USEF: A new framework to drive collaboration between energy and technology industries in European smart energy system

The Universal Smart Energy Framework (USEF) defines new standards to provide common objectives for energy and technology companies in emerging smart energy market

• A common goal – USEF acts as a catalyst for the development of smart energy systems, bringing the objectives of energy and technology companies in line.
• Accelerating development – a set of consistent specifications accelerates the development of products, services and solutions for large scale implementation of smart energy systems.
• Standardisation of market access – USEF will stimulate innovation by reducing the cost-to-serve and the cost-to-connect end-users and commoditise smart energy products and services.

The Universal Smart Energy Framework (USEF) will be launched at the Smart Grid Summit in Malaga on the 30^th April 2014.

(WK-intern) – USEF is an industry initiative driven by: Alliander, ABB, DNV GL, IBM, ICT Automatisering, RWE-Essent and Stedin. The open framework is designed to accelerate the development of smart energy products, services and solutions for large scale implementation of smart grids. By defining the minimal set of consistent and coherent specifications for smart energy systems, USEF ensures that the products and services for the deployment of a smart grid become interoperable and can evolve over time to stimulate continuous innovation.

The USEF Foundation will proudly present the first copy of ‘An introduction to the Universal Smart Energy Framework’ to Manuel Sanchez, Team Leader Smart Grids of the EU Commission DG Energy at the Smart Grid Summit in Malaga on 30^th April 2014. This introduction summarises the concepts of USEF and it is accompanied by an entertaining allegoric tale that illustrates the potential impact of the energy framework on our society.

There is a global drive to drastically reduce CO₂ emissions due to global warming and a need to reduce dependence on fossil fuels by increasing access to renewable energy sources, but also producing and consuming energy more efficiently. USEF will allow companies to use a unified smart energy system infrastructure, lowering the costs for innovation and development of smart energy products, services and solutions.

The energy framework benefits both companies already involved in smart energy as well as lower  barriers of entry to the energy market for new innovative players. Smart energy systems require new services, markets and roles that complement the existing energy landscape.

Frits Bliek, technical director of the USEF Foundation commented and Senior Consultant at DNV GL: “Since 2011, work on a smart energy system has been ongoing in Europe as business and users become increasingly aware of the need for better delivery of renewable energy sources. USEF will make the smart energy system a far more open market that encourages innovation and progress, which will accelerate the process of providing users with better products and services at the same time as increasing profitability for businesses.”

About the USEF Foundation

The USEF foundation acts as the steward of the framework and has the ambition to establish it as the de-facto framework for smart energy products, services and solutions. USEF aims that by 2018 ten million end-users use USEF compliant products services and solutions throughout Europe and preferably abroad.

PR: EML Wildfire