Request for Proposal for interoperability in Home Energy Management

The Dutch Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth (Klimaat en groene groei) has issued several measures to deal with the challenges that arise from the energy transition. These measures are combined in the Dutch National Grid Congestion Action Program (LAN). An important measure involves innovative design and standardization. In April 2025, ElaadNL and Flexiblepower Alliance Network, have started a project on this measure, entitled “An interoperable solution for Home Energy Management Systems and energy-intensive equipment”. 

Roadmap toward interoperability

After a thorough inventory phase, which consisted of a report, a Request for Information to which 27 parties responded and two deep dive sessions (attended by 18 parties), we now publish the Request for Proposal (RFP) for participation in the project. This RFP invites initiatives for developing and testing interoperable HEMS components and flexible energy intensive devices (FEIDs). As part of our roadmap toward interoperability, the RFP focuses on the initial development of open-source software, with ElaadNL taking the lead and bearing overall responsibility for coordination and delivery. 

Why participate?

If your proposal is awarded, you will:

• Receive funding for development work with clear deliverables 

• Lead the market with future-ready solutions 

• Accelerate deployment with access to reference implementations and test facilities 

By contributing, you will also benefit from matchmaking opportunities with other companies in the field, and help build a shared foundation for residential flexibility that benefits both consumers and the grid. 

Rapid scale-up to standardization

The objective is to develop open-source, standardized software connectors that enable seamless communication between HEMS and selected FEIDs. 

These connectors must: 

• Enable interoperability by supporting consistent communication across different devices and vendors by implementing selected protocols (S2, EEBUS and Matter). 

• Support local and cloud integration to function both in local HEMS deployments and cloud-based HEMS, including hybrid solutions with cloud-device relays. 

• Ensure secure and reliable communication by implementing security features as defined by each protocol, ensuring authentication, encryption, and session integrity across all components. 

• Enable selected use cases as listed below. Any logic and additional interfaces required to support these use cases are expected to be part of the HEMS solution and are not included in the development scope of this RFP. 

• Use a modular, documented, and testable approach that allows multiple development teams (consortia) to contribute effectively and ensure long-term maintainability. 

Value of interoperability

The following three use cases that demonstrate the value of interoperability between HEMS and connected devices are in scope: 

1. Limiting Peak Grid Demand: The DSO forecasts grid load and sends capacity profiles to the HEMS, which then limits import/export using local flexibility. This helps prevent congestion during high-demand periods, especially in winter. 
2. Dynamic Tariff Optimization: The HEMS responds to fluctuating electricity prices by shifting consumption to cheaper periods and storing energy (e.g. in a battery or hot water buffer). This reduces household energy costs and grid pressure during peak pricing. 
3. Optimizing Self-Consumption: The HEMS maximizes the use of self-generated solar energy by intelligently distributing surplus power to batteries or EVs. This increases energy independence and reduces feed-in during local solar peaks. 

Considering the need for a rapid scale-up to standardization, testing the connectors with FEIDs is an integral part of the development. For this reason, OEMs are invited to respond as well as software developers. 

Deliverables

The deliverables are divided in five different work packages, focusing on: 

1. S2 protocol 
2. Matter protocol 
3. EEBUS protocol 
4. Local Modbus converter 
5. OCPP integration 

Parties can deliver a proposal for any number of work packages and are also welcome to respond as a consortium. Proposals will be reviewed by a panel consisting of representatives from ElaadNL, FAN and selected domain experts. The evaluation will take into account Technical approach and planning (25%), Team and expertise (25%) and Pricing and funding (50%).