VIRTUAL POWER PLANTS AND SOFTWARE

Summary from the TLDR newsletter

Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) reduce the need for gas and oil-based power plants by aggregating distributed energy resources (DERs) such as rooftop solar and home/office batteries. These DERs help the grid by reducing or meeting demand through remote control so power plants can avoid having to burn dirty fuels during peak periods. They can also reduce the need for additional electricity grid transmission and distribution. VPPs provide a more predictable and easily managed way of helping the grid stay balanced. This article explains how VPPs work and discusses their future.