MESA-DER has become IEEE 1815.2!
nhe Modular Energy System Architecture (MESA) Standards Alliance is an industry association of electric utilities and technology suppliers. MESA’s mission is to accelerate the interoperability of distributed energy resources (DER), in particular utility-scale energy storage systems (ESS), through the development of open and non-proprietary communication specifications, with specific DER operating functions that benefit the modern grid. MESA has developed and published two specifications: MESA-DER (formerly MESA-ESS) and MESA-Device/SunSpec Smart Storage in conjunction with the SunSpec Alliance. The MESA-DER specification was published as the IEEE 1815.2 international standard in February 2026 .
MESA-Device/SunSpec Modbus models 700, 800 and 200 are de-facto standards in the industry.
Want more information on IEEE 1815.2? View a MESA Workshop!
Need more information now on how to integrate the IEEE 1815.2 standard into your utility’s SCADA system or vendor products? MESA held a January 20, 2026 workshop on IEEE 1815.2. You can watch one or more of MESA’s previous workshop series at your convenience or join MESA and receive technical support and participate in technical workgroups.
You can also join our newsletter here.
MESA has developed Implementation Guidelines for IEEE 1815.2 to support a fuller understanding of how to use the standard. These IEEE 1815.2 Implementation Guidelines provide examples of some functions and include a detailed example of scheduling Active Power Limiting. A brief overview of these IEEE 1815.2 Implementation Guidelines can be provided upon request. Join MESA to learn more.
MESA has developed two communications specifications for Distributed Energy Resources (DER) and Energy Storage
IEEE 1815.2 Semantic Model using DNP3 (previously MESA-DER)
MESA-DER has become IEEE 1815.2! MESA-DER has been a de facto standard for several years and provides interoperable communications for Distributed Energy Resources (DER) with a special focus on utility-scale energy storage system (ESS) and modern grid functionality, such as microgrids and Inverter-Based Resources (IBR). It is structured with two international standards: IEC 61850 and IEEE 1815 (DNP3) by mapping the IEC 61850-7-420 semantic data model standard for DER to the widely-used IEEE 1815 (DNP3) protocol standard, thus creating an interoperable profile of DER functions, monitored information, and control commands. IEEE 1815.2 supports all the IEEE 1547 and California Rule 21 DER functions as well as additional market-based DER functions for utility grid safe, reliable, and efficient operations. In addition, IEEE 1815.2 covers the data exchange requirements for ESS configuration management, including ESS role-based access control (RBAC) for different ESS operational states. The IEEE 1815.2 semantic model using DNP3 is one of the protocol options in IEEE 1547 revision and 1547.1a.
MESA-Device Specifications/SunSpec Energy Storage Model
Addresses how energy storage components within an energy storage system communicate with each other and other operational components. MESA-Device specifications are built on the Modbus protocol.
About MESA Standardized Specifications
Utility grid technologies are undergoing a rapid evolution in response to changes in how power is being deployed on the electricity grid today.
Changes from the last decade include the integration of renewable energy sources, the addition of energy storage, and the bi-directional flow of energy between the grid and distributed energy resources (DER).
The adoption of open and standardized specifications simplifies the integration of these technologies and increases the pace of their deployment in grid applications.
MESA members include utilities and energy storage solution providers who work together to build interoperability into their products and ensure they are architected for grid integration.
As a MESA member, you can participate in MESA working groups to learn about testing and certification, to understand the implementation of IEEE 1815.2, to guide the updates over time of MESA specifications, and to get support in incorporating IEEE 1815.2 into your specifications and/or products, and to share knowledge with your peers.
Open Standards for Energy Systems
MESA specifications support safe, affordable, and scalable energy systems, including storage
Benefits for Everyone
- Reduce costs of technology deployment
- Reduce risk by enabling supplier flexibility
- Simplify long-term maintenance and system upgrades
- Efficiently scale energy storage deployments
- Reduce training costs and compliance testing costs
- Provide products designed for integration with other MESA-compliant products
- Increase the array of available partners for projects
- Focus resources on making your product better, rather than on system integration
- Streamline deployments and meet customer timelines
- Use international communication standards, including IEEE 1815 (DNP3), IEC 61850, and Modbus
- Meet all interoperability requirements for IEEE 1547 DER interconnection standard
