Connectivity Standards Alliance Releases Zigbee Smart Energy 1.4a Energy Management Technology Standard

The Connectivity Standard Alliance has approved Zigbee Smart Energy 1.4a , the latest update to the world-leading standard for monitoring, control, notification and automation of the delivery and use of utilities such as electricity, gas, water and heat.

This release builds on the solid foundation of previous releases by enhancing security, expanding authentication capabilities, and increasing test case coverage.

What’s New in Zigbee Smart Energy 1.4a

Smart Energy 1.4a includes more than 100 Change Control Board (CCB) requests to clarify optional content within the feature set, backward compatibility with older versions, and changes discovered during product development and certification, ensuring a stronger and more flexible standard for manufacturers and developers.

One of the most notable additions to Smart Energy 1.4a is the key establishment feature set test case . In addition, this latest version supports device authentication using 128 -bit security. Both features further enhance the security of the standard, ensuring that manufacturers can authenticate devices using the strongest encryption technology, thereby providing better protection for consumers and utility companies.

The global standard for a greener, more sustainable future

Zigbee Smart Energy has long been recognized as the leading standard in smart metering for Home Area Networks (HAN) .

With more than 250 million Smart Energy devices deployed around the world , including in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Europe, Australia, Latin America, Asia and South Africa, this technology is at the forefront of global energy management.

Zigbee Smart Energy distributes accurate, actionable energy and water usage information in real time, helping consumers track their consumption while enabling utilities to manage demand response programs, optimize billing and improve overall customer service.

The latest release further solidifies Zigbee Smart Energy ’s position as an essential tool in the transition to greener homes and buildings, providing consumers with reliable information and automation capabilities to reduce energy consumption and save money .

Support for all energy commodities

Zigbee Smart Energy 1.4a provides comprehensive support for all energy commodities, including electricity, gas, water, heat and renewable energy. The ability to monitor and manage these different energy sources provides greater transparency into usage information and costs, increasing consumer confidence.

Strong security

Considering the use of Smart Energy in critical energy infrastructure and personal consumption data, its security is very high.

It supports certificate-based key establishment using 128 -bit X.509 certificates embedded in Smart Energy Authenticated devices for device authentication and to establish unique encryption keys between Home Area Network (HAN) devices and utility meters, and between HAN devices.

Standardized instrumentation with extended range

Zigbee Smart Energy offers significant advantages, ensuring that a broad range of consumers have access to reliable, standardized technology, regardless of location or socioeconomic status.

Unlike systems that rely on Wi-Fi , Zigbee Smart Energy operates independently , making it ideal for both affluent urban areas and underserved or remote areas. This eliminates the need for different meter types based on connectivity, simplifying deployment across facilities.

With certified interoperability and access to the global 2.4GHz spectrum and regional Sub-GHz spectrum, Smart Energy simplifies adoption across single-family homes, multi-family units and even commercial buildings, delivering consistent and reliable energy management technology.

A standardized approach simplifies customer service and enables seamless integration across different environments without compromising performance .

Zigbee Smart Energy continues to lead the way in global energy management solutions with its secure, self-healing mesh network and broad support for commodity monitoring in residential, commercial, and industrial applications.

This open, interoperable standard is critical to the shift toward greener homes and more efficient energy consumption, helping utilities and consumers save money while reducing environmental impact.

Explore Silicon Labs’ leading Zigbee solutions: https://cn.silabs.com/wireless/zigbee

To learn more about Zigbee Smart Energy, visit :

https://csa-iot.org/all-solutions/smart-energy/

This article is reprinted from the WeChat public account of the Connection Standards Alliance. The original link is: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/oMa873C54Dexws9RAE4a9Q

Scan the QR code below to follow Silicon Labs and the Connectivity Standards Alliance on social media.