Tesla has partnered with utility provider Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) to launch a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) to California.
The new VPP will allow Powerwall owners to opt in to the program and sell their stored electricity back to the grid when it is in need of additional power.
Powerwall owners who decide to join the program will earn $2 per kWh sent back to the grid to help reduce or avoid blackouts.
The California grid operator forecasts a continued need for Californians to support the grid. Help create the largest distributed battery system in the world and avoid dependence on the least efficient fossil fuel power plants. Opt-in to the Tesla Virtual Power Plant (VPP), and Tesla will dispatch your Powerwall when the grid needs support while continuing to maintain your energy security.
On a support page for the VPP, Tesla says owners will receive a push notification a few hours ahead of a planned event to let you know when exactly it will take place, and another when it begins.
If you don’t want to participate in an event, you can opt-out within your mobile app, but you must do this before the event begins.
Tesla says that more than 50,000 Powerwalls could be enrolled in the program, amounting to a potentially significant amount of energy that could be sent back to the grid in times of need.
Tesla also operates a VPP in Australia which launched in the state of Victoria in September last year. The program expanded to more regions in April with Powerwall owners in New South Wales, South-East Queensland & the Australian Capital Territory now able to sign up for the program.
If you are a Powerwall owner in California and you would like to enroll, simply follow these steps:
Step 1: Open the Tesla app, and switch to your home.
Step 2: Tap ‘Customize.’
Step 3: Scroll down to ‘Tesla Virtual Power Plant.’
Step 4: Tap the switch on, and follow the prompts to enroll.
Source: Electrek
