This standard has a great deal of capability and a complicated history. IEEE 2030.5 is an evolution of ZigBee Smart Energy 1.x (SEP 1.x) and provides new capabilities such as control of plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) charging, HAN deployments in multi-dwelling units such as apartment buildings, support for multiple energy service interfaces into a single premises and support for any physical transport capable of communication using the Internet Protocol (IP), such as Wi-Fi, HomePlug, and ZigBee. It was known initially as SEP 2 because of its genesis in the ZigBee Smart Energy 1.x standard.

Work on the standard began in 2008 and it formally became an IEEE standard in 2013, adopted as IEEE 2030.5-2013. SEP 2 was selected in 2009 by the United States National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as a standard for home energy management devices. In June 2016, the California Public Utilities Commission accepted the recommendation to mandate IEEE 2030.5 as the default standard for communication with smart inverters under CA Rule 21 .  This was the first use case for IEEE 2030.5 that is moving to the certification and deployment stage.

The standard is named as one of three options for interoperability in the new IEEE 1547-2018 standard.   The Republic of Korea has invested in IEEE 2030.5 research for demand response and utilities in Australia are in the process of implementing the protocol for their DER management programs.

To get the standard, watch a one-hour introductory video, access training and read a technical description, see links below