Generac Grid Services has been selected by Southern California Edison (SCE) as one of the virtual power plant (VPP) providers for the company’s Power Flex program. SCE residential customers can increase the value and return of their solar PV and battery storage systems through this initiative. They can enroll in a VPP to reduce peak demand pressure on the power grid.
Participating in the Power Flex program can give homeowners incentives. They can allow some of the carbon-free electricity in their batteries to be dispatched to the grid when there is a power outage. Customers can earn money while helping to prevent power outages and build a more sustainable grid. Generac Grid Services is using its Concerto distributed energy management system (DERMS platform) to recruit and enroll Generac PV and battery storage system owners in the VPP program.
When Generac Grid Services’ Concerto VPP platform detects a spike in demand that might otherwise require starting up a fossil fuel plant, the software sends a signal to the batteries to automatically dispatch clean energy based on real-time grid conditions.
“With increasing frequency, homeowners are installing solar plus battery storage systems to protect against power outages caused by factors like extreme weather or wildfires,” says Bud Vos, president of Generac Grid Services. “This program lets homeowners gain further benefit from these systems by orchestrating their collective energy flexibility into a VPP that directs power flow from where it’s available, to where it is needed, precisely when it is needed most.”