Discover Energy is delighted to announce that it is now licensed to retail gas in Victoria for sites serviced by Australian Gas Networks Limited (Envestra) and SP AusNet distribution networks.* Customers in these regions can now sign up to both electricity and gas plans and take full advantage of Discover Energy’s fuss-free, great value plans and attentive, 1:1 service.
Victorian VPP members who sign up to Discover Energy gas will also have the opportunity to offset their gas bills with with their VPP credits.
Why are Virtual Power Plants (#VPP) key to greener and cheaper energy for all? And why is joining a VPP a “no-brainer” for anyone who has solar + battery? Discover Energy’s National Sales Manager, Manbeena Sethi and VPP Solutions Architect, Neal Harris, talk to Claudette Palomares about the many benefits of VPP – both for the individual homeowner and for the community at large.
To learn more about the Discover Energy VPP visit: https://www.discoverenergy.com.au/vpp , call 1300 946 898 or email sales_vpp@discoverenergy.com.au
Full Transcript below:
Claudette: Welcome to Discover Energy VPP Tech Talk, my name is Claudette and I’m the VPP Marketing Specialist here at Discover Energy and I’m with Manbeena, VPP National Sales Manager of Discover Energy and Neal, VPP Solutions Architect for Discover Energy. Welcome guys, thanks !
Manbeena: Glad to be here
Neal: Thanks Claudette.
Claudette: As you both know, over the past few years, batteries have increasingly become a byword for the future of household energy. In fact in 2020, we’ve seen more than 110,000 batteries installed in households around Australia. But another concept is increasingly becoming a buzzword are Virtual power plants or VPPs.
Manbeena, can I ask, what is a virtual power plant and what does it have to do with batteries?
Mabeena: Virtual Power Plant is what it says on the box. It’s a power plant or energy generating source that produces and delivers electricity digitally or virtually. Virtual Power Plants in particular refer to a network of distributed energy resources that is brought together to deliver aggregate energy. For most VPPs these come from batteries.
At Discover Energy, we use cloud-based software to link hundreds of household batteries together to deliver a powerful amount of renewable energy back to the grid during times of high demand.
Claudette: Thanks Manbeena for your explanation. Neal, around the country there have been a number of VPP programs emerging, as well as increasing integration and representation of VPPs in the electricity market and in industry reform.
Why are VPPs good for the electricity market – basically why are VPP’s a good thing for all of us – not just battery owners?
Neal: We know from an operational and environmental perspective, Australia’s current infrastructure for producing and delivering energy is unsustainable. This is why regulatory bodies, corporations and disruptors like Discover Energy are working to create new and viable ways to support the transition to renewable energy.
Control of battery storage is best when it’s coordinated with the energy system; whether that’s the markets or for the benefit of grid security and VPPs provide this coordination. This means that network costs can be significantly reduced – which means cheaper, cleaner energy for everyone.
Claudette: Some customers in Queensland and South Australia will be acquainted with peak reduction programs, how do these relate to virtual power plants?
Neal: While VPPs are typically associated with batteries, going forward there are going to be many more assets and functions that can be included. Some of these are already being implemented in isolated cases as you have just mentioned.
The idea behind a VPP is to integrate all of these functions in one platform in order to streamline customer experiences in an increasingly complicated energy world.
Claudette: Thanks Neal for your insights. Manbeena, there are obviously many advantages to VPP from a community perspective but what about the individual homeowner with solar and battery.
Why is joining a VPP so important?
Manbeena: Thanks Claudette, there are a number of reasons why joining a VPP is so beneficial for a homeowner with a solar battery, or a homeowner looking to install solar and battery. And some of these benefits are specific to the Discover Energy VPP program.
Firstly, joining a VPP optimises the profit potential of your battery. Because a battery allows for the discharge of energy to be controlled, this means that electricity is fed back to the grid only when it is needed, and when conditions are optimal, i.e. when the price of electricity is high.
Discover Energy has developed a platform that is one of the most sophisticated examples of this technology in the world.
Claudette: Can you explain a bit more Manbeena?
Manbeena: Our software is driven by AI technology with exceptional predictive power. This allows us to anticipate with a high amount of accuracy the predicted electricity price in 5 minutes. What this means for the customer is that the revenue generated from discharging their battery, in effect selling battery energy to the grid, is greatly optimised.
We’ve seen VPP customers in less than three months reduce their bills to zero and start earning credits. In fact, 93.7% of all our VPP customers earn credits, and on average earn $85.65 every month through energy trading and Discover Energy’s premium solar feed-in tariffs for VPP. Discover Energy’s VPP is also the first VPP energy trading platform in Australia that can be user-enabled.
This means you can also control and elect to discharge your battery energy manually. Through the Discover Energy VPP, customers can also enjoy free battery recharging.
Claudette: That’s really exciting Manbeena! From what you and Neal describe, the advantages for VPPs are such that it sounds like a no-brainer for anyone who has solar and battery, or is considering installing solar and battery.
Neal: Yes, and Manbeena’s only really talked about current benefits of joining a VPP. Discover Energy is working on increasing the range of features and benefits, particularly profit making applications – ways in which VPPs can make money for customers.
Claudette: Electric Vehicles are coming too, is there a role for VPPs to play in ensuring they are filled with renewable energy?
Neal: EVs are going to change how we consume electricity. But to the electricity network, an EV is a big battery on wheels, so there are going to be many opportunities to use this resource to stabilise the network and deliver better prices for customers. Not only filling them with renewable energy, but filling them more cost efficiently and helping us use more renewable energy in general.
Claudette: So there is plenty of value for customers in not only getting onboard with VPPs now, but going forward it’s only going to increase.
Manbeena: Yes, as you say, Claudette, if you have solar and battery, a VPP is a no brainer, particularly the Discover Energy VPP. We are proud to say that there are no lock-in contracts or exit fees to join Discover Energy. We have the largest range of eligible hardware in the country.
So,if you have a battery, you can enjoy the benefits of our premium solar feed-in and energy trading for at least 12 months.
Claudette: Thanks Manbeena and thanks Neal. If you are interested in learning more about the Discover Energy VPP, you can scan this QR code or visit www.discoverenergy.com.au, call us at 1300 946 898
So you want to get virtual power plant ready. You want blackout protection through your solar battery and independence from the electricity grid, while also enjoying premium solar feed-in rates and make money selling excess battery to the grid via Discover Energy’s trading platform. Here’s the 4 things you’ll need to join the Discover Energy VPP:
A Smart Meter
Discover Energy’s VPP is a cloud-based service that’s entirely digital. Rapid communication between your battery, our platform and the electricity network is key. Currently Discover Energy makes transactions between batteries in our VPP network and the electricity grid in 30min intervals. It’s therefore essential that your site meter is a smart meter. It can take up to a month to install and make a full switch to a smart meter, so don’t delay in requesting a switch from your energy retailer if you haven’t yet upgraded.
Solar and Battery
Unlike many VPPs in the Aussie market, Discover Energy VPP is a BYO battery and solar program. This means there are an extensive range of batteries and pv that are compatible to the Discover Energy VPP. We do have a couple of further eligibility rules for battery, so please refer to the VPP compatibility list for full details.
An Eligible PV inverter
The most important piece of hardware that determines if your households is eligible to join Discover Energy’s VPP your PV inverter, specifically the brand/manufacturer and model of your inverter. Think of your PV inverter as the brain of your solar and battery system. It communicates with your PV and battery to find out how much battery you have, how much solar you are generating and your consumption patterns. The Discover Energy VPP works by connecting your PV inverter to the electricity grid and by using AI software and proprietary algorithms to determine the optimum opportunity for your battery to discharge electricity back to grid, and earn money. We’ve currently integrated our software with 5 of the biggest inverter brands in the market: Alpha-ESS, Sungrow, Solar Edge, Goodwe and Huawei. If you have a PV inverter from one of these brands, you are likely to be eligible to join the Discover Energy VPP*.
Discover Energy is delighted to announce the full API integration of their Virtual Power Plant (VPP) platform with Huawei FusionSolar, becoming the first VPP in Australia to integrate with Huawei.
The integration allows customers who are already using Huawei inverters for their battery systems to join Discover Energy’s VPP network, helping to optimise income through the energy trading platform and sell excess power back to the grid.
The partnership marks another token of success for Discover Energy since its inception in 2018. Discover Energy leverages AI, machine learning and deep solar data to develop electricity spot-price forecasting with high accuracy and allows VPP members to participate in electricity trading, which includes access to up to a market-leading 45c/kWh solar feed-in tariff*. Discover Energy now boasts over 700 VPP members across the nation.
The Huawei LUNA 2000 battery
“It’s exciting to see Discover Energy continuing to extend the frontier of VPP technology in Australia and we’re proud to be working with such an established technology business like Huawei,” says Anson Zhang, CEO of Discover Energy. “Continuing to strengthen our VPP open hardware infrastructure will benefit our customers’ return on investment through increased AI learning and by putting energy trading into more customers’ hands, we’re a step closer to a smart and sustainable future.”
Daniel Lin, Managing Director of Huawei Solar Business Australia, believes the partnership comes as Huawei makes its foray into Australia’s rooftop solar boom and as VPP grows to become a pioneering energy solution.
“With the decrease in feed-in tariff and the growing demand for battery storage and VPPs in Australia, we believe the partnership between Huawei and Discover Energy will benefit the Australian customer by not only providing the ultimate user experience but also maximising the return of their solar investment,” Lin says.
Discover Energy is also currently working with Huawei to trial Huawei’s new Luna 2000 energy storage system, launched at the Smart Energy Conference 2021, on the VPP platform.
*This rate applies to customers on a VPP Premium Plan for their first 300 kWh per quarter.
About Huawei FusionSolar
Huawei FusionSolar offers leading Smart PV solutions that harness Huawei’s more than 30 years of expertise in digital information technology. As the largest inverter supplier from 2015 to 2019 globally for 5 consecutive years, Huawei FusionSolar is committed to building efficient, smart O & M, safe, reliable and grid supporting PV plants, helping customers to optimise initial investments, raise energy yield, and increase ROI.
With rapid digitalisation of people’s daily life, Huawei FusionSolar C&I and residential Smart PV solution offers exceptional user experience through refined safety and better installation experience. “Digital turbo, upgrade your solar experience”, “AI boost AFCI to proactively mitigate fire risk” and “battery ready, future proof” are the key values of Huawei FusionSolar’s residential and C&I solutions. In 2021, Huawei will further integrate AI technologies to boost LCOE and accelerate grid parity for all.
V2Gエネルギー取引のトライアルは、シリーズ4のACE Transformer車両[a]で実施されます。この車両15台は、今年後半にトンスリー・イノベーション地区のAldom Electric Vehicle Manufacturing社で組み立てられる予定です。これらの専用車両は、緊急時に作業ツールの電源として機能し、停電時のグリッド回復力サービスや家庭のエネルギーセキュリティを備えたモバイルエネルギー管理機能を持っています。
今回のパートナーシップについて、ACE EV Groupのマネージングディレクターであるグレッグ・マクガービー氏は、「オーストラリアは、新しいエネルギー時代の入り口に立っています。私たちは、電気自動車のバッテリーを利用して日常のエネルギーコストを相殺する方法や、この新しい電気自動車のソリューションを活用することで、安価でクリーンなエネルギーへのより確実なアクセスを実現する方法を模索しています」と述べています。
6월 10일 호주내 스마트 에너지 리테일러의 선두주자 디스커버 에너지가 호주 청정 에너지 전기 자동차 그룹인 (ACE EV Group) 과 운명적인 파트너십 협약을 맺었습니다. 이 파트너십 협약으로 호주 최초의 상용 V2G (차량 대 전력망) 스마트 에너지 거래 솔루션이 시도 됩니다.
새로운 파트너십 협약으로, ACE 전기 차량 운영자가 Discover Energy의 독점기술인 가상 발전소 (VPP) 소프트웨어를 활용하여 차량 충전 시간을 최적화하고 충전 후 배터리에 저장된 잉여 에너지를 최고 가격으로 전력망에 다시 판매 할 수 있는 시스템이 가능해졌습니다. 이 플랫폼이 상용화되면 전기 자동차 사용자에게는 상당한 비용 절감과 안전하게 전력망 전기를 사용하는 이점을 기대할 수 있게 되었습니다.
안전한 파트너십 운영을 위해 ACE 전기차는 ‘Advanced Australian Vehicle to Grid’ 프로그램에 따라 연방 정부로부터 12 개월 동안 5백만 달러의 보조금을 지원 받게 됩니다.
Discover Energy의 공동 창립자이자 CEO 인 Anson Zhang은 이번 파트너십 협약으로 호주의 전기 자동차 시장에 새로운 변혁을 가져올 것이라고 믿습니다.
“가상 발전소VPP시스템의 초기 개척자이자 지역 리더로서 우리는, 호주 가정 전역에서 태양열과 배터리 시스템이 가진 잠재력을 활용하여 값 비싼 전기 요금 청구서와 작별을 고하고 더 친환경적이고 지속 가능한 미래에 한발 더 다가설 수 있도록 힘써 왔다. “라고 디스커버 에너지 CEO Anson는 말했습니다.
“리테일러와 전기차 브랜드간의 협약은 이번이 처음이며, 또한 V2G 차량 대 전력망 스마트 충전 플랫폼의 최초의 협력 모델이기도 합니다. 이 스마트 충전 및 에너지 거래 솔루션은 전기 자동차 사용자가 차량에 사용 에너지를 충전 할 수 있을 뿐만 아니라 이를 통해 경제적 수익 또한 기대할 수 있게 합니다. 스마트 충전 플랜을 통해 사용자의 전기 자동차를 충전하고, V2G 차량 대 전력망 거래 플랫폼을 통해 에너지 수요가 높은 시간대를 자동으로 선택하여 배터리 사용하고 남아 배터리에 저장된 에너지를 높은 가격으로 전력망에 다시 판매하여 사용자의 이익을 또한 극대화 할 수 있다. “라고 또한 덧붙였습니다.
V2G(차량 대 전력망) 에너지 거래 플랫폼은 차량 시리즈 4 ACE 변압기 차량을 통해 테스트가 이루어질 예정이고, 이 중 15 차량은 올해 말 Tonsley Innovation District의 Aldom Electric Vehicle Manufacturing에서 조립할 예정입니다.
ACE EV 그룹 전무 이사 인 Greg
McGarvie는 이번 파트너십에 대해 “이제 우리는 호주의 새로운 에너지 시대의 문턱에 서 있습니다. 우리는EV 전기 자동차 배터리를 사용하여 평소 사용하는 에너지 요금을 절약하는 방법과 새로운 EV 전기 자동차 솔루션을 활용하여 저렴한 청정 에너지를 보다 안정적으로 공급 받을
수 있는
방법을
모색하고
있습니다. “
ACE EV전기차는 또한 보조금의 일부를 EV전기차 제조 시설 구축에 사용하여 에너지 사용으로 인한 오염 및 탄소 소비를 줄이고 기후 변화에 유연하게 대처하기 위한 정부의 기술적 솔루션 목표에 발 맞추고 있습니다.
Discover Energy는 또한 호주의 V2G (전기차량 대 전력망 거래) 시험의 일환으로Optus, Watt & Well 및 SenSen Networks와 함께 ACE EV전기 자동차와 협력하여 ACE의 첫 번째 전기 자동차 플랜 실현을 촉진 할 것입니다.
Leading smart energy retailer Discover Energy has today announced a strategic partnership with Australian Clean Energy Electric Vehicles Group (ACE EV Group) to trial Australia’s first commercially ready vehicle-to-grid (V2G) smart energy trading solution.
The new partnership will mean ACE EV vehicle operators will be able to harness Discover Energy’s proprietary Virtual Power Plant (VPP) software to optimise charging times, selling excess energy back to the grid at peak prices. Once commercially available it is set to deliver significant cost savings for electric vehicle users, as well as stability benefits to the grid.
The partnership comes after ACE EV secured a $5 million grant from the Federal Government to fund a 12-month long ‘Advanced Australian Vehicle to Grid’ program.
Anson Zhang, co-founder and CEO of Discover Energy, believes the partnership will bring a new dimension to EV ownership in Australia.
“As an early pioneer and local leader in VPP, we’ve helped households across Australia harness the potential of their solar and battery systems to say farewell to costly bills and ‘hello’ to a greener, more sustainable future,” said Zhang.
“Our latest collaboration with ACE EV will take this a step further. This V2G solution will financially reward eco-conscious Aussies by allowing them to trade surplus energy back to the grid while their car is parked at home,” Zhang added. “When it comes to sustainable energy, we’re quite literally giving the power back to the people.”
The V2G energy trading trial will be implemented on the Series 4 ACE Transformer vehicles – 15 of which will be assembled later this year by Aldom Electric Vehicle Manufacturing in Tonsley Innovation District. These purpose-built vehicles can act as a direct power source for work tools in emergency situations, demonstrating mobile energy management capabilities with grid resilience services and home energy security during power outages.
Speaking of the partnership, ACE EV Group managing director Greg McGarvie said, “We are on the threshold of a new energy era in Australia. We are exploring how the EV battery can be used to offset everyday energy costs and how the utilisation of this new EV solution can create more reliable access to affordable clean energy.”
ACE EV will also use a small part of the grant to help establish an EV manufacturing facility, underpinning the Government’s goals of technological solutions for reducing pollution, carbon loads and fighting climate change.
ACE EV is also partnering with Optus, Watt & Well and SenSen Networks as part of the Advanced Australian Vehicle to Grid trial.
2021年6月10日 – 澳洲领先的智能能源零售商 Discover Energy 正式宣布与澳大利亚清洁能源电动汽车集团 (ACE EV Group) 建立战略合作伙伴关系，启动澳大利亚首批商用电动汽车的智能充放电解决方案以及电动车到电网的 (Vehicle2Grid，简称“V2G”) 智能能源交易。
本次合作意味着 ACE EV 车辆运营商将能够利用 Discover Energy 特有的虚拟发电厂 (Virtual Power Plant, 简称“VPP”) 软件来优化他们电动车的充电时间，以峰值价格将多余的能源卖回至电网，将用户的利益最大化。并且，一旦这个解决方案商用化，它将为电动汽车的用户节省大量成本，并为电网带来稳定的能源输入。
