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What is ZigBee?
ZigBee is a global, standards-based wireless mesh networking technology used to connect the widest range of devices to work together intelligently to help you control your world. ZigBee isnt about deploying dedicated networking gear, but making everyday devices (light switches, electricity meters, thermostats, or even appliances, such as dishwashers) smarter by embedding wireless networking and communications intelligence into them. ZigBee is specifically designed to facilitate monitoring, control and sensor applicationsall key components of a smarter electrical grid. ZigBee is related to other well-known Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standards such as Ethernet, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. These standards all share a common IEEE addressing structure, called a MAC address, and are accessible over the Internet. But despite their common heritage, there are some very important differences. While Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are designed for point-to-point connection to carry large amounts of data, ZigBee devices form a multi-point, low-power, low-data-rate mesh network that is secure, reliable, selfforming, and self-healing creating the basis for a truly efficient Internet of Things. With a mesh network between nodes, the range of an individual node is expanded and multiplied to cover a much larger area. And since ZigBee devices are optimized for low power, their energy burden is low delivering extremely long battery life and even use with harvested energy sources that minimize their impact on an already stressed power grid. With ZigBees integrated network intelligence and comprehensive ZigBee Certified product certification program, its easy to create and use Home Area Networks of any size without networking or computer knowledge. And ZigBee even makes it easy to talk to existing Ethernet and Wi-Fi networks, delivering a seamless integrated experience to the consumer.

ZigBee Smart Energy and the Smart Grid

The ZigBee Alliance responded to global concern for substantially improved energy efficiency by developing an open and interoperable standard for demand response, energy management and metering services ZigBee Smart Energy. This standard increases energy efficiency in homes, commercial buildings and industrial facilities around the world As the Smart Grid continues to evolve, an interoperable, interconnected system that provides for data transport, presentation and communication is critical to the smart grids success. ZigBee Smart Energy supports more than 45 million electric and 3 million gas meters worldwide. ZigBee Smart Energy supports functionality to meet the diverse business cases of current AMI/smart meter systems. In addition to enabling home automation and control, ZigBee Smart Energy is currently being used for gas and electric sub-metering, controlling distributed energy resources, such as solar panels, on the electric distribution grid, and systems for street light monitoring and control. Thus the ZigBee capability in AMI systems delivers energy management benefits both in front of as well as behind the meter.

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The ZigBee-Connected Home

Behind the meter, ZigBee Smart Energy allows consumers to experience and manage their energy usage like never before. Demand response initiatives, pricing programs and conservation efforts can all be designed by providing consumers with real-time access to their usagerather than making them wait for the bill at the end of the month. ZigBee also gives consumers increased choice in the devices they use to get this information and automate their homes. In addition to utility-sponsored devices, products from third-party energy management providers are ZigBee Certified to perform regardless of manufacturer, allowing utilities and consumers to purchase with confidence.

Health and Safety

As consumers become more educated about smart grid initiatives, health and safety has quickly risen to the top of the public concern. ZigBee devices operate at a very low powerand low power means next to no exposure to electromagnetic frequencies. ZigBee typically operates at significantly lower average power levels than Bluetooth devices or mobile phones. To further reduce exposure to electromagnetic frequencies, ZigBee devices feature a limited duty cycle, which means that they transmit in short bursts. Each devices aggregate operating time is typically just a few minutes in a 24-hour period, resulting in duty cycles thousands of times less than Bluetooth devices. As a result, ZigBee devices are on a fraction of a fraction of the time Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are used.

Security
Devices running on ZigBee Smart Energy operate in highly secure networks, empowering customers to confidently gain control of their energy usage through a secure and intelligent connection to utilities/energy service providers. Development of ZigBee Smart Energy was guided by industry experts and using market requirements and scenario analysis from experienced product manufacturers, regulators, end-users and utilities. Joining utility networks with homes introduces significant privacy and security concerns, warranting the selection of only the most robust security solutions. This security is capable of maintaining both the confidentiality and integrity of communicated data through high-strength authentication. The ZigBee Alliance established a best-in-class security architecture utilizing confidentiality and integrity protection mechanisms on communicated data, and implementing a highly efficient public key cryptography for authentication, with frequent peer-review and evolution. An independent evaluation by Carnegie-Mellon University validated ZigBee Smart Energy's utility-grade security approach.

The ZigBee Ecosystem

As our energy infrastructure evolves, collaboration is paramount to securing our energy independence. ZigBee has a thriving global ecosystem full of technology companies creating wireless solutions for use in energy, home, commercial and industrial applications. Through certification, the ZigBee Alliance ensures that all products in this ecosystem are interoperable and can seamlessly work together. As of November 2011, more than 200 ZigBee-enabled devices have been ZigBee Certified for ZigBee Smart Energy. A wide variety of utilities/energy service providers, consumer electronics companies, health care groups, hotels and governments have certified and installed myriad other ZigBee products. These ZigBee members created a variety of reliable and easy-to-use products that help consumers live a greener lifestyle with a smart home or office.

Learn More
ZigBee offers green and global wireless standards connecting the widest range of devices to work together intelligently and help you control your world. To learn more, visit www.zigbee.org. 2!