MORGAN HILL, Calif., July 1, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Green Button Alliance (GBA), which fosters the development, compliance, and wide-spread adoption of the Green Button standard, today announced the launch of its Green Button Download My Data (DMD) Testing and Certification Program. The new Green Button Testing and Certification Program is designed to support and accelerate the development, deployment, and broad adoption of standardized, interoperable Green Button solutions. By certifying their Green Button offerings, utilities, energy service providers, and solution providers, can be confident their Green Button implementations comply with enhanced Green Button standards and are fully interoperable with other independently developed Green Button services and applications. In addition, a "Green Button Certified DMD" mark on an energy provider's website assures consumers and application developers that they can rely on the data they receive. Green Button Certified DMD offerings will enable a broad ecosystem of compatible and interoperable products, help consumers identify and use the solutions best-suited for their energy-efficiency goals, and significantly increase the market proliferation and adoption of Green Button technologies.
"Currently, there are over 150 utilities and service providers committed to providing customers with their own energy data in a standardized format; and ultimately, there are expected to be thousands of Green Button implementations, services, and applications in the international Green Button ecosystem," said Donald F. Coffin, Technical Manager, Green Button Alliance. "Testing and certifying Green Button products for compliance to the Green Button standard enables Green Button developers worldwide to work from a common ground, significantly reduces development time and costs, and heightens consumer engagement by empowering them with solutions that work-together seamlessly to enable them to efficiently manage their own energy consumption."
The Green Button Alliance is now accepting applications for certification of Green Button Download My Data (DMD) implementations from energy service providers. It is also developing the ability to provide certification of Green Button Connect My Data (CMD) implementations to energy service providers later this year. The Green Button Alliance's DMD test suite utilizes existing, enhanced standards and technology from the North American Energy Standards Board (NAESB). The Green Button Alliance offers and administers testing through founding member UL's test laboratories. The Green Button Alliance website enables members and non-members to list certified offerings and allows energy customers to easily locate providers that have Green Button Certified DMD solutions. A Green Button Certified DMD graphic mark on an implementer's website will further assure developers and customers that an implementation has indeed been tested to be compliant and will provide consistent Green Button data.
"As a founding member of the Green Button Alliance, and a global leader in energy-efficiency product testing and certification services, UL is uniquely qualified to test Green Button products for their compliance to the Green Button standard as well as issue Green Button certifications through our EPA-recognized laboratories around the world," said Mike Kuo, General Manager NA, Consumer Technology Division, UL. "Utilities worldwide can now confidently bring Green Button Certified DMD solutions to market with the knowledge that the UL testing and certification program can help ensure that the product will be fully compatible and interoperable with other Green Button implementations, thus significantly increasing the market potential for their product."
Utilities and energy service providers who have existing Green Button DMD implementations, or who are in the process of developing Green Button DMD offerings, can now apply for Green Button DMD certification at http://www.greenbuttonalliance.org/certification/.
About Green Button Standards
The Green Button Download My Data (DMD) standard enables home owners and property managers to download their electricity usage data from an energy service provider's website in an industry-standard XML data format. Energy customers can utilize these data to view their historical and present energy usage, analyze trends, and make informed energy-management choices.
Extending upon the Green Button Download My Data (DMD) standard, the Green Button Connect My Data (CMD) standard allows customers to authorize direct, secure transfer of their energy usage data to third parties that can assist them with easily managing and conserving energy. In addition, due to the use of common, standardized Green Button formats, third-party developers are able to rapidly create and offer these products, services, and applications. Green Button standards are based on the North American Energy Standards Board (NAESB) Energy Services Provider Interface (ESPI) standard.
About UL
UL is a premier global independent safety science company that has championed progress for more than 120 years. Its nearly 11,000 professionals are guided by the UL mission to promote safe working and living environments for all people. UL uses research and standards to continually advance and meet ever-evolving safety needs. We partner with businesses, manufacturers, trade associations and international regulatory authorities to bring solutions to a more complex global supply chain. For more information about our certification, testing, inspection, advisory and education services, visit http://www.UL.com.
About Green Button Alliance
The Green Button Alliance (GBA) is a non-profit corporation formed to foster the development, compliance, and wide-spread adoption of the Green Button standard. The Green Button Alliance advances the Green Button initiative: a White House-inspired challenge to the electric utility industry to give consumers access to their energy usage information in a downloadable, standardized format. The Green Button initiative was created with the support of the White House, the Department of Energy (DOE), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP), and the Utility Communications Architecture International Users Group (UCAIug). The Green Button Download My Data (DMD) and Green Button Connect My Data (CMD) standards are based on the North American Energy Standards Board (NAESB) Energy Services Provider Interface (ESPI) standard. For more information, or to join the Green Button Alliance, please visit http://www.greenbuttonalliance.org.
Green Button Alliance, Green Button, GreenButton Download My Data, GreenButton Connect My Data, and the Green Button logo are trademarks, registered trademarks, or service marks of departments of the United States of America and/or the Green Button Alliance. All other marks are property of their respective owners.