Launch Virtual Power Plants With Real-World Impact
Unify diverse assets and programs into a predictable, cohesive, dispatchable resource using Uplight’s powerful virtual power plant technology and DERMs software.
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VPP Solutions Trusted by Leading Energy Providers
Achieve Grid Reliability, Affordability, and Decarbonization Goals With VPPs
Achieve Grid Reliability, Affordability, and Decarbonization Goals With VPPs
Our VPP solutions enable utilities to orchestrate portfolios of distributed energy resources (DERs) at scale, lowering energy procurement costs and providing rapidly dispatchable solutions that show up when they’re needed most.
Uplight provides support every step of the way, from program design and customer engagement to forecasting and event management to measurement and verification and incentive processing. Uplight’s AI-powered Flex DERMS monitors, forecasts, and dispatches DERs using predictive controls to unlock reliable capacity–enabling you to run and grow successful programs at scale.
Deploy Effective VPPs That:
Deploy Effective VPPs That:
- Provide reliable capacity that can be dispatched year-round for multiple services, from peak shaving to distribution network services.
- Improve grid reliability and resilience through targeted flexibility dispatch down to the feeder level.
- Streamline customer enrollments and drive ongoing event participation.
- Funnel dollars back into local communities, helping offset customer energy bills.
- Reduce downstream energy procurement and infrastructure costs.
- Accelerate progress toward decarbonization goals by minimizing peaker plant use.
Why Partner With Uplight for Virtual Power Plants?
- Seamless aggregation of diverse residential and C&I DERs into a single portfolio that supports multiple grid services.
- Turnkey customer care, program management, outbound marketing, wholesale market integration, and more make coordination simple.
- Guidehouse Research Home Energy Management leader delivers a superior customer experience, satisfaction, and retention.
- Predictive controls leverage AI to predict energy demand, optimize event dispatch, and maximize flexible capacity.
- Measurement & verification (M&V) provides same-day feedback on event impact and optimization opportunities.
- Interoperable platform connects with a wide range of devices and systems, providing oversight from the control room to the customer.
- Supports 40+ OEMs, 10+ open protocols, and a diverse set of program types.
We’re a Guidehouse DERMS and VPP Leader
We’re a Guidehouse DERMS and VPP Leader
Uplight was named a leader in the Guidehouse 2022 VPP leaderboard and 2024 Grid-Edge DERMS leaderboard for our multi-asset, multi-market approach to DER management, our platform scale, and our global reach and experience.
Puget Sound Energy Creates a Customer-Centric VPP Strategy
Puget Sound Energy Creates a Customer-Centric VPP Strategy
Explore how a large Northwestern utility approaches customer engagement to increase enrollments and maximize flexibility through its multi-asset VPP program, reducing costs and helping maintain reliable energy supply to its more than 1 million residential and business customers.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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At Uplight, we define a virtual power plant as an aggregation of multiple energy asset types and customer segments that’s managed as an integrated portfolio of resources and operated like a conventional power plant to support a wide range of grid services year-round.
VPPs are different than traditional demand response (DR) programs in the following ways:
- VPPs involve multiple asset types, while DR programs generally focus on a single resource.
- VPPs bring together multiple customer segments (residential, SMB, and commercial / industrial), whereas utility DR programs are designed around a single customer segment.
- VPPs provide multiple grid services such as peak shaving, distribution network constraint management, and wholesale price hedging, while DR programs focus on peak load reduction.
- VPPs are dispatchable year-round, whereas DR programs typically run only during summer and winter.
- VPPs are most durable when procured and funded through long-term resource planning budgets (similar to conventional supply resources).
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VPPs are uniquely positioned to simultaneously support the 3 pillars of the energy transition: grid reliability, affordability, and decarbonization.
- Reliability: VPPs can support resource adequacy, peak shaving, locational constraints, and other grid services to balance energy supply and demand needs.
- Affordability: VPPs are non-wires alternatives (NWAs) that can provide additional capacity from already-deployed assets and help safely increase the utilization and throughput of existing grid infrastructure.
- Decarbonization: VPPs can directly offset utilization of inefficient peaking fossil generation, and help utilities integrate new sources of renewable generation and stay on track with fossil fuel plant retirements while accommodating load growth.
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- Convene cross-functional contributors from your program, supply desk, network ops, and IT teams to explore how and where VPPs can support your utility’s operational goals.
- Expand your existing DR programs with additional customer segments or asset types.
- Develop a personalized customer education, recruitment, and engagement playbook to ensure your VPP programs can incorporate a wide range of DERs.
- Evaluate your technology stack to validate that your ADMS and other grid operator systems can connect with grid-edge DER monitoring and dispatch tools.
Accelerate Your Virtual Power Plant Journey With Uplight
Accelerate Your Virtual Power Plant Journey With Uplight
Learn how Uplight can support your end-to-end VPP program needs.
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