Orange Button Initiative Targets Solar Soft Costs with Data Standards

Get the Facts, Meet the Experts at Solar Power Northeast

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Updates on the status of the Orange Button Initiative — and the dozens of companies now using the innovative data standard to transfer solar data — will be a featured as part of Solar Power Northeast Feb. 5-6 in Boston.

Launched in 2016 with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, the initiative is aimed at cutting solar soft costs by creating standard formats and categories — or taxonomies — for data sharing. Inefficiencies in data transfer — caused by the highly individual data formats some companies use — are a major contributor to soft costs, which in turn can make financing projects more difficult.

The conference includes two opportunities for media to find out more about Orange Button:

Orange Button: A Standardized Solution for Reporting Solar Performance Data, 4-5 p.m. Feb. 5 (Harbor Ballroom III): This panel discussion will feature representatives from the cross-industry team that developed and is now rolling out the standards, including the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA), kWh Analytics, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the SunSpec Alliance.

Informal Q&A at the Orange Button Booth 609, 5-6 p.m., Feb. 5 (Commonwealth Ballroom). Following the panel, Orange Button leaders will be available to answer questions and provide further information during the Exhibit Hall Happy Hour.

“As the solar industry waits to gauge the full impact of the Section 201 solar tariffs, the efforts to cut soft costs could become an even higher priority than they are now,” said Aaron Smallwood, Senior Director of Technical Services for SEPA. “We’ve seen strong interest in Orange Button, with hundreds of companies participating in the initiative, including about 60 early adopters.”

To set up an interview with Aaron Smallwood or other Orange Button leaders, contact K Kaufmann, [email protected] or 202-494-4386.