Green Button Solution

What is Green Button?

Green Button is an industry-standard data format, which has two components – Downloaded My Data and Connect My Data.

Download My Data allows consumers to manually access and download their utility data in an industry-standard XML format and then either provide that data to a third party or use the files with an application designed to process the files.  An example would be if you are considering using rooftop solar panels, you could provide your data to a solar company to perform a cost benefit analysis for installing solar panels.

Connect My Data allows consumers to digitally authorize their usage data to be shared with energy efficiency applications, clean energy companies, analytics firms, and others, who can view and analyze their data and provide additional insights into managing and conserving energy. The frequency and volume of data is determined during the authorization process.

There are two types of data within the Green Button standard – Energy Usage Data and Account Information.

Energy Usage Data includes:

• Historical and ongoing meter reading and dates
• Billing period dates
• Hourly interval data
• And energy charges

Account or Retail information (Personally Identifiable Information “PII”) data includes:

• Bill details
• Customer name
• Service address
• Account number
• Meter number
• Customer rate class
• And contact information

Now let’s take a look at how Green Button Download My Data Works.

Smart Meters on the consumer’s home or business collect usage data.

Usage data along with billing data is stored by the utility.

To access and download Green Button data, the consumer logs in to the utility’s portal or website and downloads their energy usage data and/or account information data in an industry-standard XML format.

Once the file is downloaded, the consumer can share this data file with a third party vendor or upload it to a mobile application that supports and analyzes Green Button data.

Connect My Data automates this entire process by allowing consumers to digitally authorize and share their data.

The consumer selects a third-party solution and creates an account to initiate the authorization process.

The consumer is then redirected to the utility data custodian for authorization. The consumer then authenticates with the utility data custodian to validate that the requester is who they say they are.

Once authenticated, the O.Auth security token is exchanged between the utility data custodian and the third-party vendor.

Now, the consumer’s data can begin flowing to the third-party vendor for the specified duration. The consumer can also revoke access at any time.

So how does the ERTH GB Connector Powered by Savage Data Systems work to facilitate Green Button Download My Data and Connect My Data?

For Download My Data, the consumer makes a request through the utility portal or direct to the ERTH GB Connector, then the Savage Data Custodian retrieves the consumer’s data in the XML Green Button format through API calls to the CIS and ODS systems.

For Connect My Data, the Savage Data Custodian manages and stores the vendor access requests, including the frequency, duration and type of data for which those access requests are permitted. The authorized third-party vendor will make the API calls to the GB Connector to retrieve the consumer’s data in the Green Button format from the CIS and ODS systems.

By leveraging proven technology and trusted solution providers, the ERTH GB Connector Powered by Savage Data Systems improves interoperability and security posture, while mitigating cost and risk associated with third party API integration, ongoing data synchronization and licensing.

What this means is that the consumer’s data remains within existing systems, is available in real-time, and there is no need for the utility to deploy a new customer portal.

For more information visit w w w dot erth corp dot com slash green button.