The SunSpec Alliance is a trade alliance of solar photovoltaic industry participants, together pursuing information standards for the renewable energy industry. SunSpec standards address operational aspects of PV power plants on the smart grid—including residential, commercial, and utility-scale systems—thus reducing cost, promoting technology innovation, and accelerating industry growth.
Over 60 organizations are members of the SunSpec Alliance, including global leaders from Asia, Europe, and North America. Membership is open to corporations, non-profits, and individuals. To understand the philosophy of the SunSpec Alliance and its role in the industry, watch this video . You can also download the SunSpec Alliance white paper describing the benefits of standards.
SunSpec Alliance Charter
The purposes of the SunSpec Alliance include:
- Enabling growth of the renewable energy market worldwide by defining open interface standards for the renewable energy industry, thus enabling renewable energy systems to interact with information technology systems predictably and reliably;
- Making appropriate use of standards created by other standards bodies, agencies and associations wherever possible;
- Promoting the ratification, approval and adoption of such specifications recommendations developed by the SunSpec Alliance to manufacturers, systems integrators and regulatory agencies, and energy consumers;
- Establishing certification guidelines and procedures to ensure compatibility and interoperability of the standard recommendations among third party products;
- Providing a forum and environment whereby the SunSpec Alliance’s Members may meet to define and publish recommendations; and provide a forum whereby users may meet with developers and providers of related products and services to identify requirements for interoperability and general usability; and
- Educating the business, regulatory and consumer communities as to the value, benefits and applications for such a standard in consumer and commercial products and services through public statements, publications, trade shows demonstrations, seminar sponsor-ships and other programs established by the SunSpec Alliance.
Governance
The SunSpec Alliance is governed by a Board of Directors who are elected annually. Steering Committees provide leadership and guidance for Technical and Marketing activities. Technical working groups develop SunSpec Alliance specifications for PV systems, devices, data acquisition systems, data stores, and applications. Marketing working groups develop and execute member outreach and product certification programs.
Industry Alliances
As an international industry consortium, the SunSpec Alliance collaborates with international standards bodies and industry consortia whenever possible to further development of Smart Grid and renewable industry standards worldwide.