Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) are intended to be a way for households to derive more benefits from their solar panel PV and battery systems and drive down their energy costs even further. They optimise home batteries to export to the grid when demand is peaking.
But it's acknowledged that traditional VPPs aren't yet optimised to provide maximum benefits to battery owners, and therefore uptake has been slow. Plus, depending on which VPP provider you’re with, the value being generated by your battery is often going to one of the big coal and gas companies.
Here are some of the key differences if you automate your battery with SmartShift:
- Amber SmartShift is the only VPP that passes on the full financial upside of exporting your energy into the wholesale electricity market, rather than taking a cut of the value you generate like most VPP providers. Our only margin is our $25 subscription fee.
- SmartShift also offers the most control of any battery optimisation technology, with charge, discharge, and preserve battery mode - as well as the ability to switch SmartShift off completely.
Another difference is that most VPPs trigger events that are fleet wide. SmartShift™ triggers events at an individual site level. What this means is that the SmartShift algorithm will manage charging and discharging of your battery at an individual site level based on your particular battery and load profile (when you use energy throughout the day). In other words, it's focused on savings for each individual site, so it's making customised decisions for each household - not the fleet.
In sum, when you compare SmartShift with VPPs out there, you'll find you can:
1. Maximise the value of your battery. Earn more with Amber because you get the full upside of your exports going into the wholesale market (vs other VPPs who take a cut in return for adding fixed credits to your bill).
2. Stay in control. You choose when you charge and discharge your battery and can turn optimisations on and off at any time. Plus, there's no lock-in period.
3. Use your battery to help accelerate the renewables transition & displace fossil fuels
NOTE: Amber customers ARE eligible to claim the NSW Govt's VPP Rebate (BESS2) as Amber SmartShift qualifies under this scheme. To learn more, head here.
Comments
Might not be Amber's thing but I'm really interested in a community battery where a neighbourhood shares a decent sized battery.
What are the chances of adding ev charging to this? Like chargeHQ but better.
I mean, it’s sounds nice, right, but what about the actual detail of what’s going to happen to the battery energy I generate during the day that you want to harvest from me for the benefit of others before I need to use it during the night. Numbers, details. Else it’s all really just hot air and speculation. “Trust us - sign up and it’ll be fine.” - really?!
Signed up just over a month now and I’m a bit disappointed. My system continues to send power to the grid when the battery is no where near full and at times takes power from the grid when my solar is producing to a high level. I’ve tried calling now on two occasions but it went to voicemail, left messages but no return call, sent an email again no response.Curtailment does not work on my system. It’s frustrating seeing negative FITs when my battery needs charging! It’s frustrating seeking the system paying for power when the suns shining and my solar panels are producing!!!😟
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