The US Department of Energy’s Orange Button (OB) Working Group (chaired by Blu Banyan, Sunspec Alliance, Sandia) seeks to create an open data exchange standard for the distributed solar PV industry, thereby accelerating the deployment of solar projects.
Its goal is to provide a common platform for solar and energy storage companies to exchange data in a standardized format, thereby reducing the time and costs associated with software development and integration projects.
The History of Orange Button
The idea for Orange Button originated in 2017 when the need for improved data interoperability was recognized across the solar industry. The lack of standardization was leading to inefficiencies and duplicate efforts in data acquisition, processing, and analysis. The Orange Button task force assembled a team of solar and energy storage experts to develop a set of open standards that could be adopted industry-wide. The Orange Button initiative was officially launched in 2018.
The Orange Button Initiative started as a public/private partnership funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, the SunSpec Alliance and more that 350 companies that contributed to its development. Orange Button capitalizes on the idea that commercial enterprises in the solar industry will share data with each other in order to achieve operational efficiency and financial gain. The SunSpec Alliance is the original developer of the technology and the sole licensee of the Orange Button trademark.
The Benefits of the Orange Button Initiative
The Orange Button Initiative provides numerous benefits to solar and energy storage companies, as well as supporting industries including:
Reduced software development costs
By standardizing data formats across the industry, solar and energy storage companies can develop their own software platforms more quickly and cheaply. This is because they will no longer need to develop bespoke software integrations for each customer or partner.
Increased software interoperability
The standardized data formats used by the Orange Button Initiative will make it easier for different software platforms to exchange data. This increased interoperability will make it easier for solar and energy storage companies to work with a wider range of customers and partners.
Improved data quality
The standardized data formats used by the Orange Button Initiative will help to improve the quality of data exchanged between different software platforms. This is because the data will be more consistent and accurate, making it easier to use for analytics and decision-making purposes.
Increased data accuracy
A common data format means that data can be more easily and accurately compared between different solar and energy storage companies and the systems they use to manage their businesses. This helps to improve decision-making and reduce project risk.
Improved customer experience
A standardized data format makes it easier for solar and energy storage customers to understand their options and make informed choices about products and services. This is because they can easily compare data from different companies, and understand how that data relates to their own needs.
Increased market transparency
By providing a clear and concise view of the solar and energy storage industry, the Orange Button Initiative helps to increase market transparency and build trust between solar and energy storage companies and their customers.
Reducing Barriers to Entry in the Solar Industry
The Orange Button Initiative is helping to drive innovation in the solar and energy storage industries by reducing the barriers to entry for new software developers. By making it easier for solar and energy storage companies to develop and launch new products and services, the Orange Button Initiative is helping to create a more dynamic and competitive industry. This will lead to lower prices, better quality products, and improved customer satisfaction.
How You Can Get Involved in the Orange Button Initiative
If you are a solar installer or energy storage company interested in using the Orange Button data standard, you can get started by registering your interest on the Orange Button website. Once you have registered, you will be able to access the Orange Button Data Dictionary, which contains all the information you need to start using the data standard.
If you are a software developer interested in building support for the Orange Button data standard into your software platform, you can also find more information on the Orange Button website.
The Orange Button Initiative is open to all solar and energy storage companies interested in improving the way they exchange data. If you are interested in getting involved, we encourage you to register your interest on the Orange Button website and explore the resources available.
Orange Button Community Goals
The Orange Button Initiative is a community-driven effort, and are always looking for ways to improve the data standard and make it more useful for solar and energy storage companies.
Their aim is to:
- Identify information needed for solar+energy storage business processes
- Bring software developers and subject-matter experts to the table
- Build open source software, information models, and tools that anyone can adopt
- Provide support and training to software developers and businesses
- Encourage widespread adoption of the Orange Button data standard
In Conclusion
The Orange Button Initiative is working to improve the way solar and energy storage companies exchange data by developing a standardized data format. This will help to increase data accuracy, improve customer experience, and reduce barriers to entry for new software developers. Blu Banyan looks forward to continuing to work with the Orange Button Initiative to develop industry-leading software solutions that are aligned for the needs of all solar installation companies.
About Blu Banyan
Blu Banyan is a software development company and NetSuite Solution provider that specializes in developing custom solutions on the NetSuite platform for the Solar and Construction industries. We have a team of experienced NetSuite developers who are familiar with the Orange Button data standard and can help you develop a custom solution that meets your specific needs. If you would like to learn more about how we can help you, please contact us today.
