Why Use Open Protocols in Energy Technology

When software becomes the new “off switch” Geopolitical tensions are changing how technology works. Unpredictable policy moves from the U.S. and China can decide overnight which software keeps running and which stops. That makes software sourcing and transparency the new foundation of resilience for every critical system. Recent headlines make this tangible: ➡️ In Northern Europe, operators found Chinese e-buses could be remotely disabled through telemetry and battery controls. ➡️ In The Hague, the International Criminal Court had its Microsoft email suspended under U.S. sanctions and is now switching to the open-source suite OpenDesk. ➡️ Huawei devices lost Google services when trade restrictions hit. ➡️ And the U.S. Senate is investigating Autel Energy, a Chinese EV-charger vendor, over data-access and national-security concerns. Different sectors, same pattern: When your control software depends on a single vendor or jurisdiction, politics can turn into downtime. How to build trustworthy infrastructure 1️⃣ Keep local authority over firmware, keys, and updates. 2️⃣ Use open standards like OCPP to stay interoperable and avoid lock-in. 3️⃣ Separate control from connectivity so cloud services remain optional and replaceable. 4️⃣ Adopt open-source cores for full transparency and independence. This is why EVerest Project exists as a global, community-governed open-source stack for EV charging, free from political influence. And why Pionix builds on that foundation, keeping vendors and operators in full control of their systems. In a world where software can be switched off remotely, openness is the only real safeguard that it will not be. #opensource #evcharging #OCPP #digitalsovereignty

#Energy systems are #critical #infrastructures, which are expected to be the prime target of #cybersecurity attackers. A report by LF Energy, The #Linux Foundation Project, highlights the pivotal role of Open-Source Software (#OSS) in ensuring the #security energy systems, https://lnkd.in/gc6-ybQ3,. Here are ten takeaways: 👉 OSS projects support transparency to enable anyone to review and audit the code, identifying potential vulnerabilities and quickly fixing the identified vulnerabilities. Unlike proprietary software, which hides the code from public scrutiny, OSS ensures the code is visible to the community, allowing faster detection of security issues. 👉 OSS based solutions can allow energy companies to adapt software to their specific operational needs without waiting for vendors to release updates. LF Energy’s CoMPAS project helps energy companies to configure substations and integrate renewable energy sources like solar and wind into the grid based on their security policies.  👉 Successful OSS projects attract thousands of developers, whose collective intelligence and continuous scrutiny of the code are expected to detect and fix security vulnerabilities quickly, improving the software’s overall resilience.  👉 OSS can be quite cost efficient to acquire and operate as there are usually non or low licensing fees compared to proprietary systems. This cost reduction enables energy companies to invest more in security practices and operational efficiency. 👉 OSS promote interoperability, enabling different energy systems to work together seamlessly. An OSS, PowSyBl, power system simulations, help integrate distributed energy resources (DERs) like solar panels and wind turbines into existing grids. 👉 One of the key tenets of an active OSS project community is to bake security in their projects by following the security-by-design approach. The OpenSSF provides guidelines and tools like the OpenSSF Scorecard to evaluate and improve the security of OSS. 👉 With the rise of cyberattacks targeting the software supply chain, OSS projects have developed mechanisms like digital signatures and transparency logs to ensure the integrity of software components. Sigstore, an OSS, helps developers sign and verify their software, making it harder for attackers to introduce malicious code into the software supply chain unnoticed. 👉 OSS projects are known for speedy evolution and innovation. This can enable energy companies quickly adopt and implement the latest technologies and security practices. 👉 Energy companies can modify and upgrade their systems independently of proprietary vendors, reducing risks like being stuck with outdated or insecure technology from a single supplier. 👉 The OpenSSF Vulnerability Disclosures Working Group coordinates vulnerability management across various OSS projects, ensuring timely patches and improvements in response to newly discovered vulnerabilities. #Vulnerabilities #software

𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗜 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝗜 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿. Energy companies keep launching AI pilots that never scale. Why? Because their data is fragmented across equipment, SCADAs, and disconnected systems. If every new site needs custom integrations... If you’re still wiring up each new asset with a different integration method... If scaling means starting from scratch every single time... Then AI is not your next step. A 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱, 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 is. Most digital transformation strategies follow a legacy blueprint, dumping raw signals into data lakes. But without context and structure, your AI is flying blind. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀—𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘀—𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗥𝗢𝗜. With open standards, you gain: ✅ Contextualized data at the edge ✅ Plug-and-play scalability ✅ Real-time interoperability across all systems No more silos. No more rework. Just data your AI can trust. Already used in thousands of power plants, N3uron helps teams move from pilot mode to production-scale intelligence. ⏳ Don’t scale AI until you fix your data. 👉 Ready to start with the right foundation? 𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸. ⬇️ 𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗡𝟯𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝘆 𝗜𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲! 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮! #SolarEnergy #Renewables #RenewableEnergy #Solar #DigitalTransformation #EdgeComputing #IndustrialAutomation #Industry40 #IIoT #SCADA

What might sound nerdy is actually a huge milestone for sector coupling of the mobility sector and energy sector! 🤓 The Open Charge Alliance (OCA) has announced the release of OCPP 2.1. Here are my takeaways: 🚀 Battery Swapping Support: Dedicated protocols for seamless integration of swapping stations into the EV ecosystem ensure better interoperability and scalability. 💡 V2G and Bi-Directional Charging: Enhanced support allows EVs to draw and return energy to the grid, advancing grid balancing and renewable energy use. 🔐 Security & Scalability: Advanced encryption ensures secure network growth to meet rising EV demands. ⚡ Dynamic Energy Management: Smarter energy flow between vehicles, chargers, and grids maximizes efficiency while minimizing costs. Sector coupling and the utilisation of charging and swapping infrastructure for stabilising the grid is becoming reality 🥳 More info in the first comment 👇 #EVCharging #OCPP2.1 #Innovation #BatterySwapping #V2G #Sustainability