Now the latest battery in the virtual power plant

How do virtual power plants function?

Virtual power plants add megawatts of capacity to the grid when electricity demand is at its highest. Most of the electricity from the batteries in these plants is generated by rooftop solar.

What companies are working on a virtual power plant?

In California, sonnen is working on a virtual power plant with Baker Electric Home Energy, aiming to sign up 5,000 households by the end of 2025. In Vermont, the utility Green Mountain Power has a virtual power plant with more than 4,000 batteries in customers’ homes and businesses, and is in the process of expanding the program.

What is a virtual power plant (VPP)?

The “virtual” nature of VPPs comes from its lack of a central physical facility, like a traditional coal or gas plant. By generating electricity and balancing the energy load, the aggregated batteries and solar panels provide many of the functions of conventional power plants. They also have unique advantages.

Are virtual power plants a good idea?

Governments and private companies alike are now counting on VPPs’ potential to help keep costs down and stop the grid from becoming overburdened. Here’s what you need to know about VPPs—and why they could be the key to helping us bring more clean power and energy storage online. What are virtual power plants and how do they work?

Do virtual power plants have a physical form?

For more than a century, the prevalent image of power plants has been characterized by towering smokestacks, endless coal trains, and loud spinning turbines. But the plants powering our future will look radically different—in fact, many may not have a physical form at all. Welcome to the era of virtual power plants (VPPs).

Can a virtual power plant help save money?

Virtual power plants can help save money and keep the lights on, according to some experts. They can do this by utilizing devices we've already bought and paid for, without the need to build new power plants. Even focusing just on batteries, 9.9 gigawatts, or 9,900 megawatts, is a significant amount, equivalent to a dozen natural gas power plants.