Methodology for assuring interoperability in demand-response services

This paper presents a methodology for achieving semantic interoperability in demand response services through the development of a common ontology for smart building energy management. The proposed approach addresses the challenges posed by heterogeneous building management systems, communication protocols and data models by enabling seamless information exchange between sensors, controllers and software services within interoperable demand response ecosystems. The methodology is based on a systematic assessment of existing semantic models and ontologies, including SAREF, Brick, OpenADR, BIGG and the domOS Common Ontology (dCO). Building on this analysis, the authors extend dCO with additional concepts for building assets, key performance indicators, user profiles, weather data and measurement units, while integrating the ontology into a FIWARE-based interoperability architecture supporting technical, structural and semantic interoperability. The proposed framework provides a scalable and extensible foundation for the development of interoperable demand response services in smart buildings and multi-energy environments. By harmonising data representation and facilitating context-aware information exchange across heterogeneous systems, the methodology supports the deployment of intelligent energy management applications, enhances interoperability between digital platforms and contributes to more flexible, efficient and sustainable demand response programmes.