Southern California Edison (SCE) has selected Generac Grid Services as one of the virtual power plant (VPP) providers for the company’s Power Flex program.
The initiative empowers SCE residential customers to extend the value and return on investment of their residential solar PV and battery storage systems by enrolling them in a VPP designed to alleviate pressure on the power grid during times of peak demand.
By participating in the Power Flex program, homeowners can earn incentives by allowing some of the carbon-free electricity stored in their batteries to be dispatched when the electric grid is experiencing a power shortage. These customers can thereby earn money, while also helping the community prevent power outages and create a more sustainable grid. Generac Grid Services, through the use of its Concerto distributed energy resource management system (DERMS) platform, is recruiting and enrolling Generac solar PV and battery storage system owners for 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.”
