(V) Oregon Solar Energy Conference

Utilities across the country are beginning to tap into hundreds, sometimes thousands, of devices in homes and businesses to create virtual power plants (VPP). These VPPs can deliver many of the same services as traditional power plants but they’re power by distributed resources, including water heaters, smart thermostats, and, increasingly, solar and battery storage. This session will cover the basics of what a virtual power plant is and how it can create value for both utilities and customers, with examples from real-world programs.

Presenters will include the software company Virtual Peaker and Portland General Electric (PGE). PGE recently launched a new VPP pilot program that will incentivize the installation of more than 500 residential battery storage systems, representing up to four megawatts of energy.