There is a growing, global awareness that we must develop new models for mindful use of energy resources: ones that support efficient, effective economic growth and enable rapid innovation. This development will occur via new markets that offer wider energy choices and greater personal autonomy. These markets require a new language and new interfaces for efficient economic interaction.

The OASIS Blue Member Section advances open standards for smart energy grids and intelligent buildings. OASIS Blue is committed to leveraging the innovation and advances of eCommerce standards and the power of the Internet to achieve meaningful sustainability.

Open standards developed within OASIS Blue will enable business needs, household needs, and other information to be incorporated into energy decisions in an interoperable manner, to maximize efficiency, expand control, and create new markets.

Who should participate?

All those interested in the role of open standards and sustainability are encouraged to participate in OASIS Blue. We especially invite people representing:

• energy providers
• developers of Grid-related applications or services
• providers of eCommerce applications or services
• experts in energy, building management, or eCommerce
• government agencies involved in energy legislation and use
• industry organizations working on standardization around sustainability
• research institutes studying traditional and alternative energy sources

OASIS Blue participants prioritize areas of standardization and build consensus on how to structure and charter programs of specific work.

What is the scope of work?

Many of our largest problems in resources and in energy stem from failures to coordinate activities, account for small decisions, and account for externalities. Clear, open models, taxonomies and information-sharing protocols are needed for identifying and tracking relevant events, objects, uses, transactions and networks. These will permit interoperable smart energy grids. and those plugged into them, to advance sustainability and economic opportunity, by applying lessons from the Internet and electronic commerce to networks of energy use, demand and generation.

The OASIS Blue-affiliated Technical Committees capitalize on, profile and extend existing electronic commerce and data exchange standards. They advance needed taxonomies for natural resources and networked devices and articulate best practices for facilitation of smart economic development and smart energy.

The OASIS Blue Member Section supports the process of gathering requirements, developing specifications, coordinating the work of its affiliated Technical Committees and provide the governance structure to accept and manage funds to serve its work. The Member Section also supports adoption and implementation efforts including development of test cases, testing procedures, and interoperability testing and demonstrations.

Why Blue?

Few would disagree that Green is good. Yet Green is all too often associated with sacrifice and denial. Adam Werbach, former head of the Sierra Club, believes that real strides in sustainability will only be realized when we view our efforts in terms of business opportunities, not sacrifices. According to Werbach, each decision and each transaction should be made mindful of price, purpose and process—and the benefits of economic growth can be guided by the ethos of sustainability. He named this new synthesis Blue, invoking the earth as seen by the astronauts.

The Blue approach builds on the sustainable, environmentally sensitive nature of the Green movement, extends the impact and broadens the appeal. Economic principles such as the value of greater efficiency, of reduced infrastructure cost, of more effective use of resources, and the benefits of economic growth are the guiding principles of Blue.

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See also:

• OASIS Blue Initiative white paper
• OASIS Blue Values