virtual power plants

The New South Wales government will channel up to $1 billion into large-scale and community batteries, pumped hydro, and virtual power plants as it seeks to ramp up investment in renewable energy generation and storage projects to support the state’s shift from coal-fired generation.

South Australian premier Peter Malinauskas has announced the finalists for the 2023 Premier’s Excellence Awards. Amongst the finalists, the Department for Energy Mining South Australia has garnered recognition for its collaborative venture with Housing South Australia on the pioneering South Australia’s Virtual Power Plant initiative. 

Smart metering services provider Intellihub is seeking to develop digital infrastructure that will enable the orchestration of more than 150,000 otherwise scattered consumer energy generation and storage devices, helping to create more than 510 MW of flexible energy demand.

Origin Energy and supermarket giant Coles have partnered to deploy 20 MW of solar at up to 100 supermarkets and liquor stores throughout Australia in a deal that will allow the energy gentailer to use excess electricity generated by the installs to ease pressure on the grid during peak demand periods.

Despite their promise, adoption rates of Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) in Australia have been underwhelming. Head of Renewable Energy Finance at Plenti, Louis Edwards, says the issue stems from VPP operator’s overlooking their point of sale. “It’s too much risk the installer takes and they don’t do it,” he tells pv magazine Australia.

Virtual Power Plants, or VPPs, are relatively mature in Australia due to the country’s high penetration of, and familiarity with, distributed energy resources. But claims of VPP success and participation may be overblown, with a considerable gaps between the numbers some platforms are claiming and the realms of possibility.

Australian energy software provider Evergen will take its solar and battery optimisation technology to Japan after teaming with Japanese companies Sharing Energy and Sassor on a pilot project to explore how to best commercialise distributed energy resources, including rooftop solar and residential battery energy storage systems, in Japan.

At least 600 disability and community housing residents in Sydney are set to receive a lifeline amidst the cost of living crisis in the shape of fully funded solar systems. The residential solar PPA model of the Community Solar Program pilot should see benefits for residents, developers and investors.

Western Australia’s largest virtual power plant, the government-support Project Symphony, is live. The project is particularly noteworthy for its introduction of new markets to reward different services and its use of Dynamic Operating Envelopes.

South Korean company LG Energy Solution has partnered with Australian fintech financier Humm Group and renewable energy retailer Diamond Energy to provide customers with Virtual Power Plant platform. Virtual power plants (VPPs) are gaining momentum in Australia as a way to decrease buyback time on home batteries and potentially add stabilisation services to the grid.