eBus for short!
An open framework enabling home energy infrastructure devices to discover, communicate, and coordinate using open, standard protocols.
View on GitHub Learn MoreModern homes have multiple energy infrastructure devices from different manufacturers, which don't work together effectively, if at all!
Each device meters what it can, but doesn't share, resulting in unnecessary
remote-meter workarounds, adding cost and complexity.
Devices cannot directly
control the critical power functions of other devices.
Cloud APIs have serious latency and reliability issues, and often fail during grid outages when local coordination is needed most.
Learn moreTracking rapidly changing metering data via a REST API forces polling by every client, forcing many-to-many connections, with devices hammering each other for data.
Learn moreEach device-to-device integration is a custom development effort requiring direct involvement from vendors.
Learn moreToday the Microgrid Interconnect Device (MID) is integrated into a single grid-forming Distributed Energy Resource (DER) and cannot support additional DERs.
Learn moreDevice integration APIs, if provided at all, are poorly documented and typically unsupported by manufacturers.
Learn moreeBus focuses on the devices that provide and support the electrical system of a home.
Smart electric panels
Home battery backup (BESS)
Rooftop & ground-mount solar
Home Energy Management Systems
Circuit and whole-home metering
Portable and permanent backup
Required safety devices for power generating/exporting homes
eBus is built on existing open, standard protocols that are practical to implement on everything from microcontrollers running a RTOS to single-board computers (SBCs) running Linux.
Standard IP networking provides the foundation. Hardwired Ethernet is preferred for reliability; Wi-Fi and Thread offer flexibility where needed.
Devices advertise their existence and capabilities via mDNS, and discover other devices automatically by listening for broadcasts.
Publish/subscribe first. Devices publish state to MQTT topics; others subscribe to what they need. The Homie Convention provides standardized topic structure with self-describing schemas, datatypes, units of measure, and device lifecycle management.
REST APIs complement pub/sub when complex request/response semantics are needed, or for device configuration and administration tasks.
Devices publish their interface specifications locally, enabling automatic discovery and integration without external documentation.
Secure authentication and authorization for control of home power and energy. Measurements and state have significant privacy implications.
Devices find each other on the local network via mDNS broadcasts
Devices connect to the local MQTT broker (or bridge their own)
Each device publishes its status, state, and measurements to topics
Devices subscribe to topics they need and send commands to coordinate
eBus focuses specifically on Home Energy Infrastructure Device interoperability.
eBus complements, rather than competes, with other standards.
eBus is not intended for general smart home devices like lights, locks, or appliances, the Matter standard serves that space well. eBus anticipates & expects high-load home appliances will support Matter energy management, especially the "Device Energy Management" cluster. eBus focuses on the home's critical electrical infrastructure: batteries, solar, panels, and meters.
eBus is not for utility-to-customer grid-coordination (e.g. highly dynamic pricing, operating envelope control, and demand response events). OpenADR 3 and IEEE 2030.5 handle that domain. eBus enables local device coordination once signals are received.
eBus adapters bridge to other protocols, enabling integration with devices that use
different standards.
Any eBus device (a "rider") can integrate with non-eBus devices
("pedestrians") by any means necessary, then publish that data to the eBus broker
using the Homie convention.
Once one rider adapts a pedestrian device, all eBus riders benefit.
Adapters can be implemented by anyone, anywhere on the home LAN.
Bridge Matter-enabled thermostats and devices to eBus. Read HVAC status and send commands to adjust setpoints and modes for energy shifting.
Learn moreControl water heaters and other appliances with EcoPort interfaces. The adapter translates CTA-2045 binary messages to eBus/Homie topics, enabling the HEMS to send shed and load-up commands.
Learn morePoll REST APIs or communicate via Modbus/RS-485 with existing devices, then proxy their data to eBus topics.
Learn moreAdopt the eBus framework for your HEI devices. Enable your customers to integrate with any other eBus-compatible device without custom development.
Create eBus adapters to enable new integrations. Bridge legacy devices to the eBus ecosystem and share your work with the community.
Demand eBus support for the home energy devices you buy. Your BESS, PV, and smart panel should work together seamlessly.