Thursday 27 August 2020

Virtual power plants are coming to California apartment buildings

Local Woman Participates in Solar Installation Training Program Naomi Hawk works on a job site installing solar panels on the roof of an apartment complex in SE Washington D.C. on August 27, 2019. | Photo by Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Three thousand Californian apartments will be linked up to solar panels and batteries — meaning they might never experience a power outage again, no matter what California’s utility companies do. The project, planned by German energy storage company Sonnen, will be spread across seven apartment complexes — the largest of its kind.

The connected set of solar panels and batteries form what’s called a “virtual power plant.” Besides making sure the whole community can run on backup solar power during blackouts, these VPPs also reduce strain on the grid — because VPPs store their energy on-site. What’s more, they can be tapped to provide energy during demand peaks.

“As I look...

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