See how Renew Home is quickly building a massive, sustainable power plant, through smart thermostats and beyond. The future of virtual power plants is here 😎 check out our position paper, available for download!

The power to change the energy landscape is literally at our fingertips—and in our living rooms. I've always seen smart thermostats as the gateway to Virtual Power Plants. Here’s why: 1. They present a low barrier to entry compared to other DERS e.g. are $129 - $279 and can be DIY'd 2. They are equally useful for renters and homeowners 3. They offer continuous engagement opportunities for utilities, aggregators, OEMs, and more 4. Most of their benefits require they remain connected to wifi e.g. remain dispatchable The real kicker? One in five households already has a smart thermostat installed. This means there is a vast reservoir of "potential energy" already present in homes, ready to be tapped into. This existing base can be leveraged more effectively and with greater ease than the efforts required to drive fresh adoption of DERs. Smart thermostats not only regulate your home temperature but also serve as critical nodes in a larger network that contributes to grid stability and efficiency. They are not just about individual comfort but are pivotal in shaping a sustainable energy future. Let's recognize and harness this potential to accelerate the development of VPPs like Renew Home, transforming passive homes into active energy participants.

It is important to get this capacity into the market quickly to provide more tools to help manage the grid at a 90% lower cost to consumers than the preferred expensive approach.

Smart thermostats can significantly contribute to creating virtual power plants (VPPs) by making homes grid-responsive. With over 82 million U.S. homes potentially equipped with smart thermostats, they can collectively form a VPP with a capacity equal to the peak summer electric utility demand in Florida. This approach offers a cost-effective solution to manage the grid and reduce consumer costs by 90% compared to traditional methods.

I commonly hear "it will break the grid, it's already overloaded!" when I talk about adding millions of electric vehicle, electric space heating, etc. But that's really only if we kept using the grid as an inflexible one-way power delivery system. Batteries and other distributed resources acting together as virtual power plants can add 20-100 GW. That's 2-5x enough capacity to power all of New York City -- to the grid as additional resources to meet loads. To put it in further perspective, that's enough to charge another million EVs on 9kW all at the same time on our existing transmission system. I'd encourage any utility contacts interested in battery developments to reach out for a Zoom coffee. It's such a fascinating and fast-changing space right now. https://lnkd.in/gaV9vWSh

The suddenly simple stuff of science-fiction. What are Virtual Power Plants? A collection of office and home based items like solar panels and batteries that can chip in collectively at peak times to make sure our national grids don't get overwhelmed. This would mean a lessened reliance on centralised power generation methods, many of which are still currently fossil fuel fired. Sounds almost like a no brainer but until now hasn't truly been at the forefront of most #NetZeroTransitions. RMI has now published a comprehensive guide-book on these intruguing new initiatives and how they can reduce local communities overall dependence on fossil-fuels. Highlighted among many other things in the thoughrough flipbook they write: 1. 70 VPPs currently operate across 25 US states and generate between 30-60mw 2. At appropriate scale VPPs could account for 20% of peak energy grid demand and save up to $10 billion 3. VPP schemes can compensate participants, potentially benefitting inviduals and organisations A fantastic read with points of pondering for all kinds of organisations. Perhaps a perfect opportunity for #SMEs with #Sustainable spaces/offices? You can find the full material here: https://lnkd.in/eyhrSrsb. Would your organisation like to see an incentivsed VPP program in the UK? Would options like this help accelerate your business' #NetZeroJourney? #NetZero #ClimateChange #RenewableEnergy #EnergyGrid #Business Net Zero Nation

Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and severe, putting a strain on traditional grid infrastructure. To ensure reliable and affordable power delivery, utilities need innovative solutions.⚡️   That's where virtual power plants (VPPs) come in. VPPs are a game-changer, transforming distributed energy resources like batteries, electric vehicles, and smart thermostats into a powerful collective force.    Our brand new VPP Flipbook is a valuable resource designed to equip utilities with the knowledge and best practices needed to develop and implement impactful VPPs. Learn from successful case studies and discover how VPPs can solidify your organization's position as a leader in the energy transition: https://lnkd.in/eyhrSrsb

Will the grid congestion constrain the development of fast charging EV networks and ultimately slow the adoption of EVs in Australia? Ampol still sees the potential for EV networks and with hope, we won't end up fuelling range anxiety. https://lnkd.in/g6Dg--Vk

https://lnkd.in/eDPd9HcN This is totally outside my sphere of expertise, but, it is important to me as a respirologist. We need to rethink the way we power our homes. Imagine, if you will, a grid where everyhome has solar panels on the roof, and a battery pack to cover power needs at night. There would still be a need for some central power generation, and perhaps central battery banks, but the idea of a centralized power station is past its prime. There are solutions out there. I am installing a system on my house now to do exactly what I described. While my solution wont work for everyone, it is time for innovation and change. (And I am not in texas, and not advocating for this company, but pleased to see some different thinking!)

Did you catch this article in The New Yorker? "What’s happening in places like California is not just substitution—not just replacing dirty energy with clean stuff. But remember when Wi-Fi replaced modems? It wasn’t just a better signal—people started thinking up a thousand new things to do with all that connection. That’s what abundant electricity means: we’ll be able to think differently.” #CleanEnergy #California #FutureForward #WeAreMCE #NoPlanetB #ClimateChange #GreenPower https://lnkd.in/gA6-P_pG