This is another great example of Tesla flexing their muscles and disrupting traditional energy systems. They successfully did this recently with their 100MW storage project in South Australia and now they are looking to do the same with the world's largest virtual power plant. VPPs will play a significant role in the energy systems of the future. VPPs provide the best of both worlds, decentralised generation with ability to aggregate and share power when required. One of Hyperion's clients, sonnen, successfully launched their sonnenCommunity, eliminating the need for a conventional energy supplier as energy is shared and traded within a community of solar plus storage owners.
These are the energy systems of the future, based on decentralised renewable generation with energy storage. Coal plants are closing at a rate of knots as they are no longer competitive on price. We are now seeing a monumental shift in how consumers access energy.
South Australia plans to roll out solar panels and Tesla Inc. batteries to at least 50,000 homes to form what its government says will be the world’s largest virtual power plant. Beginning with a trial of 1,100 public housing properties, 5-kW solar panels and 13.5 kWh Tesla Powerwall 2 batteries will be installed free of charge and financed through electricity sales, the state government said Sunday ahead of a state election next month. This will be expanded to another 24,000 public housing properties, and then a similar deal will be offered to all South Australian households, with a plan for at least 50,000 to participate in the next four years. Once completed, the virtual power facility could provide as much capacity as a large gas turbine or coal power plant, Tesla said in a statement.
