You heard it here first: Virtual Power Plants are some of the most exciting developments to hit the solar market since it began. But why?
In this article, we’ll help you answer questions including:
- What is a Virtual Power Plant?
- How does a Virtual Power Plant work?
- How do I decide which Virtual Power Plant to join?
- What is the best Virtual Power Plant available?
Our aim? To help you make the most educated an informed decision possible when deciding how to increase the the ROI of your solar system. Let’s go.
But first –
What is a Virtual Power Plant?
Virtual Power Plant (VPP) is a term used to refer to the aggregated power supply of multiple home solar batteries. When individual home-owners with a solar battery installed combine the aggregated energy supply of their batteries, they can both earn money from power exported to the grid, and earn credits for helping keep the grid stable in times of varying power supply/demand and outage.
Essentially, VPPs alow the VPP operator to run the batteries as if they were a single, larger power plant.
The best thing about Virtual Power Plants is not only how they lower the impact of energy generation/consumption on the environment, but how the owners of each individual home battery can increase the ROI of the solar system they use to generate and store power.
These financial benefits are often in the form of what’s called a “feed-in tariff”. We’ll chat more about this in just a moment.
You can find out more about VPPs in our Learning Centre article What is a Virtual Power Plant? Read more here.
What are the benefits of joining a Virtual Power Plant?
Overall, the benefits of joining a Virtual Power Plant include:
- Earning money (via a “feed-in tariff”) from the solar power your export to the grid
- Earning a variety of other credits (including “grid credits”) for helping to keep the grid stable with the power you export
- Assisting the broader community by sharing (and selling) excess power stored in your solar home battery
- Managing your home’s power supply in a way that’s more sustainable and environmentally friendly
- Accessing all relevant government incentives and rebates for which you’re eligible (we can help you with this)
…and much more.
Essentially, membership to a Virtual Power Plant is a great way for you to get increased value from your solar energy system, increasing the ROI you get from your initial investment. You’ll not only receive impressive financial benefits for helping support the grid – you’ll also get to experience a range of community, social and environmental benefits as well.
Yep – VPPs are really that good!
How do I decide which Virtual Power Plant to join?
Like any products and services within the solar sector, you’ll have a range of choices when it comes to deciding which Virtual Power Plant to join.
When making your decision, here are some helpful questions to consider:
- What assistive technology is being offered with the VPP membership? (e.g a new solar battery, like the Tesla Powerwall, which comes with Simply Energy’s VPP membership via G Store)
- What is the quality of the assistive technology being offered? (e.g. keep an eye out for cheap, nasty solar batteries that won’t last!)
- What is the feed-in tariff being offered? (that is, the money you get back from exporting solar energy into the grid)
- What other incentives are available? (this will largely depend on both the state in which you live, plus any broader government incentives)
Visit our Learning Centre now to learn more about Virtual Power Plants, or call our award-winning team today on 1300 137 567 to find out more.
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