data (CMD) and Download My Data (DMD) solutions that adhere to the NAESB’s* REQ. 21 ESPI** version 3.3 standard (commonly known Green Button) by November 1, 2023.
*NAESB – North American Energy Standards Board
**ESPI – Energy Services Provider Interface
How does OEB Green Button Regulation affect utilities in Ontario?
As of November 1, 2021, utilities in Ontario will need to work towards becoming CMD and DMD certified to comply with Regulation 633/21. The OEB’s Green Button Industry-led Working Group will monitor Green Button implementation and compliance issues. The OEB will monitor implementation progress, and distributors will be asked to report every three months as they work towards the implementation of Green Button. On January 31, 2022, the first report will be due for the November 2021-January 2022 time frame. The remaining reporting schedule will be available after January 2022.
Deferral Account
“The July 5, 2021 letter acknowledged the concerns raised during Ministry meetings with distributors concerning the recovery of costs incurred by distributors to implement Green Button. The GB Task Force also heard questions from distributors in relation to cost recovery.
OEB staff is taking this opportunity to confirm the OEB has approved the establishment of a generic deferral account for rate-regulated distributors to record the incremental costs directly attributable to the implementation of the Green Button initiative, in a manner that accords with the requirements set out in the Green Button Regulation. Disposition of any amounts recorded in the account will be subject to established materiality thresholds.
A generic accounting order will be issued in the near term. As with any other deferral account, the disposition of any amounts recorded would be subject to OEB review. While the OEB does not have a firm projection from any distributor at this time regarding the magnitude and nature of costs expected for implementation of Green Button, it notes that the amounts may be material, and as such, is prepared to establish the account on a generic basis.” OEB Reference
How can my utility be Green Button compliant?
Utilities can be green button compliant by implementing and certifying themselves and DMD and CMD compliant.
NorthStar is a member of a Green Button consortium consisting of ERTH Corporation, SilverBlaze, SmartWorks, Savage Data Systems, and Utilitismart Corporation to assist utilities in making the transition to be DMD and CMD compliant.
Interested in learning more about how your utility can be Green Button compliant? Contact NorthStar today.