Flexigrid
OpenADR 2.0b · Aggregated Demand Response

Automated demand response,
at scale.

Flexigrid implements the OpenADR 2.0 standard to receive utility dispatch signals and automatically coordinate response across every enrolled site—delivering grid flexibility without any manual intervention.

What is OpenADR?

OpenADR (Open Automated Demand Response) is an OASIS open standard that defines a machine-to-machine communication protocol for demand response signals. It eliminates manual phone calls and manual curtailment by letting utilities automatically broadcast events to enrolled participants who respond in seconds.

Flexigrid acts as both a Virtual Top Node (VTN)—receiving and relaying signals from utilities—and manages a fleet of Virtual End Nodes (VENs) embedded at each site, creating a fully automated demand response pipeline from grid signal to device action.

How a DR event flows

From utility signal to device response in under 5 minutes.

Utility / Grid Operator
VTN
Virtual Top Node

Issues OpenADR 2.0 event payloads via HTTPS/XMPP. Defines event type, signal level, intervals, and target VEN groups.

Flexigrid Platform
Flexigrid
Aggregation Layer

Receives VTN events, evaluates enrolled sites, calculates available flexibility, and dispatches optimized control commands to each VEN in the portfolio.

Site / Device
VEN
Virtual End Node

Embedded agent at each site that executes control actions—curtailing loads, discharging batteries, or shedding non-critical circuits—and reports back actual response.

Typical event timeline

T+0s
VTN issues event payload
T+2s
Flexigrid parses & validates signal
T+15s
Control commands dispatched to VENs
T+60s
Sites confirm response; telemetry streaming

DR program types

Flexigrid supports multiple OpenADR signal types, each mapped to a program category with different triggers, actions, and compensation structures.

Emergency DR

SIMPLE — Level 3
Trigger: Grid emergency or reliability event
Action: Maximum curtailment across all enrolled assets. Targets critical load sheds within seconds of VTN dispatch.
Duration: 15 min – 4 hrs
Compensation: High — capacity payment + event payment

Economic DR

ELECTRICITY_PRICE
Trigger: Real-time or day-ahead price spike
Action: Shift flexible loads (EV charging, HVAC pre-cooling, battery discharge) to avoid high-price intervals.
Duration: 1 – 8 hrs
Compensation: Medium — price arbitrage savings

Ancillary Services

LOAD_DISPATCH
Trigger: Frequency regulation or spinning reserve call
Action: Fast-response modulation of battery inverters and controllable loads to track a regulation signal.
Duration: Continuous / as-needed
Compensation: Capacity + performance payment

Voluntary Curtailment

SIMPLE — Level 1
Trigger: Utility request or sustainability commitment
Action: Soft reduction in non-critical loads. Participants can opt out without penalty.
Duration: 30 min – 2 hrs
Compensation: Low — bill credit or goodwill

Platform capabilities

What Flexigrid handles end-to-end so your team doesn't have to.

OpenADR 2.0b Compliant

Full support for the OASIS standard profile. Flexigrid operates as a certified VTN/VEN intermediary, compatible with any compliant utility system.

Event Lifecycle Management

Tracks every DR event from creation through active, completed, and cancelled states. Opt-in/opt-out is logged per site for audit and settlement.

Granular Signal Types

Supports SIMPLE, ELECTRICITY_PRICE, LOAD_DISPATCH, and LOAD_CONTROL signal payloads—mapping utility signals to device-level actions automatically.

Real-Time Telemetry Reports

VEN nodes stream interval meter data back to the VTN during events. Flexigrid aggregates and validates reported performance for settlement.

Baseline & M&V

Automated baseline calculation (CAISO, PJM, and custom methods) and measurement & verification reporting ensure accurate curtailment accounting.

Enrollment & Registration

Self-service site enrollment with capacity declaration, resource type tagging, and program-level opt-in managed through the Flexigrid dashboard.

Why aggregation matters

Small reductions. Big impact.

A single site responding to a DR event can deliver a few kilowatts of curtailment. Flexigrid aggregates hundreds of sites, turning those individual reductions into megawatt-scale grid resources that qualify for utility capacity markets and ancillary service programs that no single site could access alone.

Aggregation also means each site bears less curtailment burden. The platform distributes response obligations proportionally—so no single facility is over-curtailed, and customers barely notice an event is happening.

Ready to enroll in demand response?

Sign in to register your sites, declare capacity, and start participating in OpenADR programs.