GM Energy, a new business unit of General Motors, focuses on offering batteries, EV chargers, and software to residential and commercial customers. The company has recently introduced the Ultium Home product suite, which includes energy storage, solar panels, and bi-directional charging equipment. These products enable vehicle-to-home (V2H) and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capabilities, allowing electric vehicles to power homes during blackouts or to provide energy back to the grid. GM Energy aims to expand its energy management services to mitigate the effects of power outages and provide cost-effective energy solutions for customers.

In this episode, Shayle talks to Jigar Shah, director of the Loans Programs Office at the U.S. Department of Energy. Jigar argues that the rooftop solar industry should reinvent itself, relying on batteries and virtual power plants (VPPs). He also argues that regulations should focus on system-level dispatchability. 

With its dense population and seismic activity, Taiwan faces formidable challenges in maintaining a steady energy supply. Similarly, Japan is also threatened by quakes. In response, Japan initiated the development of virtual power plants (VPPs) in 2016.

This report presents a high-level summary of the demand flexibility initiatives currently underway in Australia; outlinig four key pathways operating to incentivise demand-side participation. The report overlays this information on the ARENA-funded and external trials in detailed charts and tables.

The DRIVE Act would require utilities to support vehicle-to-grid technology in a distributed energy resource portfolio amid efforts to shore up the congested PJM Interconnection.

Project Symphony’s final report presents the 18 recommendations found whilst assessing the viability of DER orchestration. These actionable recommendations are highlighted through the framework of four ‘pillars’. This being Technical, Customer, Value, and Policy & Regulation.

Vietnam has millions of e-scooters and an unstable power supply. One might think that these two things signal trouble when put together, but here’s how some Vietnamese are using their e-scooters to improve stability of the electrical grid and help small businesses avoid blackouts.

Nigeria's first-ever feasibility study into a pilot project on developing custom hybrid distributed energy systems that integrate with the national grid shows promising results.

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.

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.

This report, New Resource Adequacy Criteria for the Energy Transition: Modernizing Reliability Requirements, outlines the need for, and a path toward, the use of a multi-metric criteria approach in resource adequacy analysis.

Unlocking the Potential of Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) for Green Living and Sustainability.

Power grids globally must be upgraded by 2040 to keep the lights on. And while these upgrades will likely cost trillions, virtual power plants (VPPs), writes Autogrid’s Gisela Glandt, can curb these costs to the tune of $10B annually.

By orchestrating EVs, batteries, and smart home devices, VPPs can help make the grid cleaner and more efficient.

Canada’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) and EnergyHub, a grid-edge flexibility provider, have announced the enrolment of more than 100,000 homes in the Save on Energy Peak Perks programme, calling it the largest residential virtual power plant (VPP) in Canada.

The virtual power plant market size has grown exponentially in recent years. It will grow from $2.35 billion in 2023 to $2.86 billion in 2024 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.9%. The growth during the historic period can be largely attributed to the expansion of renewable energy sources, advancements in energy storage technology, government support and incentives, the initiation of pilot projects and demonstrations, as well as the increasing decentralization of energy systems.

Visiongain has published a new report entitled Virtual Power Plant (VPP) Market Report 2024-2034: Forecasts by Component (Software, Hardware), by Technology (Demand Response VPP, Distributed Generation VPP, Mixed Asset VPP), by End-user (Residential, Commercial, Industrial, Utility), by Generation Source (Solar PV, Wind Power, Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Units, Energy Storage Systems, Other) AND Regional and Leading National Market Analysis PLUS Analysis of Leading Companies AND COVID-19 Impact and Recovery Pattern Analysis.

How VPPs enable utilities and their regulators to reliably and affordably manage summer peaks.

How utilities and their customers are already benefitting from VPPs and insights for future implementation.