Common ground for connected energy.
The Mercury Mark certifies how smart-energy devices behave in a flexible grid – how fast it responds, what it reports, and how it handles issues. A device that carries the Mark behaves the same way with any Mercury-aligned utility or platform, so the integration is done once instead of repeated per partner.
What the Mark certifies
Two devices can use the same protocol and still behave differently with the same utility. The protocol agrees how they communicate. It does not specify how they behave, so a device using a protocol still needs a fresh integration for every utility it meets.
The Mercury Mark certifies what the device does for the grid:
How fast it responds
The time between a grid signal and the device acting on it, from 1 second to 120 seconds depending on the class.
What it reports
The telemetry the device sends back, and how often, so its performance can be verified and settled.
How it handles issues
What the device does when connectivity drops, so it protects the user first and holds the network safe.
A device that passes carries the Mark at the class it met, confirming that it behaves the same way for every Mercury-aligned utility or platform, whatever brand is on the casing.
The performance classes
Mercury grades grid-facing performance into classes. A device is certified to the class it meets, and wears the Mercury Mark with its class indicator.
Class A – ultra-fast frequency response
Response: 1 second. Telemetry: 1 second. Meter accuracy: 0.5% (MID Class C / ANSI 0.5).
Maps to: FCR, dynamic containment, aFRR, PJM RegD, and the fastest frequency products.
Class B – fast triggered reserves
Response: 15 seconds. Telemetry: 2 seconds. Meter accuracy: 1% (MID Class B / ANSI 1.0).
Maps to: aFRR and mFRR, contingency and triggered reserves.
Class C – distribution flexibility
Response: 120 seconds. Telemetry: 30 seconds. Meter accuracy: 1% (MID Class B). Defined fail-safe behaviour.
Maps to: DSO local flexibility, time-of-use shaping, and capacity markets.
How certification works
- Map your device to a class. Match what your device does – its response time, telemetry, and fail-safe behaviour – to Class A, B, or C, or to Class Alpha if it is already in the field.
- Prepare against the specification. The class specification and conformance tests are published. Your engineering team implements them on top of the protocols you already run.
- Test and certify. The device is assessed against the class requirements. When it passes, it carries the Mercury Mark of that class.
- Certify the next device the same way. New utility relationships no longer need new integration code. Certify once, not per partner.
Certifying a device and joining Mercury are separate decisions: you can certify a device without becoming a member. Membership allows you to shape the standard – only Full Members lead working groups, vote on the roadmap, and are eligible for the Board. Certify to carry the Mark; join to help decide where the certification goes next.
What carrying the Mercury Mark gets you
The Mark is built for utility and industry recognition first. A utility procuring flexibility, or an aggregator building a pool, can point to a class instead of running its own device-by-device assurance.
For a consumer, the Mark removes the guesswork. A Mercury-certified device works with any Mercury-certified utility, so you know the charger, battery or heat pump you choose will fit your provider. And with consumer safety built into the certification, including stranded-asset protection, the device you invest in keeps working as the market moves.
FAQ
What is the Mercury Mark?
A certification that a smart-energy device meets a defined class of grid-facing performance – how fast it responds, what it reports, and how it handles issues. It is issued by Mercury, a vendor-neutral nonprofit backed by EPRI, and a device that carries it behaves the same way with any Mercury-aligned utility or platform.
What does the Mercury Mark certify?
Three device behaviours, graded by class: response time (how fast the device acts on a grid signal), telemetry (what it reports and how often), and fail-safe behaviour (how it behaves when connectivity drops). A safety mark certifies a device is safe and a protocol mark that it speaks a language; the Mercury Mark certifies how it performs for the grid, which the others do not cover.
Is Mercury a protocol like OCPP or OpenADR?
No. Mercury is a certification layer that sits on top of protocols like OCPP and OpenADR. The protocol sets how devices communicate; Mercury certifies that they then perform consistently, which a loosely specified protocol leaves open. You do not replace anything you already run in order to certify.
Do we have to join Mercury to certify a device?
No. Certification and membership are separate decisions, and you can certify without joining. Membership is how an organisation shapes the standard, but it is not a condition of certifying.
Does our existing OCPP work carry over?
Yes. Mercury certifies on top of the OCPP or OpenADR implementation you already run, so that work becomes the foundation the certification is measured against. Class Alpha specifically supports existing OCPP architecture using the OEM cloud as a communications relay.
What does certification involve, and what does it cost?
It maps your device to a class, prepares it against the published specification, and tests it; when it passes, the device carries the Mark. Get in touch with our team to book in a discussion today.
Can we certify a device that has already shipped?
Often, yes. Mercury is not designed to be a conceptual protocol, and we have designed it specifically to reflect the energy market and hardware landscape. How is the Mercury Mark different from a safety mark like UL or a consumer mark like Matter?
They certify different things and can sit on the same device. UL certifies that a device is safe, Matter that it pairs and works in the home, and the Mercury Mark how it performs for the grid, by class. A device can hold all three at once.
Get in touch
Wondering which class your device meets, or whether a fleet already in the field can be certified? Talk to the Mercury team.
A first conversation maps your device to a class and sets out what certification would involve. Certifying and joining are separate decisions, and you can start with either.
You can also email us at: enquiries@mercuryconsortium.com