How a Virtual Power Plant works
- Rooftop solar panels generate electricity
- Unused solar electricity can be stored in household batteries for later use or for grid support
- A Virtual Power Plant computer software can take control of multiple batteries and execute different energy import and export requests from the grid operator
- The household battery owners receive monetary compensation after their battery storage was used for the Virtual Power Plant
A smarter way to produce and use energy
Residential solar energy generation and storage are transforming the power grid.
With more and more Australian homeowners supplying energy to the grid, the electricity network is changing into a bottom-up community resource.
Virtual Power Plants are optimising how this community resource is used, while spreading the financial benefits of energy production to people that participate in it.
ActewAGL VPP offers
ActewAGL is conducting a trial for a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) program.
The program is designed to leverage individual residential batteries to take pressure off the grid at peak times. In turn, battery owners get to further monetise their solar investment—in addition to the solar feed-in tariffs.
Customers that buy a new Tesla Powerwall battery installation from SolarHub and subscribe to the ActewAGL VPP can take advantage of the Solar Partner Plus plan offer.
NSW Smart Distributed Batteries Project
In August 2020, SolarHub was awarded a $5.4 million grant from the NSW Government to build a Virtual Power Plant.
SolarHub is currently offering a point-of-sale discount to approximately 650 residential and small business customers to encourage battery installation, with customers required to join the ActewAGL VPP to receive the discount.