Question 1

What's happening between IDIS and DLMS?

Accepted Answer

The IDIS Association and DLMS User Association announced a merger agreement in November 2021.  The current activities of IDIS will be integrated into the DLMS UA and the combined association will drive innovation through interoperability and standardization supporting forward-looking multi-utility and energy-as-a-service trends.  The DLMS UA will continue to deliver world-leading specifications and certification programs guaranteeing the highest level of compatibility and serve as the Go-To standard and certification platform for data exchange in IoT and strategic energy and water management.

Question 2

How do I get access to the IDIS Specification?

Accepted Answer

An preivew of the last version is available on our News & Blog page for a free download. If you want to buy the complete version, please send us a message using the contact form.

Question 3

Could IDIS be extended to cover broader topics beyond smart metering, like the smart grid?"

Accepted Answer

Already today the DLMS/COSEM standards cover some smart grid features (e.g. load management) the functionality is extended following the market needs. Load management functions are already covered in the interoperability Package 1.

Question 4

How does IDIS support the EU Directive 2006/32/EC on energy savings, and the EU Mandate M/441 on standardization and interoperability?"

Accepted Answer

As three innovative smart metering solution providers, we feel responsible to convert the existing standardization framework into real interoperable products. We are encouraged to undertake this investment by the EU directive and by the mandate M/441. The EU directive confirms our strategy to support energy conservation by providing efficient smart metering solutions based on open standards. We are very glad that the EU commission supports our view by mandating smart metering standards to the European standardization organizations. Supported by theses two EU initiatives, we will contribute to the strengthened presence of the European industry to establish the worldwide lead in open standardized metering solutions. We will actively participate in the activities launched with the M/441 mandate by maintaining and extending the existing standards in order to ensure future developments in technology can be considered within the existing standardization framework.

Question 5

How does IDIS complement the existing standardisation activities of European Smart Metering Industry Group (ESMIG)?

Accepted Answer

IDIS is based on existing open standards, what is new is the implementation of these standards. The three companies fully support activities of ESMIG and of the standardization organizations. Naturally the three companies will feed all experiences gained by implementing the existing standards to the standardization organizations and to ESMIG. We hope that idis will also encourage other manufacturers to follow our approach.

Question 6

Where is the DC-HES interface ?

Accepted Answer

IDIS is completely based on open, official standards (as declared in the IDIS openness declaration) which are published by standardization committees fulfilling the openness requirements of the EU commission*). Today, there does NOT exist any standard for the DC-HES interface. Therefore, members of the IDIS association initiated a standardization project in IEC TC13 WG14 (project 62056-9-1) to define a web service based protocol which is suitable for the interface between DC and HES. The first proposal is expected to circulate via the IEC national committees in April 2014. Once the standard is established IDIS will consider it in its specifications. Following this procedure  IDIS demonstrates its commitment to openness according to the requirements of the European authorities. *) The European Union uses the following definition of OPENNESS in its European Interoperability Framework: The standard is adopted and will be maintained by a not-for-profit organization, and its ongoing development occurs on the basis of an open decision-making procedure available to all interested parties (consensus or majority decision etc.) The standard has been published and the standard specification document is available either freely or at a nominal charge. It must be permissible to all to copy, distribute and use it for no fee or at a nominal fee. The intellectual property - i.e. patents possibly present - of (parts of) the standard is made irrevocably available on a royalty-free basis. There are no constraints on the re-use of the standard

Question 7

How do I get the IDIS Label?

Accepted Answer

You can download a full 'How to Guide' here.

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