MCE intends to use the learnings from this pilot to expand the Virtual Power Plant throughout our service area and support decarbonization and energy equity across Marin, Napa, Contra Costa, and Solano Counties.Many countries are experimenting with VPPs.
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For more information about Sparkpoint and how to become a client, call their Richmond Center at (510) 779-3200. SparkPoint serves low-income families seeking to improve their financial situation. If you’re a first-time homebuyer and interested in the recently renovated homes in Richmond, the first right of refusal is offered to SparkPoint clients. Eligible participants will receive an email or mailer from MCE or the City of Richmond inviting them to enroll. It will also decrease grid strain, reducing the risk of power outages and the need for polluting power plants.Ĭurrently this pilot is invite-only. The VPP will provide significant bill savings for participants. They are then sold at below-market prices to first-time, income-qualified homebuyers with the agreement that the homeowners will allow their appliances to be grid-smart enabled.Ĭlean energy technologies in participating homes and businesses will be networked and aggregated to receive market signals from MCE and partners for charging and discharging at times of the day when energy is cheaper and cleaner. The remaining 10 homes were previously abandoned and recently purchased and fully modernized into zero net carbon homes. Of these homes, 90 will be offered the opportunity to receive no- to low-cost clean energy upgrades for participation in the VPP.
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MCE and our project partners are engaging with eligible sites to offer clean energy technologies.įor the first stage of development, 100 homes will be provided with free clean energy technology upgrades.
MCE’s VPP pilot is currently in development and available to select homes and businesses in Richmond. What will MCE’s VPP look like in practice?
Households and businesses participating in a VPP have direct participation in the market and can be compensated for their stake or participation, as is the case with MCE’s VPP. VPPs can shift energy consumption to hours when energy costs are lower and significantly reduce bills. MCE’s pilot only uses clean energy sources to respond quickly to demand during periods of high energy usage thereby reducing the need for these polluting power plants and supporting healthier communities for everyone. Not all VPPs are created alike – for example, some include backup diesel generators. Peaker plants emit toxic air pollution and can cause significant health and environmental issues for surrounding communities. VPPs help reduce the need for California’s peaker plants, which are polluting fossil fuel plants that are relied on during times of high demand, otherwise known as “peaks”. VPPs allow power dispatchers to shift electricity demand to times when the most renewable energy is on the grid or use solar when the sun isn’t shining by charging up a storage battery for later use.īenefit #3: A Healthier Environment and Communities As rooftop solar has become more common, California has accumulated an excess of solar energy in the middle of the day. Using a VPP at critical times to reduce energy consumption and deploy additional clean energy supply is an invaluable resource to help the state avoid blackouts.Įnergy generated from renewables varies from day to day. VPPs provide tools to respond to fluctuations in demand more effectively and swiftly. Outages can occur when there isn’t enough energy supply to meet demand.
VPPs, on the other hand, allow closer control over on-site demand because they incorporate technologies that create demand such as smart thermostats and EV chargers. In times of emergency or when electricity supply on the grid has to quickly ramp up to meet demand, this could mean turning on a power plant to increase supply. Traditionally the main strategy to balance electricity supply and demand is increasing energy supply. Homes and businesses collectively contribute to grid health by balancing the amount of energy supplied to the grid with the amount of energy they demand. VPPs help meet energy needs with on-site devices to give people more control over their usage. What are the benefits of a virtual power plant?
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