A Virtual Power Plant (or VPP) is created by a network of rooftop solar panels and battery storage systems all working together to generate, store and feed energy back to the grid during peak times. The combined battery is used as a generator to supply power to the network when it is most profitable to do so — such as when wholesale energy prices rise to meet peak demand periods.

When operating as a VPP, households and businesses can sell their stored battery electricity during price spikes to pay back the investment on their systems faster, or even make a profit.

Currently, Powerclub's VPP is only available in South Australia.

Contact the Sharpe Energy Hub experts for an annual savings assessment.

C: +61 8 8370 9555

E: solar@ers-sa.com.au

Yes.

To participate in the VPP, you will join Powerclub under our standard Terms and Conditions. Members pay an annual membership of $45 for residential, or $90 for business and open their Powerbank, which acts like a reserve fund to cover any price gap from the electricity
purchased from the market.

Your Powerbank contribution is uniquely tailored to your household or business. Typically, Powerbank is calculated at $40 for every 1,000 kWh of electricity you use a year, with a minimum opening balance of $100. VPP Pilot participants will have their Powerbank
contribution capped at $100.

As a Powerclub Member, you can use the Powerwatch app to track live wholesale electricity prices. You will be provided with a Powerclub Portal login to monitor and manage your usage and your Powerbank balance.

If you already have at least a 6kW solar system, we can install a Sonnen battery and you will able to participate in Powerclub's VPP.

Power Ledger’s technology creates a marketplace for energy trading. The software works alongside the existing infrastructure of energy systems, enabling greater control and ownership for consumers and producers alike.

Power Ledger’s VPP product is an end to end solution, providing integration to the Distributed Energy Resources Management System (DERMS) layer which facilitates the physical dispatch of electricity, as well as the financial layer which supports daily reconciliation and settlement. Our system will respond to signals received from the market or from a network operator and send the requisite commands to optimise and orchestrate the portfolio of distributed assets.

Power Ledger’s VPP platform provides a real-time transactive financial layer. Self-executing smart contracts integrate with system controls, creating an autonomous, energy market with secure value transfer between customers, networks and market participants. Blockchain is the technology which essentially connects a financial transaction to a physical transaction of energy, and ensures all participants are paid for the services they provide.

All energy transactions are recorded on the blockchain, which allows for greater transparency, increased automation and reduced possibility of human error. Blockchain technology removes friction, streamlines price discovery and allows for energy to be traded easily.

Utilising blockchain also opens the possibility for a cross-retailer VPP ecosystem and settlement system, where the financial transaction is pinned to the physical transaction, regardless of who the energy provider is. If we enable this type of interaction between VPPs across networks, we can build an economic framework and marketplace where owners of solar and batteries are incentivised to keep supporting the overarching system, rather than defecting from the grid altogether.

In the future, a household with battery storage could have their system automatically set up to dispatch their stored energy during a peak event in the National Energy Market (NEM) and be instantly paid for it. Blockchain can mitigate the risk of a single party controlling the central repository of sensitive information, as would be required if using traditional database technologies.

The sun is a powerful electricity source with just one hour of sunlight providing enough energy to meet global needs for a year. Unfortunately, we don't have the technology to harness all this energy yet, but installing solar panels and battery technology at home will go a long way for our planet, and your pocket.

Currently, energy generation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Australia, with 72% of our electricity being produced by coal-burning power stations. Unlike coal, gas and diesel, solar energy can be harnessed all over the world and has an endless supply. By investing in solar panels and battery technology, homeowners can generate a renewable source of energy to supplement their household needs, while reducing their electricity bill and adding value to their home. By exporting renewable energy to the grid during periods of peak demand, you're helping to alleviate pressure on the grid, which reduces Australia's reliance on fossil fuels.

Using solar generation and battery storage to supply green energy to yourself and your community means your providing another source of zero-emission electricity to the grid.

Participation in the VPP Pilot is for the 12-month term, effective from the date of system install or transfer to Powerclub, whichever is later. If the participant chooses to leave the pilot prior to the end date, the participant is liable to repay the $2,000 discount, on a prorated basis.

The exit fee is calculated as "days left in 12-month term/365 *$2000