The ZigBee Alliance and SunSpec Alliance Collaborate on Renewable Energy Management via ZigBee Smart Energy

By Zigbee Alliance, PRNE
Sunday, June 6, 2010

Joint efforts will focus on connecting renewable energy distributed generation sources to Smart Grid

SAN RAMON, California and SCOTTS VALLEY, California, June 7, 2010 - The ZigBee(R) Alliance and the SunSpec Alliance today announced an
agreement to collaborate on defining standards for renewable energy and
microgrid management using the ZigBee Smart Energy(TM) version 2.0 standard.
The ZigBee Alliance is a global ecosystem of companies creating wireless
solutions for use in energy management, commercial and consumer applications,
and the SunSpec Alliance was formed to accelerate the growth of the renewable
energy industry through standardization of monitoring and management
interfaces for energy system components.

(Logo: www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091005/SF86596LOGO)

As use of distributed generation increases with more residences and
businesses installing solar power generating systems, those microgrid systems
need to integrate with the Smart Grid. The collaboration between the two
Alliances will address the existing gap between the growing use of
distributed generation via renewable energy resources and the Smart Grid, in
order to take advantage of the energy management efficiencies of the Smart
Grid.

"Working with the SunSpec Alliance further broadens the reach and
strength of ZigBee Smart Energy by giving renewable energy industries and the
utilities a standardized approach to Smart Grid integration," said Bob Heile,
chairman of the ZigBee Alliance. "As more consumers and businesses install
renewable energy systems, they need a way to control not only their energy
use, but also how it ties in to their local utility. They will be able to do
all of this using ZigBee Smart Energy."

ZigBee Smart Energy is the market leading wireless HAN standard with more
than 40 million smart meters being installed around the world. Common HAN
devices include utility meters, thermostats, pool pumps, water heaters,
appliances and plug-in electric vehicles. The standard was developed by
industry leading utilities, suppliers and technology companies to connect
those everyday household devices to the Smart Grid. Last year, ZigBee Smart
Energy was listed by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Institute
of Standards and Technology (NIST) as one of the initial consensus standards
for HAN devices for inclusion in the Smart Grid Roadmap.

"ZigBee Smart Energy is a key standard to removing barriers and firmly
establishing product interoperability that expedites Smart Grid integration
of renewable power generating sources," said Tom Tansy, chairman of the
SunSpec Alliance. "The SunSpec Alliance shares the ZigBee Alliance's vision
of helping consumers and businesses realize a new era of energy management
and efficiency, and this collaboration adds a focus on the control of
renewable energy production."

ZigBee Smart Energy - The Standard for Home Area Networks

ZigBee Smart Energy enables wireless communication between utility
companies and common household devices such as smart thermostats and
appliances. It improves energy efficiency by allowing consumers to choose
interoperable products from different manufacturers giving them the means to
manage their energy consumption more precisely using automation and near
real-time information. It also helps utilities and energy providers implement
new advanced metering and demand response programs to drive greater energy
management and efficiency, while responding to changing government
requirements. For more information and a list of ZigBee Certified products,
visit: www.ZigBee.org/SmartEnergy.

About ZigBee: Control your world

ZigBee is the global wireless language connecting dramatically different
devices to work together and enhance everyday life. The ZigBee Alliance is a
non-profit association of more than 350 members driving development of ZigBee
wireless technology. The Alliance promotes world-wide adoption of ZigBee as
the leading wirelessly networked, sensing and control standard for use in
consumer electronic, energy, home, commercial and industrial areas. For more
information, visit: www.ZigBee.org.

About SunSpec Alliance

The SunSpec Alliance was formed to accelerate the growth of the renewable
energy industry through standardization of monitoring and management
interfaces for energy system components. The Alliance creates and publishes
specifications; establishes testing and certification procedures for product
conformance, and educates consumers, utilities and vendors on the benefits of
the standardization. Alliance membership is open to any corporation,
non-profit or individual with a vested interest in the renewable energy
industry, including manufacturers, software developers, computer hardware
companies, system integrators, financial backers, regulatory agencies, and
energy consumers. For more information, or to find out how to join the
Alliance, please visit www.sunspec.org.

Kevin Schader of ZigBee Alliance, +1-925-275-6672, kschader at inventures.com; Earlene Tang of GolinHarris for ZigBee Alliance, +1-714-918-8215, etang at golinharris.com; Robb Henshaw of Henshaw Communications for SunSpec Alliance, +1-925-640-7321, robbhenshaw at gmail.com

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