Thanks tovirtual power plants, your own home appliances can contribute to keeping the lights on across your community.
The best part is, you might even get paid for it.
What is a virtual power plant?
For the consumer, there’s usually a perk, often in the form of cash or bill credits.
VPPs function by aggregating electricity from different sources, which could include larger facilities like solar and wind farms.
In some cases, a VPP pulls energy generated from those residential sources and feeds it to your utility.
In turn, participating households cut their energy bills by using a little less electricity while remaining comfortable.
Savings are even bigger if your energy plan includestime-of-use ratesduring periods of peak usage.
you could also earn savings from the VPP in exchange for that shift in power demand.
Meyer suggested reaching out to your local utility for more information.
Some smart thermostat companies likeGoogle NestandEcobeeoffer integrations with VPPs.
The benefits of joining a VPP vary by plan, utility, and location.
“It’s hard to make behavioral changes all by yourself,” he said.
