VPP INTELLIGENCE Hub

If you have news updates to share please contact us.

What is a virtual power plant?

A virtual power plant is a network of energy devices, like rooftop solar, batteries and EVs, that are pooled together to serve the grid. With participants approval the devices can be called on by system operators to share, reduce and store electricity. VPPs are capital and cost-efficient choice for utilities, creating new revenue streams that also benefit consumers, while reducing the overall cost of the electricity system.

recent Explainers

News Aidan McFarlane News Aidan McFarlane

Bidirectional charging EV batteries could help EU save over $23 billion a year

Storing renewable energy in electric vehicle batteries (EVs) instead of stationary energy storage facilities could help the European Union save over 106.5 billion dollars (100 billion euros) over ten years, according to a European Federation for Transport and Environment (T&E) study. If the intricacies are worked out, EVs could become the fourth-largest electricity supplier in the EU by 2040. 

Read More
News Nadia Smith News Nadia Smith

Car batteries can optimize the power grid

Australian researchers have found that if 10% of vehicles are electric and utilize V2G connections, they could reduce peak electricity demand at local substations by 6% and save car owners hundreds of dollars per year on charging costs.

Read More
News Nadia Smith News Nadia Smith

PG&E trials V2X for public shutoff backup power

PG&E, Kaluza and Wallbox are partnering on an EV and V2X programme in California, which will use dynamic tariffs to reward customers for providing surplus power back to the grid during public safety power shutoff events.

Read More
Research Nadia Smith Research Nadia Smith

IEEFA: Virtual power plants are the future of electricity retailing

As Australia surpasses three million rooftop solar installations, households looking to buy a battery storage system or electric vehicle can be part of a new kind of power plant bringing about faster, cheaper decarbonisation. In the future, so-called ‘virtual power plants’ that harvest distributed renewable electricity and demand response will play a major role, says a new report from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA).


Read More
News Nadia Smith News Nadia Smith

Electric-vehicle virtual power plant scales up in UK with funding

The UK’s first electrically-chargeable vehicle (EV) virtual power plant (VPP), run by ev.energy, has been awarded an additional £295,000 (€352,000) in funding, taking its total finance pot to £754,000. Provided by Innovate UK, the money will be used to scale the VPP, which will help stabilise the country’s power grid as electromobility accelerates.


Read More