You’ve already slashed your power bills thanks to your solar panel + battery system. That’s great! But imagine this: what if every time electricity usage was at its peak, you were making extra money! Become part of the ShineHub Virtual Power Plant (VPP) and that’s exactly what you’ll be doing.

We’re used to thinking of peak energy times as a hassle – higher bills, more chance of blackouts and brownouts. But our VPP program lets you go from buyer to seller. Instead of buying power at those peak rates, you sell power back to the grid and pocket the extra cash!

For our VPP participants, peak power times become peak earning times! So, how does it work? Well, in a nutshell: your solar panel and battery system generates power from the sun and stores it in your battery to power your house. However, during peak energy times, your battery will send excess power to the grid. And you get paid for that power at a premium rate that’s always higher than the average price of electricity!

Sound good to you? Book a time to chat with our friendly team and learn how you can make energy prices work for you!

ShineHub Virtual Power Plants Explained

A VPP is a collection of home solar batteries that can provide on-demand battery power to support the electricity grid in times of need. Basically, when the grid needs more power, it uses home batteries instead of burning more fossil fuels. In return, households receive a premium rate payment.

There are many benefits of a VPP – it stabilises the grid, prevents blackouts, lowers electricity costs… and that’s all great. But what’s in it for you? Well, that’s simple: Money!

As a household participant in our VPP program, all you need to do is sign up, sit back, and receive your payments. Cleaner, cheaper, more reliable power for your community… well, that’s just a bonus.

How do I apply for a VPP in SA, VIC, or NSW?

The most important thing is that you have a compatible battery. At the moment, ShineHub’s VPPs are only compatible with AlphaESS batteries. If you’ve got a compatible battery, joining up for the VPP program is easy! All you have to do is chat to one of our solar experts and we’ll set you up – no setup costs, no exit fees, no hassle.

VPPs are managed online. Right now, you can monitor your real-time energy data in the AlphaESS online monitoring system. When you sign up to a VPP, you’ll be able to use the ShineHub portal to see when the VPP uses your battery and the payments you receive as a result. Just log in and watch the dollar signs piling up!

UPDATE: AlphaESS has been named a Top Brand by German-based EUPD Research

What Are My VPP Plan Options?

ShineHub offers a bunch of different VPP options, but there’s one thing they all have in common – the customer always wins. Every time the grid draws power from your household’s battery, you receive a payment in return. The payment will always be above the average price of electricity.

There are other VPPs available that operate under different structures. Some schemes offer a one-off upfront payment for joining, but do not offer ongoing payments, for example. It’s important to understand the different VPP options available and choose one that offers you maximum benefit now and into the future.

ShineHub Community VPP with any retailer of your choosing
Available in SA, NSW & VIC

• When power is drawn from your battery, you get a payment from ShineHub
• Fixed payment of $0.45 per kWh
• You also receive your normal solar feed-in tariff from your energy retailer – usually around $0.06 – $0.10 per kWh
  • You can pick any energy retailer at all, but you must have an AlphaESS battery

ShineHub’s VPP in Partnership with Ausgrid
Available in NSW, only in Ausgrid Territory

• When power is drawn from your battery, you get a payment from ShineHub
• Fixed payment of $0.45 per kWh
• You also receive your normal solar feed-in tariff from your energy retailer – usually around $0.10 – $0.15 per kWh
• You can pick any energy retailer at all, but you must have an AlphaESS battery
• See if your postcode qualifies

Whichever plan you choose, one thing remains the same – you get paid a premium rate to send power to the grid when your community needs a bit of added power to keep things running smoothly for everyone. You get paid, your neighbours get stable power, and we all get a little closer to a future powered 100% by renewable energy. It’s a win-win-win!

It’s a pivotal moment for renewable energy in Australia. Coal plants are starting to come offline and we need to think about how we want to replace them. If we leave it up to the big-money energy operators, they’ll replace coal power with gas. But if we all come together to create a future where VPPs are the go-to option, we can begin to replace coal power with sustainable, renewable energy. In the future, up to 30% of all Aussie energy could come from VPPs. That’s power generated by people just like you.

We’re pitting people power against the giants of dirty energy. And with your help, we’re going to win!

Want to learn more about how you can reduce, or even eliminate your electricity bills with solar, batteries, and VPPs? Read the next part of this series to see what it’s like being part of a ShineHub Virtual Power Plant. Or book a free consultation and in a few minutes you’ll know if a battery or a Virtual Power Plant is right for you.