VPP: Virtual Power Plant

What is a Virtual Power Plant?

A VPP is a network of distributed energy resources, like your solar battery, that work together to provide energy to the grid when it’s needed most. This larger, linked, network is proactively managed by robust software that orchestrates when each energy resource can help the grid operate - much like a power plant. Homeowners in the VPP program can be compensated if energy from their battery is used during these moments of need. In other words, when your unused stored solar energy is used in a VPP, you can save money while helping to make the power grid more efficient, resilient, and sustainable for your community.  

Why is my power needed and how will it be used?

There are several reasons why energy stored in your home’s solar battery could be needed in a VPP activation. Generally, there could be a grid restraint, such as a heat wave or cold snap, that causes higher energy demand than normal. Or the program operator could request to use stored power in the VPP battery network when the price for electricity from other sources is high. The solar energy stored in the VPP battery network can be a more affordable way to supply energy to the grid.

How often will the battery be used by the VPP?

Because VPP program activation is generally triggered by an unexpected energy need, it’s unknown how often your battery may be needed, or if it will be needed at all. A “VPP event,” as they’re called, can happen at any time of the day depending on the need and your program enrollment. Additionally, the battery won’t be used for more than two hours during any given event and participants should not experience interruptions in their electric service during that time.

Will I know when my battery is being used?

If you’re someone who likes to actively check your battery’s performance and charging levels on your battery’s app, you might see a dip in battery levels during a VPP event, depending on what battery you have and if the manufacturer provides this information. The battery will recharge as it normally would after the dispatch concludes. However, most participating homeowners won’t know if their battery has been activated, that is, until they see a one-time credit on their EverBright bill after the program ends.

Which VPP program will I be enrolled in?

Your VPP enrollment depends on a few factors, including whether you agree to share some select utility data as requested in the email you received from EverBright:  

• If you select Option 1 and authorize securely sharing some basic account data from your utility, you will be enrolled in either the CAISO Capacity and Wholesale Energy Market Program administered by LeapFrog Power, Inc. or Pacific Gas & Electric Company’s ACDC program. These programs offer the potential for greater savings over other options, in part, because of the data sharing requirement.

• If you choose not to share your data, you’ll be automatically enrolled in Option 2. You’ll take part in the Demand Side Grid Support Program (DSGS) administered by the California Energy Commission. This gives you the opportunity to save money, but likely a lower amount.

We assessed several possible VPP programs and selected these two options for you because of program features, including how long a VPP event could potentially last (under two hours), the dispatch frequency (how often it could occur), and how profitable the programs are, among other features.

When and how will I get paid for VPP participation?

It’s expected that you could see a credit on your EverBright solar bill a few months after the limited program ends on October 31, 2024. EverBright will do all the paperwork and administration of the VPP program, working with your utility to evaluate how often your battery was used. If your battery was used as part of the VPP program, your solar account is in good standing with EverBright, you should see your credit on your EverBright bill early 2025.

How much credit can I earn from this VPP program? 

It’s hard to estimate how much you could earn because it depends on several factors, including if the battery is used during the limited program, how long you participate, and what program you are enrolled in. As one of EverBright’s Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) customers, you will be eligible to receive a bill credit equaling up to 50% of the net revenue of any energy generated by your system and used in the VPP.

Who is eligible for EverBright’s VPP program?

This limited VPP offering is for select EverBright PPA solar customers with an installed and activated Powershift or EverFixed Plus battery storage system. Participants must be a customer of Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison or San Diego Gas & Electric. If you don’t meet these requirements today, you may be eligible for a future program. So, stay tuned!

What do I have to do to be part of a VPP program?

As one of EverBright’s Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) customers, you will be automatically enrolled in a VPP program and be eligible to receive EverBright bill credits equaling up to 50% of the net revenue of any energy generated by your system and used in the VPP. There are two options to consider. Option 1 offers the potential for greater savings in the form of a one-time credit on a future EverBright bill. It requires you to securely share some basic account information from your utility, through a third-party platform, Leap Connect. If you don’t want to share the requested utility information, or if you miss the window to share the data, you’ll be automatically enrolled in Option 2. This option offers the opportunity to earn money without having to do anything. Your overall potential bill credit will be lower than the option requiring some data sharing.

Why do you need me to share some of my utility data?

Some VPP program operators require more information than others to confirm that you can take part in the program. This generally includes information like your name, address, and a unique identifier from your utility, known as a Service Agreement Identification or SAID. This is typically a 10-digit number found on your print or electronic utility bill. When you follow the steps (link will be included in email to customer) to share your data, it will show you how to find the information needed.

Is my data safe?

At EverBright, data privacy and security are extremely important to us. EverBright has specifically partnered with Leap Connect to manage the data sharing requirements for select VPP programs because of our shared commitment to keeping data safe and its stringent data and privacy protocols. View Leap Connect’s privacy policy.

When does the program end?

This limited program runs from June 1 to October 31, 2024. After it concludes, the battery will no longer take part in any VPP events. EverBright will notify you if there are additional programs that your system may be eligible to participate in at a later date.

Who can I contact if I have questions?

If you didn’t find the answers you were looking for in these FAQs, EverBright is always here to help. Please reach out to support@myeverbright.com or (833) 830-0475.

What if I don’t want to be in this Virtual Power Plant (VPP) program? Can I opt out?

[Confirm with customer that they received an email from EverBright about the VPP program]

During this limited program (June 1 to October 31, 2024), EverBright automatically enrolled eligible solar and battery Power Purchase Agreement (or PPA) customers in select parts of California into a VPP program. As a PPA customer, you cannot opt out of the program as participation in these types of programs are included as part of your agreement. Keep in mind, the program should not affect your energy use or ability to power your home. In fact, if your battery is activated for a VPP event, you may not even know it until you see a one-time credit on an EverBright bill after the program ends.

Why did you automatically enroll me in this VPP program? Why are you allowed to enroll me without me agreeing to it?

The potential to be enrolled in this type of program is included as part of your Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). EverBright enrolls, administers, and operates the system at your home when needed for demand response and/or other utility-based programs (such as a Virtual Power Plant, or VPP). These programs are all designed to reduce your electricity costs or to support the reliability of your local electrical grid. We enrolled you automatically to make it easy for you to participate and save money.

[If more is needed...]

Keep in mind, with a PPA like yours, EverBright owns, operates, and maintains the solar system on your property and sells the electricity generated by the system to you at a rate determined in your solar agreement. The PPA allows you to experience the benefits of solar power without the upfront costs of buying a system.  

[If pressed for more specifics: “Where is a VPP program located in my agreement?”...]

You will find information about the possibility of participating in a program like this within your EverBright agreement. Depending on your battery type (EverFlex Plus or PowerShift) it will be located within Section 2 or 3 (b) of the agreement.

Look for “Monitoring; Other System Use; Data” and then “Other System Uses.” You should see wording along these lines: “We may, from time to time, administer and operate the System to optimize your home’s energy production and consumption, as well as for demand response or other utility-based programs designed to reduce your electricity costs or to maintain the reliability of your local electrical grid (if available in your utility area.)”

I followed the steps to share my data, but now I want to take back / revoke my authorization. (Alt. Version: What can I do if I no longer want to share my data?)

Thank you for taking part in our VPP program. Your authorization to share your utility account, billing, and usage data was submitted through a third-party platform, Leap Connect. You can revoke this authorization to share data at any time. Just look for the confirmation email you received when you first agreed to share your data. There should be a link in that email that will help you take your next steps. You can also log into your utility’s portal and look for the option to stop sharing data.

[Only if asked... Will I be un-enrolled from the VPP program?]

No. Following the steps to stop sharing your data will not remove you from the VPP program. You’ll remain in the program until it concludes on October 31, 2024, and still be eligible for a one-time bill credit like all other participants.

Someone in my family relies on electricity for their medical equipment, will the VPP put them at risk?

We understand how important reliable electricity is when you have a loved one who counts on it for medical support. However, our guidance for customers in your situation, which is also noted in your solar agreement, is that you should never rely on your solar system – even if it includes a battery – to power life support or other medical devices. The amount of power available from a battery varies depending on what’s connected to it, your energy consumption, and the battery configuration. Remember, if your battery doesn’t have available power, you will still be able to get electricity from the grid as you normally would.

If the VPP program uses my stored battery power, will I have energy when I need it?

[If EverFix Plus customer...]

VPP programs are designed so that your battery keeps at least a 20% charge, meaning you will have a reserve of energy leftover after a VPP event until your battery has a chance to recharge. Depending on the energy needs at your home, you shouldn’t need to tap into energy from your utility any more than you might normally.

[If PowerShift customer...]

Because of the nature of your battery, it could be mostly or fully discharged during a VPP event, meaning you may need to use electricity from your utility until the battery has a chance to recharge.

Will I have to spend more on power from my utility? (Alt. Version: My utility bill seems higher this month, is it because I’m in this VPP program?)

Taking part in a VPP should not result in your utility bill increasing. This type of program is intended to allow you to save more money, not less.

[If EverFix Plus customer...]

VPP programs are designed so that your battery keeps at least a 20% charge, meaning you will have a reserve of energy leftover after a VPP event, and you shouldn’t need to tap into energy from your utility any more than you might normally. We crunched the numbers on your potential savings and only enrolled you after making sure that you would save money in the long run.

If your utility bill seems higher than you expected, there could be other reasons for this. Let me see if I can help you figure it out.

Related SOP: Common Homeowner Questions [savings, production, usage, and utility bills]

[If PowerShift customer...]

Because of the nature of your battery, it could be mostly or fully discharged during a VPP event, meaning you may need to use electricity from your utility until the battery has a chance to recharge. You could see a slight increase on your utility bill for the power used from the grid during this time. But the money you’ll be credited in exchange for being part of the VPP program is expected to be more than any utility bill increases you might see. Said a different way, we crunched the numbers on this program and only enrolled you after making sure that you would save money in the long run. You’ll receive a one-time credit which is expected within 120 days after the program’s conclusion on October 31, 2024.

Will I receive a notification when a VPP event happens? (Alt. Version: Why didn’t you notify me when a VPP event happened?)

If you’re someone who likes to monitor your solar system or battery performance through the App provided by your equipment manufacturer, you might be able to see when a VPP program has been activated. Depending on what’s offered by the manufacturer, you may see your battery being discharged to help the grid when it’s needed. But otherwise, most people won’t know when their battery has been activated as there shouldn’t be any interruption in service.

We’re just in the first year of this program. We intend to learn from it and continually make improvements. Alerts and notifications may be one of the enhancements we make in the future.

How will the bill credit work? (Alt. Versions: Can I earn enough in a VPP that my EverBright bill would be negative? If my credits are larger than monthly payment, how does that work? Will I have a credit applied to my next bill?)

If you’re eligible for a bill credit as part of the VPP program, you should see it as a one-time credit on your EverBright solar bill a few months after the program ends on October 31, 2024 – likely in early 2025.

[If asked: Could I earn enough that my bill will be negative?]

We’re unable to know how much you could earn as it’s based on how often your battery is used and other factors. But hypothetically speaking, your earned bill credit could be larger than the amount you owe on your bill, giving you a negative balance which will carry over to your next bill.

[Internal example for support agents]

Using hypothetical dollars...

If a homeowner is eligible to earn a $500 bill credit, and assuming their monthly bill is $200 then following would occur:

·         Jan bill: $0 (remaining credit $300)

·         Feb bill: $0 (remaining credit $100)

·         March bill: $100

·         April bill: $200 (returns to typical bill)

When and how will I get paid for VPP participation?

It’s expected that you could see a credit on your EverBright solar bill a few months after the limited program ends on October 31, 2024. EverBright will do all the paperwork and administration of the VPP program, working with your utility to evaluate how often your battery was used. If your battery was used as part of the VPP program, your solar account is in good standing with EverBright, you should see your credit on your EverBright bill early 2025.

How much credit can I earn from this VPP program? 

It’s hard to estimate how much you could earn because it depends on several factors, including if the battery is used during the limited program, how long you participate, and what program you are enrolled in. As one of EverBright’s Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) customers, you will be eligible to receive a bill credit equaling up to 50% of the net revenue of any energy generated by your system and used in the VPP.

Why haven’t I received money from my VPP participation yet? (Alt. versions: When will I see a credit on my bill? Why haven’t I been paid yet?)

[Verify customer was part of the VPP program. If within the 120 days after the program’s conclusion on October 31, 2024...]

If your home’s battery is activated and used during a VPP event and your EverBright solar bill is in good standing, you should be eligible for a one-time credit on a future EverBright bill. This credit could take up to 120 days after the conclusion of the program to appear on your bill. That’s because EverBright needs to work with the program operator to evaluate how many times your battery was used from the start of your enrollment until the end of the season, on October 31, 2024. We’ll then calculate your share of the net revenue and include it as a one-time credit on your EverBright bill, likely in early 2025.

[If customer account wasn’t in good standing as of October 31, 2024]

Thank you for calling and your interest in the VPP program. To be eligible to earn a credit for your participation, your battery must be activated *and* your EverBright solar bill needs to be in good standing at the conclusion of the program. Our records show that your account was behind at the time, so you are not eligible for a VPP credit this time. [If still delinquent] May I help you make a payment today?

 [If 120 days after the program’s conclusion on October 31, 2024, and account was in good standing...]

Hold for now: Answer to be available for Support later in the year