Decentralised rooftop PV is the largest supplier of clean power in Australia. With grids catching up, a range of storage options available and rapid uptake of electric vehicles, it is time to build onto this success. Neat brings together designs that define this purpose.

"Why virtual power plants are the future of electricity retailing", Gabrielle Kuiper, RenewEconomy, 21 March 2022

March 23, 2022 by Giles Hohnen

A virtual power plant (VPP) is a network of distributed energy resources – not just rooftop solar, but also batteries, electric vehicles and smart appliances – working as a single power source and aggregated via software to participate in energy markets.

Why virtual power plants are the future of electricity retailing

VPPs create the opportunity for cheaper, faster decarbonisation than only building large-scale generation and storage.

They do that by leveraging consumers’ investments to benefit the system as a whole, speeding up the payback period for households and businesses, and reducing the overall system cost of new renewable generation and storage.

In general, the greatest value in rooftop solar and battery storage is in providing behind-the-meter (BTM) on-site electricity supply, co-locating generation and load, while avoiding network and retail costs