PALO ALTO, Calif. and LONDON, Dec. 5, 2024 -- More than two dozen companies from across the global energy value chain have today launched the public-private Mercury Consortium.
Conceived by Kraken, drawing inspiration from Ericsson's pivotal role in the development of the Bluetooth connectivity standards, the consortium will be managed by EPRI, an independent, non-profit R&D organization dedicated to advancing clean, affordable, and reliable energy.
This groundbreaking initiative aims to establish guidelines and best practices to accelerate the adoption and impact of clean energy technologies, such as EV chargers, heat pumps, solar panels, smart thermostats, and residential batteries. It also focuses on enabling utilities to leverage these technologies to make grids more resilient and efficient to operate, driving the transition to a sustainable energy future.
The consortium will work to define common functional behaviors for low-carbon devices, ensuring they work seamlessly with the grid, regardless of brand, boosting consumer confidence in the energy transition.
The Mercury Consortium is open to electric utilities, manufacturers, technology providers, regulators, and others. See below for a full list of founding members.
In 2023, consumers throughout the world invested $184 billion in low-carbon technology, outpacing government spending two-fold, and by 2030, consumers are anticipated to purchase more than 200 million devices like EV chargers, solar panels, batteries, and heat pumps. If managed inefficiently, this surge could drive peak electricity demand beyond grid capacity, requiring extensive investment in transmission.
The ability to seamlessly exchange actionable information between two or more systems, referred to as interoperability, could allow for new solutions to better manage the flow of energy from generation to consumption. However, there is no universal approach to interoperability in energy systems. Consumer devices that have the capability to operate with utilities' requirements, integrate into energy systems, and participate in demand-response programs and markets could help the energy system be more responsive and flexible.
Arshad Mansoor, EPRI President and CEO, said: "The ability for technologies to seamlessly integrate, effectively communicate, and undertake tasks is critical for a modern energy system. Developing best practices to better integrate cutting-edge technologies could help increase the use of low-carbon energy, build a more sustainable future, and accelerate the pace of net-zero emissions by mid-century."
Devrim Celal, Chief Marketing and Flexibility Officer at Kraken, said: "The need for rapid electrification is urgent, and requires the entire energy system to pull together in the same direction. That's why we're uniting partners across the sector to develop universal standards—like Bluetooth for low-carbon tech— to accelerate the adoption of low-carbon tech and together build a sustainable energy future."
Patti Poppe, PG&E Corporation CEO, said: "The use and adoption of clean energy technologies will only grow as we electrify and decarbonize. Mercury is a perfect example of how we can work together across the industry to advance the digital, dynamic grid of the future."
Founding Members:
Utilities: AusGrid, Con Edison, CPS Energy, E.ON Next, EDF Energy, Elia Group, Essential Energy, New York Power Authority, Octopus Energy, Pacific Gas & Electric, PPL Corporation, Southern California Edison, Tokyo Gas, UK Power Networks
Manufacturers: Easee, Enphase Energy, Hypervault, Ideal Heating, Mobilize (Renault Group), myenergi, Solis (Ginlong Technologies)
Technology Providers: Amazon Web Services, gridX, Kraken, Lunar Energy, Oracle, SolarEdge
Regulatory & Associations: EPRI
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