A Virtual Power Plant, or VPP for short, is a network of connected solar batteries that can be coordinated like a pop-up power plant. VPPs allow renewable energy to be harnessed quickly, providing energy to the grid during times of peak demand. The result is a more stable, balanced network and reduced reliance on fossil fuels.
VPPs will play an important role in the future of Australia’s energy mix. The concept is one of win-win; VPP providers (aggregators and retailers) benefit from the flexibility and efficiency of a solar battery network, while participants can enjoy lower electricity bills and a shorter payback period on their solar and storage investment.
There are currently several VPP programs available in Australia, with more coming online over the year. Each VPP program offers its participants specific benefits, eligibility requirements, program structure and contract details.
To assist you in determining the best VPP for your home or business, you can use the below comparison table outlining the key features of the various VPP programs that are currently available in Australia.
Also, to aid in your exploration of VPP options, consider gaining valuable insights into solar energy by obtaining FREE solar quotes from Energy Matters, facilitating an informed decision-making process for your home or business.
The information on this table is current as of 24 May 2022. Updates will be made accordingly as more programs are developed and/or become available.
| VPP Program Name | Approved Batteries | Eligibility Requirements | Key Program Rewards | Battery Usage Information | Key Contract Details | More Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AGL Bring Your Own Battery | LG Chem RESU "HV", Tesla Powerwall 2 | · Live in NSW, QLD, SA or VIC · Have an operating solar system and reliable internet connection · Aren’t already part of a Virtual Power Plant · Have an electricity plan with AGL | Upfront credit: $100 bill credit Ongoing credits: $45 quarterly Feed-in/usage tariffs: as per standard AGL plan | Minimum battery capacity reserved for homeowner: Powerwall 20% capacity, LG Chem RESU varies based on inverter settings | Term: 12 months Cancellation Fee: $0 | Link |
| AusGrid "Power2U" | LG Chem, SolaX, BYD, Evergen: AlphaESS, Tesla | · Ausgrid customers with registered demand response retailers Reposit Power, Evergen or ShineHub | Bill credits: Customers are paid per kWh of energy exported during a dispatch event. A customer with a 10 kWh battery taking part in 10-15 dispatch events could earn about $90-135. Feed-in/usage tariffs: dependant on retailer | Minimum battery capacity reserved for homeowner: Not specified Estimated dispatch events per year: 10-30 times | Term: not specified Cancellation fee: not specified | Link |
| Discover Energy VPP Premum Plan | Eligible inverter brands are GoodWe, Sungrow, Solar Edge, Alpha ESS, Growatt, QCELLS and Huawei. | · NSW, VIC, ACT, SE QLD or SA residents only. · State specific eligibility requirements: VIC: maximum inverter capacity of 10KW and maximum PV generating capacity of 13.3KW. | NSW/SA/QLD/ACT Feed-in tariffs: First 3.28kwh exported per day: 30c/kwh Next 3.28kwh exported per day: 18c/kwh All remaining kwh exported per day: 9c/kwh Other: Profit sharing from energy trading VIC Feed-in tariffs: First 3.28kwh exported per day: 20c/kwh Next 3.28kwh exported per dayr: 15c/kwh All remaining kwh exported per day: 6.7c/kwh Other: Profit sharing from energy trading | Minimum battery capacity reserved for homeowner: No minimum | Term: None Cancellation fee: $0 | Link |
| Energy Australia "PowerResponse" | Tesla Powerwall, AlphaESS, Redback, LG Chem with SolarEdge | · Retailer must be Energy Australia · No one in the household relying on life support equipment | Ongoing credits: $15 bill credit per 'grid event' (max 80 hours per year) paid monthly Feed-in tariff: standard as per Energy Australia plan | Minimum battery capacity reserved for homeowner: 20% Dispatch events: EnergyAustralia will run PowerResponse events up to a maximum of 80 hours per year. | Term: 12 months Cancellation fee: $0 | Link |
| Members Energy VPP (Solar + Battery Members Plan) | Eveready, Telsa Powerwall, Hive, AlphaESS | · Retailer must be Energy Locals (NSW, VIC, SA, SE QLD, ACT and TAS) · >3kW solar capacity · A smart meter & time-of-use tariff · A reliable Internet connection · Access to the Members Energy App | Battery optimisation: Optimisation of home’s solar and battery system performance, storing energy when prices are low to use when prices are high. Feed-in tariff 'guarantee': FiT will follow the ‘spot’ price of the National Electricity Market. When the spot price drops below your minimum FiT, you will still receive your minimum FiT. However, when the spot price rises about your minimum, you will receive 100% of the ‘spot’ price as your FiT (c/kWh). | Minimum battery capacity reserved for homeowner: 20% | Term: None Cancellation fee: $0 Membership fee: ongoing daily membership fee of $1.00 | Link |
| Origin Loop Virtual Power Plant | LG Chem RESU (6.5, 10 LV) Sungrow Hybrid | · >5kW solar capacity · Live within 50km of Sydney CBD, Melbourne CBD, Brisbane CBD or Gold Coast metro | Battery subsidy: Approx. $2500 off LGChem RRP (until June 2022) Solar panel and battery bundle discount: $3,000 (until June 2022) Credit: $20/month credit for 5 year term. Feed-in tariff: standard as per Origin plan | Minimum battery capacity reserved for homeowner: Origin reserves the right to discharge entire battery, but may "preserve the capacity in the battery so that it can be used for your consumption at times determined by us." Origin guarantees that, in a 12-month period, it will never extract more than 200kWh from your battery. | Term: 5 years Cancellation fee: $5,500 if terminated in 1st year, reduced by $1,100 each year until $0 at year 5. | Link |
| Plico Energy VPP | Pylontech | · WA residents only | Solar and/or battery bundle: fully installed solar PV system with inverter and/or Pylontech battery storage Full service & maintenance: 10 years of warranty, servicing and replacement parts. Feed-in tariff: standard as per Synergy or Western Power plan | Minimum battery capacity reserved for homeowner: 15% | Term: 10 years Membership fee: $250 for solar and battery plans only Ongoing fees: from $36.50 per week for a 6.6kW solar PV system, 5kW inverter and 7.2kWh battery (5 solar & battery plans and 1 battery only plan available) Cancellation fee: buyout fee reducing annually over 10 years from $12,500 to zero | Link |
| PowerClub Powerbank | Sonnen | · SA residents only · >6kW solar capacity · 20kWh Sonnenbatterie · Retailer must be PowerClub · Have Smart meter/advanced meter · Have internet connection, either wired or wireless | Battery subsidy: first 10 participants receive $2,000 discount to the retail cost of their battery Guaranteed savings: you will not pay more than your daily supply charge and rate per kWh before joining and will remain so for the duration of the program. Feed-in tariff: 11.5c Usage tariff: 29c | Minimum battery capacity reserved for homeowner:TBD | Term: 12 months Cancellation fee: If member received $2,000 discount, the exit fee is calculated as "days left in 12-month term/365 *$2000 | Link |
| QCells Arcstream 100% Green | Qcells Q HOME (model depends on plan tier level) | · Eastern Victoria and eastern Metropolitan suburbs · > 5kW solar capacity minimum for first plan tier (increases depending on tier level) | Flat, fixed rate energy bills: three tiers of energy subscription plans. VPP credits: The potential to receive “VPP credits” when your battery is used to respond to market events. VPP credits are payable for 50% of your batteries share of revenue from an event, up to a monthly cap of $20. Feed-in tariff: rate is dependent on energy plan tier level. | Minimum battery capacity reserved for homeowner: no minimum | Term: nominal period of 24 months Cancellation fee: $0 Ongoing fees: energy plans from $9/mo | Link |
| Reposit "No bill" | SolaX Triple Power T58 | · VIC, ACT and greater Sydney residents only · Must purchase a solar + battery system from Reposit (existing solar program TBA) · Currently spend <$3500/a in nsw and <$3000/a act on electricity · Have no existing solar panels or batteries installed · If in VIC, be eligible for the Solar Victoria battery subsidy (value already discounted from price) | No bill guarantee: no electricity bill for five years, including all fees, charges and taxes Maintenance: while you will own the assets, Reposit will maintain your system for the duration of your contract term | Minimum battery capacity reserved for homeowner:TBD | Term: 5 years Cancellation fee: $0 | Link |
| ShineHub VPP | AlphaESS | · Residents of SA, VIC, NSW, and QLD · Must have internet connection | Battery subsidy: $2000 discount on select Alpha-ESS series purchased through ShineHub (SA - other states TBA) Feed-in tariff: When power is drawn from your battery, you get a premium payment of $0.45 per kWh. You also receive your normal solar feed-in tariff from your energy retailer | Minimum battery capacity reserved for homeowner: 10% | Term: None Cancellation fee: $0 | Link |
| Simply Energy New Battery VPP Offer | Tesla Powerwall 2 | · SA, VIC, NSW and QLD residents only · Must be on a plan with Simpy Energy · Fixed internet connection · Minimum 3kWp PV system · Had battery installed within 30 days of signing up through a Simply Energy partner installer | Sign up credit: $2,000 Ongoing credit: $50 annually for 5 years Feed-in tariff: standard as per Simply Energy plan | Minimum battery capacity reserved for homeowner: 20% | Term: ongoing Cancellation fee: pro rata amount of the $2,000 sign up credit. This steps down the longer you have been on the VPP and works out to be $400 of value each year for 5 years. | Link |
| Simply Energy BYO Battery VPP Offer | Tesla Powerwall 2 | · SA, VIC, NSW and QLD residents only · Retailer must be Simply Energy · Minimum 3kWp PV system · Have a smart meter · Reliable internet connection | Sign up credit: $300 Ongoing credit: $240 annually for 5 years Guaranteed usage and supply discount: each month off your electricity and gas charges Feed-in tariff: standard as per Simply Energy plan | Minimum battery capacity reserved for homeowner: 20% | Term: ongoing Cancellation fee: $0 | Link |
| Solar Connect VPP | Any battery with an approved inverter (refer more information tab) | · NT residents only · Retailer must be Jacana Energy · Min.7kWh in usable energy (with preference for systems with at least 9kWh in usable energy). · 1.75kWh reserved to provide grid support services | Sign up credit: new battery $500, existing battery $200 Ongoing credit: $50 monthly Feed-in tariff:option between standard Jacana tariffs or 7 – 11 VPP Trial Tariff (refer more information tab) | Minimum battery capacity reserved for homeowner:Jacana reserves 1.75kWh for grid support services, with the remaining capacity available to the household. | Term: 12 months Cancellation fee: $0 | Link |
| SolarHub VPP (NSW Smart Distributed Batteries Project) | LG Chem RESU "HV", Tesla Powerwall, SolarEdge, SolaX | Must live in specific ACT council areas: · Shoalhaven City Council · Eurobodalla Shire Council · Bega Valley Shire Council · Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council · Yass Valley Council (within 100km of Canberra CBD) · Snowy Monaro Council (within 100km of Canberra CBD) | Battery subsidy: point of sale discount based on the sustained output of the inverter/battery system. For example, a 10 kWh battery exporting up to 5 kW would be eligible for a $4950 discount. Feed-in tariff: standard as per plan. Solar Partner Plus Plan available to residential customers who purchase an eligible system from SolarHub with premium FiT of 17¢/kWh (for the first 10kWh per day), and 6¢/kWh for all additional exports. | Minimum battery capacity reserved for homeowner: no minimum | Term: none Cancellation fee: $0 | Link |
| SonnenFlat VPP | sonnenBatterie Eco, sonnenBatterie Hybrid | · NSW, VIC, SA, ACT, TAS and QLD (Energex region). · >3kW solar capacity · Minimum 4kWh SonnenBatterie · sonnen eServices (Energy Locals) retailer | Flat rate energy plan: choice of four flat-fee energy plans each with annual household usage allowances (starting from 4000kWh. If you go beyond the free electricity allowance, you can access cheaper community energy. Feed-in tariff: Energy exported above the annual export threshold of your plan will be paid at the solar feed-in rate of your distribution network. | Minimum battery capacity reserved for homeowner: no minimum | Term: none Cancellation fee:$0 Ongoing fees: monthly plan charges starting from $49/m Other: customers on the Essential Energy network pay an additional $10 above the standard monthly fee. | Link |
| SonnenConnect | sonnenBatterie Eco, sonnenBatterie Hybrid | · ACT, NSW, QLD, SA, TAS or VIC residents · Minimum 4kWh SonnenBatterie connected to NEM · Any retailer · Not already part of a Virtual Power Plant | Sign up credit: $100 Ongoing credits: up to $24 each month Feed-in tariff: Dependant on the customer's selected retailer | Minimum battery capacity reserved for homeowner: Sonnen does not access energy reserved by the sonnenBatterie | Term: 12 months Cancellation fee: $0 | Link |
| Tesla Energy Plan/Energy Locals | Tesla Powerwall 2 | · SA, VIC, NSW, SE QLD (Energex Network) ACT residents only. · PV system <15kw · No zero export restrictions in place | Battery subsidy:$1000 for new Powerwall owners Sign up credit: $100 for existing Powerwall owners only Extended Warranty: 5 years additional warranty on your new Powerwall when you join by 30 September 2022 and remain connected to the Tesla Energy Plan. Time of use tariffs:varies by state Feed-in tariff:varies by state Grid support credits: varies by state (average $220 annually per Powerwall) | Minimum battery capacity reserved for homeowner: 20% Annual discharge cycle limit: 50 (excluding Ausgrid Distribution Network) | Term: 12 months min. Cancellation fee: $100 x months remaining from initial 12 | Link |
VPP Programs Victoria (VIC)
- AGL “Bring Your Own Battery”
- Discover Energy VPP
- Energy Australia “PowerResponse”
- Members Energy
- Origin Loop Virtual Power Plant (within 50km of Melbourne CBD)
- QCells Arcstream 100% Green (Eastern Victoria and Eastern Metropolitan suburbs)
- PowerClub Powerbank
- Reposit “No bill”
- ShineHub
- Simply Energy New Battery VPP Offer
- Simply Energy BYO Battery VPP Offer
- SonnenFlat VPP
- SonnenConnect
- Tesla Energy Plan/Energy Locals
Solar Victoria Virtual Power Plant (VPP) Pilot Program
Households who install an approved battery and sign up to one of six participating VPP programs before July 2022 will receive a higher Solar Homes Program rebate at a fixed rate of $4,174 (as opposed to a maximum $3,500 for non-VPP rebates).
The government-backed program is capped at 2000 rebates and is limited to five approved battery providers; Tesla, Mondo, Reposit, Sonnen and Arcstream.
More information on the program can be found here.
VPP Programs New South Wales (NSW)
- AGL “Bring Your Own Battery”
- AusGrid “Power2U”
- Discover Energy VPP
- Energy Australia “PowerResponse”
- Members Energy
- Origin Loop Virtual Power Plant (within 50km of Sydney CBD)
- PowerClub Powerbank
- Reposit “No bill”
- ShineHub
- Simply Energy New Battery VPP Offer
- Simply Energy BYO Battery VPP Offer
- SonnenFlat VPP
- SonnenConnect
- Tesla Energy Plan/Energy Locals
VPP Programs Queensland (QLD)
- AGL “Bring Your Own Battery”
- Discover Energy VPP (SE QLD only)
- Energy Australia “PowerResponse”
- Members Energy (SE QLD only)
- Origin Loop Virtual Power Plant (within 50km of Brisbane CBD or Gold Coast metro)
- PowerClub Powerbank
- Reposit “No bill”
- ShineHub
- Simply Energy New Battery VPP Offer
- Simply Energy BYO Battery VPP Offer
- SonnenFlat VPP
- SonnenConnect
- Tesla Energy Plan/Energy Locals (SE QLD only)
VPP Programs South Australia (SA)
- AGL “Bring Your Own Battery”
- Discover Energy VPP
- Energy Australia “PowerResponse”
- Members Energy
- PowerClub Powerbank
- Reposit “No bill”
- ShineHub
- Simply Energy New Battery VPP Offer
- Simply Energy BYO Battery VPP Offer
- SonnenFlat VPP
- SonnenConnect
- Tesla Energy Plan/Energy Locals
VPP Programs Western Australia (WA)
- Plico Energy VPP
- Reposit “No bill”
- SonnenFlat VPP
VPP Programs Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
- SolarHub VPP
- Discover Energy VPP
- Energy Australia “PowerResponse”
- Members Energy
- PowerClub Powerbank
- Reposit “No bill”
- SonnenFlat VPP
- SonnenConnect
- Tesla Energy Plan/Energy Locals
VPP Programs Tasmania (TAS)
- Energy Australia “PowerResponse”
- Members Energy
- PowerClub Powerbank
- Reposit “No bill”
- SonnenFlat VPP
- SonnenConnect
VPP Programs Northern Territory (NT)
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