- GridFabric is an OpenADR (Automatic Demand Response) communications compliance and certification company
- The OpenADR protocol allows EV charging companies and their customers to communicate with the utilities for demand response programs
CleanSpark has announced that it is entering the electric vehicle (EV) charging station space through its recently acquired, wholly-owned subsidiary GridFabric, LLC. It said that GridFabric is an OpenADR (Automatic Demand Response) communications compliance and certification company. This initiative will be focused on providing software solutions to aid in load management for EV charging stations and balancing the impact the increased power demand has on the traditional grid.
The OpenADR protocol allows EV charging companies and their customers to communicate with the utilities for demand response programs. They allow the utility to more easily manage power distribution to the grid claimed the company.
Rapidly implementing OpenADR
EV fast-charging will create an additional burden on the existing, ageing power grid. Public utilities will likely need to upgrade their existing infrastructure to handle the additional load. They will also need to rely more on demand management programs and load-balancing to increase overall grid stability. EV charging locations that plan to participate in these programs will be required, in certain jurisdictions, to utilise certified communications protocols.
The company said that GridFabric offers a method of rapidly implementing OpenADR and providing the corresponding certification. It has provided its OpenADR software to two EV charging companies since its acquisition by CleanSpark in August 2020 and has additional proposals pending with a number of EV charging companies.
