Are 'virtual power plants' the future of battery storage?

If you’re interested in home battery storage, chances are you’ve come across the term ‘virtual power plant’. That’s because in the last few years, virtual power plants have been cropping up all over Australia – and indeed the world. VPPs have captured news headlines as a revolutionary new way of generating and distributing renewable energy.

Do I need a battery for a virtual power plant?

Right now, to be part of a virtual power plant you need to have your own solar battery, such as a Powerwall, AlphaESS or other quality battery that is accredited as VPP-ready. If you haven’t got a battery and keen to find out more, get in touch with us for a free quote.

What happens if a virtual power plant runs a battery down?

Some – but not all – virtual power plants retain the right to use as much power from your battery as they need. If they are running your battery down to empty on a regular basis, this will shorten the life of most batteries. . It may even void the warranty.

How do I get paid for letting a virtual power plant use my battery?

There are two ways you are paid for letting a virtual power plant use your battery. A much higher solar feed-in tariff for the power drawn by the virtual power plant from your battery. This is in addition to the normal solar feed-in tariff.

How do I connect my solar power system to a virtual power plant?

The cool thing is that you don’t need any special software installed on your solar power system or your battery to connect to a virtual power plant. All the VPP will require is the code from your battery (for example, with the Powerwall battery this is called the Gateway ID).

How often should a battery be used in a virtual power plant?

Whilst there is no set ‘rule of thumb’, you can expect power from your battery to be used by the virtual power plant on average once or twice a week across the year – with a skew towards greater usage during heatwaves and extreme weather events.