2014.10.03

Further Flexible Service Now Available for Hikari BOX Plus for MEMS Aggregators

Nippon Telegraph and Telephone West Corporation (Head office: Osaka-shi, Osaka; President: Kazutoshi Murao, hereinafter, NTT West) and NTT Comware Corporation (Head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Shinobu Umino, hereinafter, NTT Comware) has a service for MEMS^*1 aggregators^*2 using NTT West�fs Hikari BOX Plus^*3 (HB-1000 [2]/telecommunication device) complying ECHONET Lite standard^*4 equipped with the home appliance controller functions.^*5
While the devices for ECHONET Lite were only available between equipment of the same manufacturer, the controller function is now commonly available for various equipment of the home electric appliances companies Kawamura Electric, Sharp, Daikin Industries, Panasonic, Mitsubishi Electric (hereinafter, home electric appliances companies) for further convenience of owners of condominiums applying MEMS.

^*1: MEMS (Mansion (referring to condominium in English) Energy Management System)
This is an energy management system, collecting the quantitative data of power consumption in a condominium to "visualize" the service status on the spot or from a remote location, as well as to control and manage the functions of the home electric appliances such as air conditioner or lighting and its demand peak.
^*2: MEMS aggregator
Business operators, authorized by Sustainable open Innovation Initiatives (SII), to provide services of MEMS (Mansion Energy Management System) for the entire condominium facility as well as the energy management support (for energy saving by visualizing the power consumption).
^*3: Hikari BOX Plus
- This product requires broadband connection of Flets Hikari and contract/payment for the service to its IT service provider and router and such devices.
- This product requires HDMI televisions.
- See NTT West website for further information. (http://www.ntt-west.co.jp/kiki/hikaribox/)
^*4: ECHONET Lite
The telecommunication standard, established by Echonet Consortium, for home networking. It covers more than 80 types of equipment such as home electric appliances, smart meters and solar power generation systems. It was recommended by �gSmarthouse Standardization Research Center" of Smart Community Alliance as "a standard interface publicly known" in 2011.
^*5: Hikari BOX Plus generally available in shops are not adaptable to the home appliance control functions of ECHONET Lite.

Given the energy crisis after the Great East Japan Earthquake, the energy management became a social issue to consider how to use it in an efficient and smart manner. NTT West and NTT Comware have been providing Hikari BOX Plus to MEMS aggregators as a controller for ECHONET LITE home electric appliances, which are applicable to MEMS subsidy ^*6 of Japanese government.
Under the circumstances, NTT West and NTT Comware have been considering the design using a single ECHONET Lite home electric appliance to a change to one with more flexibility to use with devices of some manufacturers for convenience of users to use and manage their home electric appliances of different manufacturers.
Home electric appliances manufacturers also consider the needs to provide adaptability of their products to other devices, not only their own HEMS*7 controllers. Therefore, the companies found the same interests and started to provide the services for Hikari BOX Plus to be adaptable to their ECHONET Lite home appliances. [Attachment 1]

^*6: Subsidy to MEMS-related equipment and services (for Smart Mansion Energy Management Acceleration) This is a subsidy program of Japanese government to partially support costs required for MEMS in condominiums with the purpose to promote Smart Mansions (condos) to effectively use energies and promote energy saving through the energy management, energy saving and peak-cut programs of the entire unit of a condominium.
Reference: Organization for the Subsidy (Sustainable open Innovation Initiative) website
^*7: HEMS (Home Energy Management System)
A system automatically control the energy consumption equipment, such as air conditioner and hot-water heater, in each room of houses by connecting them by a telecommunication network for energy and power saving. It shows the status with images to visualize the status for users.

NTT West, NTT Comware and home electric appliances manufacturers collaborates to enable Hikari BOX Plus to connect to various ECHONET Lite home electric appliances.[Attachment 2]
[Example: Hikari BOX Plus for MEMS aggregators]^*8
- Controlling home electric appliances on Hikari BOX Plus (e.g. power ON/OFF, change of operating mode and temperature)
- Visualization of power consumption of home electric appliances (per equipment or power distribution system)

^*8: The items for operation and indication are subject to the specifications of each home electric appliances manufacturer.

(1) NTT West
- Develop the overall strategy of this scheme
- Various arrangements and coordination with home electric appliances manufacturers and MEMS aggregators

(2) NTT Comware
- Develop the functions of the controller using Hikari BOX Plus
- Validate the networking between Hikari BOX Plus and ECHONET Lite

Late October, 2014

The ICT-based energy management system will be further promoted aiming "a smart Hikari life" ^*9 for efficient energy management, through the services convenient for users of MEMS such as increase of the product lineups of ECHONET Lite home electric appliances adaptable to Hikari BOX Plus, increase of partners to provide home electric appliances and remote control services from smartphones ^*10 etc.