FY2024 Activity Report
ECHONET Consortium continued its efforts toward realizing ECHONET 2.0, centered around ECHONET Lite and the ECHONET Lite Web API, continuing from the previous fiscal year.
The ECHONET 2.0 Realization WG, which is directly under the Board of Directors, has revised the roadmap for popularization and expansion in light of the latest market and policy trends, and has formulated a specific approach for its dissemination from FY2025 to FY2030. Aiming to solve various social issues including achieving carbon neutrality, through the use of IoT and data, we aim to create a data distribution market and a solutions society, while also actively pursuing collaboration with overseas partners. As a specific use case, we set DR support for low-voltage resources for residential use and participated in a study group on DRready (Demand Response ready) organized by the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy. We also exchanged opinions with related organizations and research institutions participating in the study group and made recommendations regarding the system design of DRready.
Furthermore, in line with the ECHONET 2.0 strategic guidelines, we have been examining ways to expand the range of ECHONET Lite target devices and ensure the reliability of the entire system, examining use cases to increase the number of ECHONET 2.0 service examples, and examining measures to popularize ECHONET 2.0 and the design of a system for business deployment.
As a method of ensuring reliability, we investigated device certification of ECHONET Lite devices under the security requirements conformity assessment and labeling scheme (JC-STAR: Labeling Scheme based on Japan Cyber-Security Technical Assessment Requirements). In addition, in order to increase the number of ECHONET 2.0 service cases, we considered the use cases for a variety of web-based services, such as service cases for the Vision for a Digital Garden City Nation, energy-related services, and smart homes. Furthermore, as a measure to popularize ECHONET 2.0, we considered a certification system for the ECHONET Lite Web API using DRready as a subject and made a proposal to the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy. We have also launched the ECHONET Lite Web API Certification WG and began considering a certification system.
We also continued to promote our ongoing activities, including the promotion of ECHONET Lite both domestically and internationally, international standardization activities, continued operation of the ECHONET Lite AIF certification system, and activities to newly formulate and revise ECHONET Lite specifications.
For example, in order to make use of the large number of ECHONET Lite devices available on the market, we have created and released to the public a white paper entitled “Matter ECHONET Lite Bridge Application Examples, 1st Edition,” which outlines a system in which a virtual ECHONET Lite device is installed on the “Matter ECHONET Lite Bridge” to control the ECHONET Lite device and obtain its status from the Matter side. In addition, Interface Specifications for Application Layer Communication related to the electric vehicle charger class and frequency control class were developed.
In domestic promotion activities, we continued to collaborate with the JEMA (Japan Electrical Manufacturers’ Association), the Japan Housing Organization Federation, JEITA (Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association), and others, and exhibited at the CEATEC2024 and ENEX2025 exhibitions (jointly exhibiting at ENEX2025 with Kanagawa Institute of Technology), and actively promoted PR activities for the ECHONET Consortium. We also participated in the creation of the Cabinet Office’s Smart City Reference Architecture, Edition 3. The article included a column on the use of the ECHONET Lite Web API as an asset and its use in elderly care services in the public infrastructure of Nomi City, Ishikawa Prefecture, and this smart city reference architecture was published on the Cabinet Office website. As part of our overseas promotion activities, we visited Taiwan to give a speech at the 22024 ECHONET Lite Smart House International Standards Seminar with related companies and organizations regarding the spread of ECHONET 2.0. We also visited IFA 2024, Energy Taiwan and CES 2025 to investigate technology trends overseas.
In international standardization activities, we worked with Kanagawa Institute of Technology, which was commissioned to carry out a subsidized project by the International Electrotechnology Standardization Division of the Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Environment Policy Bureau, to promote the international standardization of the ECHONET Lite AIF specifications at ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 25 WG 1. We also promoted the proposal to revise the international standard for Detailed Requirements for ECHONET Device objects, so that IEC 62394 (Detailed Requirements for ECHONET Device objects) ED5 based on Release Q rev.1 was published in October 2024. In order to strengthen the operational foundation to ensure these activities are sustainable, a resolution was passed at the 11th regular general meeting to revise membership fees from fiscal year 2025. The certification registration fee was revised as of October 1, 2024.
In the operation activities of the ECHONET Lite AIF certification system, 64 cases of ECHONET Lite and 149 cases of ECHONET Lite AIF (84 cases of controller, 65 cases of device) were newly registered this year. As a result, the cumulative number of certifications was 1,066 for ECHONET Lite certification and 1,051 for ECHONET Lite AIF certification (558 for controllers and 493 for devices).
As a result of these activities, the total number of ECHONET Lite certified products shipped by fiscal year 2024 has reached 157.5 million units.
FY2025 Business Plan
The main pillars of ECHONET Consortium’s activities this year will continue from the previous year, with the aim of further increasing the number of ECHONET Lite devices on the demand side, which reached over 149.86 million units by the end of fiscal year 2023, in order to achieve a carbon-neutral and digitalized society. The main pillars of ECHONET Consortium’s activities will also be to work in cooperation with related organizations in a wide range of areas in line with the new roadmap for popularization and expansion and the ECHONET 2.0 strategic guidelines, such as establishing DRready (Demand Response ready) support and a certification system, in order to realize cloud services using ECHONET Lite devices.
We will work to expand the range of ECHONET Lite target devices and consider methods to ensure the reliability of the entire system including security by expanding efforts to expand target devices in a multifaceted manner such as collaborating with various organizations and different types of services, and responding to security requirement conformity assessments and the labeling system (JC-STAR: Labeling Scheme based on Japan Cyber-Security Technical Assessment Requirements). Regarding JC-STAR, in cooperation with the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA) ECHONET Lite device certification test specification document” and “ECHONET Lite Device Authentication Specification” that meet the requirements for the *2 level system. It will also consider the establishment of a certification system, etc.
As part of a study of use cases to increase the number of ECHONET 2.0 service examples, in addition to examining service examples for the Vision for a Digital Garden City Nation, we will continue to examine examples for each use case for a variety of web-based services, such as energy-related and smart home services. In particular, when examining use cases for utilizing low-voltage resources in VPPs (Virtual Power Plants) and distributed power source control, we will continue to conduct basic studies on the ECHONET Lite Web API certification system using DRready as a subject.
In cooperation with related organizations and members such as the Japan Electrical Manufacturers’ Association (JEMA), the CHAdeMO Association, and the Japan Federation of Housing Organizations (JFHO), we will continue to promote ECHONET Lite both domestically and overseas, and to develop and revise the ECHONET Lite standards and AIF (Application Communication Interface) specifications while listening to requests from the market. We will also continue to consider technologies to support future IoT.
In terms of outreach activities, the details of these activities will be introduced at various exhibitions and events such as CEATEC and ENEX, and they will also be used on the website and through direct mail to make the activities widely known to as many people as possible. In particular, we will proactively make proposals and appeals to relevant government ministries and academics who are working on system design to achieve digitalization and carbon neutrality to solve a wide range of issues. Furthermore, we will work with relevant government ministries and agencies and enforcement organizations to promote the ECHONET Lite standard and work in coordination with national policies to promote its dissemination. The aim is to contribute to solving social issues by incorporating the results of the ECHONET Consortium into related systems. Regarding the second-generation smart meters that will begin to be introduced from 2025, in order to promote the use of Route B, awareness-raising activities will be strengthened, including new appealing points, such as popularizing “ECHONET Lite-compatible software products and AIF-compatible software products” for corresponding smartphone apps. As part of our activities, in order to popularize ECHONET 2.0-related services, we will hold workshops as a forum for exchanging ideas with not only ECHONET Consortium members but also non-member service providers and members of other organizations, share common issues in realizing individual services, and seek solutions that should be addressed through standards.
As mentioned above, we will continue to engage in a variety of activities centered on the ECHONET Lite standard this year.
Through these activities, ECHONET Consortium will continue to review our organization and operational structure to ensure efficient operation to respond to requests for cooperation from governments, domestic and international industry organizations and member companies to disseminate the ECHONET Lite standard and expand the home network and IoT markets, and to build a permanent operational base.
