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Hoy, en el consultorio de herencias, Itziar Pernía, de Legal por Naturalez, aborda una cuestión cada vez más frecuente: cómo convertir en rentables las herencias recibidas de padres o abuelos que, aparentemente, tienen poco valor o presentan importantes limitaciones jurídicas. El ejemplo analizado fue el de una vivienda de protección oficial (VPO o VPP) heredada y fuertemente revalorizada con el paso de los años. Una vivienda protegida no puede venderse libremente al precio de mercado mientras mantenga su régimen de protección. Pernía ha señalado algunas prácticas habituales pero ilegales, como cobrar parte del precio “en B” o entregar las llaves al comprador antes de completar los trámites administrativos. Estas actuaciones pueden derivar en sanciones, problemas fiscales e incluso en el ejercicio del derecho de tanteo por parte de la Administración. La solución que recomiendan desde Legal por Naturaleza es solicitar la descalificación voluntaria de la vivienda, un procedimiento administrativo que permite convertirla en vivienda libre. Aunque suele durar unos cinco meses, puede alargarse si no se tramita correctamente. Mientras tanto, si ya existe un comprador interesado, se pueden articular fórmulas legales como contratos de arras con condición suspensiva y contratos de arrendamiento temporal, garantizando seguridad tanto para vendedores como para compradores. También se analizó quién debe asumir los costes de la descalificación. La respuesta es clara: los herederos, aunque la Administración permite que dichos importes se paguen con bienes líquidos de la propia herencia, como saldos bancarios. Itziar destaca la importancia de planificar correctamente la valoración de los inmuebles heredados para reducir futuras ganancias patrimoniales en una eventual venta. Recordó además que toda herencia genera obligaciones tributarias, principalmente el Impuesto sobre Sucesiones, la plusvalía municipal y, cuando existe beneficio económico en la transmisión posterior, la tributación correspondiente en el IRPF.
The energy transition conversation focuses on what connects to the grid. Far less attention goes to whether anyone is coordinating what those assets do once connected. AI training runs swing hundreds of megawatts in seconds as GPUs checkpoint and restart a profile that looks like a generator tripping offline. At distribution level, millions of inverter-based resources create localised variability that overwhelms individual circuits even when aggregate models look healthy. The planning tools in use today were designed for neither problem.Host Bridget van Dorsten is joined by Kay Aikin, CEO and Founder of Dynamic Grid, energy engineer, grid architecture advisor to the DOE-supported GridWise Architecture Council, and contributor to the UN Environmental Program's building decarbonisation work. Kay unpacks what an AI training facility actually does to the grid with full GPU load for hours or days, then a drop to ten percent in seconds during checkpointing. She talks about how at the scale now planned, the Stargate project in Texas alone could represent ten percent of ERCOT disappearing in four seconds. The behaviour is stochastic and cannot be modelled with traditional statistical tools. At distribution level, virtual power plants responding to wholesale signals without circuit-level visibility can create competing oscillations, the kind of emergent dynamics that contributed to the Spanish grid failure.The proposed fix is an AI controller at the substation, sending price-based signals and flexible operating envelopes to large assets and VPP operators, giving them twenty-four-hour forecasts and real-time circuit visibility. Total cost: under a hundred thousand dollars installed. The reason it isn't everywhere is cost-of-service regulation. Utilities earn returns on deployed capital, so a million-dollar transformer replacement is more profitable than software that eliminates the need for it.Without new approaches, rebuilding the US distribution grid could cost up to ten trillion dollars by 2040. Kay is developing grid utilisation metrics with regulators in Maine, Virginia, and Maryland to incentivise extracting more from existing infrastructure. The episode closes on the need for distribution system operators and the affordability death spiral that looms if the structural incentives don't shift. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Home batteries are having a moment, but for years, getting one meant cobbling together a solar panel from one company, an inverter from another, a smart panel from a third, and hoping they'd all play nice. This week on Everybody in the Pool, Molly takes a field trip to Mountain View, California, to visit Lunar Energy, where founder and CEO Kunal Girotra has built the fully integrated solar-plus-battery ecosystem he always wished existed.Plus: a tour of Lunar's working showroom, where we flip a breaker, watch the app react in real time, and find out what happens when you leave the oven on during a power outage.We talk about:Why Kunal left Tesla Energy to build a fully integrated home energy ecosystemHow Lunar's modular, stackable battery blocks work (think Lego bricks for your garage wall)The real math on savings: how a solar and battery system can cut your bill by $2,000/year, and Lunar's AI adds another $500 on topHow "virtual power plants" are actually very real, and why Lunar wants to rename them "distributed power plants"Why Northeastern states are leading on VPP policy, and what utilities in other regions need to change to keep upLinks:Lunar Energy: https://www.lunarenergy.com/Sunrun (Lunar's leading VPP partner): https://www.sunrun.com/Green Mountain Power: https://greenmountainpower.com/All episodes: https://www.everybodyinthepool.com/Join our Discord! https://discord.gg/2EsDhwQC2zSubscribe to the Everybody in the Pool newsletter: https://www.mollywood.co/Become a member for the ad-free version of the show (and support future field trips): https://everybodyinthepool.supercast.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.volts.wtf/subscribeMost people think that coordinating the behavior of thousands of distributed energy resources requires some kind of third-party middleman, like an aggregator managing a VPP. My guest today, veteran research scientist Bruce Nordman, believes there's a better way: dynamic, time- and location-specific retail prices, communicated directly to consumer devices, which would cut out the middleman and leave more value with customers.
The OG crowd favorite is back in its newest form. The Santa Cruz Nomad—the bike that defined the big mountain enduro category—is new and improved. The lightest it's ever been, while still utilizing the tried-and-true VPP platform, this version delivers its best ride yet. In this episode, Hannah sits down with Josh Kissner, Kiran, MacKinnon, and Peter Mueller-Wille—the product, suspension, and engineering minds behind the bike—to dig into the incremental changes that add up to a noticeably superior ride quality. Questions or comments? Email podcast@santacruzbicycles.com Thanks for listening!
I sit down with two wonderful guests, Father Viktor, Nigeria's VPP Director, and Lex Pouliot, our Manager of Middle East and Special Projects. Together, we unpack the reality of Christian persecution in Nigeria, the forces driving it, and review urgent persecuted Church alerts that show what's at stake for our brothers and sisters around the world.I believe we're called to stand together—in solidarity, in prayer, and in action—to defend the vulnerable and uphold the God-given dignity of every person. Support this mission: https://movietomovement.givingfuel.com/vpp-nigerian-church-protection-fund-nov-2025 — help VPP protect our parishes in Nigeria!
In this episode, James talks with Bill Francis, Vice President of Emerging Markets at New Energy Equity — a distributed solar developer that has spent over a decade building community solar programs across the country.Bill joined NEE at the end of 2025 after seven years at Engie, arriving right as the traditional community solar model is showing real strain. Programs are saturating. Development capital is tighter. The ITC safe harbor clock is ticking. His mandate: figure out what comes next — and build it. The case he makes in this episode is that the fundamentals for distributed energy are actually stronger than ever. The branding and program structure just need to change.Why community solar programs are hitting a wall — and the structures (feed-in tariffs, co-op PPAs, VPP tariffs) that could replace themThe ITC safe harbor cliff at end of 2027: why developers need a three-dimensional strategy on equipment timelines, permitting, and safe harbor right nowThe distributed storage opportunity: why half an acre beats 80 acres — and why electric co-ops are among the most motivated customers for standalone batteriesNEE's development DNA: why being judicious about when and how you de-risk assets matters more than ever when development capital is scarceA must-listen for distributed solar and storage developers thinking through market selection, capital discipline, and what the post-community solar era actually looks like.Paces helps developers find and evaluate the sites most suitable for renewable development. Interested in a call with James, CEO @ Paces?
Enphase Energy has evolved from a microinverter company into a full energy systems platform enabling virtual power plants (VPP) nationwide. In this episode, CMO Marko Krapels explains how aggregated home batteries, AI-driven capacity forecasting, and a new bidirectional EV charger could reshape the grid, turning ordinary homes into small-scale power plants that generate income for homeowners while supplying utilities with the reliable, clean energy capacity they need. Topics Covered Enphase www.enphase.com Solar Universe Net Metering AI = Artificial Intelligence Market VPP = Virtual Power Plant Data Center Utility Probability Forecasting API = Application Programming Interface Battery Fossil Fuel EV = Electric Vehicle EV Charger Grid Bidirectional EV Charger Reach out to Marco Krapels here: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/marcokrapels Enphase: www.enphase.com Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean's classes at www.heatspring.com/sean solarsean.com/30hrpv
Millions of enrolled devices, 60 utilities, and the participation rate gap that's been embarrassing the US market for a decade. US residential virtual power plants have been a promising idea that's consistently underdelivered — participation rates below 5%, fragmented apps, siloed programmes, and utilities that have simply never had to compete for a customer's attention. Meanwhile, Octopus Energy has built the world's largest residential VPP in the UK, with EV driver participation rates of 50 to 70%. The question has always been whether that model can travel to a market where most customers have no supplier choice at all. Bridget van Dorsten speaks with Nick Chaset, CEO of Octopus Energy US, about the acquisition that represents Octopus's biggest bet on answering that question: a majority stake in Uplight alongside Schneider Electric, giving Octopus access to established relationships with more than 60 US utilities — including eight of the ten largest. Nick argues the participation gap isn't really a cultural problem or a technology problem. It's a regulatory design problem. US flexibility programmes have been built device by device, forcing consumers to juggle multiple apps and enrolments — and in some cases prohibiting them from combining assets across programmes. Octopus's answer is one app, a 30-second sign-up, and a value proposition framed entirely around what consumers actually care about: lower bills. Can that translate through a utility partnership channel rather than a direct retail relationship?The conversation also tackles the data centre dimension. Nick makes the case that residential flexibility isn't a separate story from the large load interconnection challenge — it's part of the solution. If utilities can statistically guarantee load reductions from tens of thousands of enrolled homes during peak hours, they may be able to connect larger data centre loads at smaller interconnection points. And in many hours when a data centre might otherwise ramp down, it could simply be cheaper to pay consumers to flex instead. Octopus's model is built on trust earned through direct consumer relationships. Can that translate through a utility intermediary at scale, across 60 different utility cultures without losing what makes it work?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
In this episode of Climate Positive, Kenny Gayles talks with Vinnie Campo, CEO and co-founder of Haven Energy, about their unique batteries-as-a-service approach that reduces barriers to affordable, reliable backup power by integrating home storage into virtual power plants (VPPs) to support the electric grid. Vinnie shares Haven's journey as a rapidly growing operator of distributed energy assets. He discusses the effects of California's policy impacts on battery adoption, the influence of electrification and AI-driven demand on utilities, and why batteries are vital for grid resilience. He also discusses regulatory and market trends transforming residential energy, and what it takes to scale integrated energy infrastructure solutions. Links: Haven Website Vinnie Campo on LinkedIn Haven Blog: “Raising New Funds to Speed Distributed Power” LADWP Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, Hilary, and Guy at climatepositive@hasi.com.
CFC Director, Utility Research & Policy Brian Sloboda offers a pragmatic outlook on virtual power plants over the short-term and their implications for electric cooperatives.Related content:Watch the video of this episode, "Virtual Power Plants: Strategic Opportunity, Not Strategic Imperative"Read the Solutions article, "Exploring Virtual Power Plants: Key Considerations for Leaders."Download CFC's issue brief, "Co-ops See Movement Toward Virtual Power Plants." For questions and requests about industry research topics, please contact utilityresearchpolicy@nrucfc.coop.CFC members can learn more about the latest industry and technology trends by visiting nrucfc.coop/Solutions.
In this insightful interview, Blaine Hoffmann speaks with David Keeling, the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, about OSHA's strategic direction, safety culture, emerging trends like AI, and how safety professionals can demystify OSHA to foster collaboration and improve workplace safety.#OSHA #workplacesafety #safetyculture #safetymanagement #safetyprograms #VPP #safetyleadership #safetytrends #OSHApartnership
Can a grid operator tell the difference between a virtual power plant and a traditional one? That's the idea behind the Huels Test, a framework developed by EnergyHub to answer a simple but consequential question: when does a distributed fleet of customer devices become reliable enough to function like a power plant? Passing the test means more than just aggregating thermostats or batteries. It means delivering predictable, repeatable performance that utility planners and operators trust enough to rely on during system peaks. And it's no longer theoretical. During a series of brutal winter cold snaps across the Southeast this year, Duke Energy leaned on tens of thousands of connected devices — smart thermostats, batteries, and water heaters — to help manage record-breaking winter peaks. Together, they formed a virtual power plant that the utility could dispatch when the grid was tight. In this Frontier Forum, Stephen Lacey talks with Stacy Phillips, Managing Director of Customer Load Management at Duke Energy, and Seth Frader-Thompson, president and co-founder of EnergyHub, about the spectrum of virtual power plants. They discuss how VPPs are evolving from traditional demand-response programs into operational grid resources, and what still needs to change before utilities treat them exactly like conventional power plants. This conversation was recorded live as part of Latitude Media's Frontier Forum with EnergyHub. Watch the full video here. EnergyHub works with more than 160 utilities across North America to build and scale virtual power plants using its Edge DERMS platform. Read EnergyHub's white paper outlining the VPP maturity model and discover what VPPs can do for your grid.
In this episode, our guest is Robert Stewart, founder of Collective Power Boroondara, Melbourne, Australia, who explores how the energy transition must go beyond technology to focus on people and relationships. As solar, batteries, and EVs transform households into both producers and consumers, Robert argues the grid is becoming a shared community asset. He explains why many households are on the wrong tariffs, why VPP uptake remains low, and how a non-distributing cooperative model can help build trust, improve equity, and unlock better outcomes for everyone. This conversation highlights why the future of energy depends not just on smarter technology — but on stronger communities. Please join to find more. Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie X (Twitter) @shasnie LinkedIn @shasnie ADB Blog Sohail Hasnie YouTube @energypreneurs Instagram @energypreneurs Tiktok @energypreneurs
Cataluña se pone seria (o lo intenta): analizamos el acuerdo para limitar compras “especulativas” en zonas tensionadas (hasta 270 municipios), qué cambia para grandes tenedores (desde 5 viviendas) y también para el particular que compra para vivir, para un familiar o para alquilar con topes de renta. Ojo a los detalles: condiciones para segundas residencias, plazos para acreditar uso como vivienda habitual y multas que pueden llegar a 1,5M€. Y mientras te venden “protección”, en Alicante aparece el manual de los enchufes: desgranamos la trama de contactos del escándalo de las VPP de Les Naus y por qué huele a favoritismo y posibles delitos (con dimisiones y causa judicial en marcha). Cerramos con lo que el mercado sí está premiando: el flex living pisa el acelerador y SmartRental/SUIO se mueve con un plan de seis proyectos y 768 unidades en varios países, señal de que el capital ya lo trata como negocio “serio”. ✅¿Necesitas un PSI (Personal Shopper Inmobiliario) para acompañarte a invertir en bienes raíces en la Com.Madrid?: magnatesladrillo@gmail.com✅Si vas en serio «La Biblia del Magnate del Ladrillo» está AQUÍ✅
How micro power plants on residential rooftops are reducing electricity costs and removing power utility bottlenecks.
MDM, DDM, VPP, ABM, even MSCP - all the acronyms that help us to manage devices the way that we need to, providing the amazing end-user experiences that the macadmin community is so conscious of. But what do we do when the tools provided by Apple or our device management service don't provide the capabilities we need? That's right, we build it ourselves! Michael Page is going to talk us through Dock Composer, one of these very tools that he has built to solve his own problem and help others solve the same problems in their environments Hosts: Tom Bridge - @tbridge@theinternet.social Marcus Ransom - @marcusransom Selina Ali - LinkedIn Guests: Michael Page - LinkedIn Links: Dock Master https://github.com/Error-freeIT/Dock-Master https://techion.com.au/blog/2015/4/28/dock-master Dock Composer on the Mac App Store https://apps.apple.com/app/dock-composer/id6751523907 Dockutil - https://github.com/kcrawford/dockutil Docklib - https://github.com/homebysix/docklib Git Kraken: https://www.gitkraken.com/ Sponsors: Iru Fleet Device Management Meter Watchman Monitoring If you're interested in sponsoring the Mac Admins Podcast, please email podcast@macadmins.org for more information. Get the latest about the Mac Admins Podcast, follow us on Twitter! We're @MacAdmPodcast! The Mac Admins Podcast has launched a Patreon Campaign! Our named patrons this month include Weldon Dodd, Damien Barrett, Justin Holt, Chad Swarthout, William Smith, Stephen Weinstein, Seb Nash, Dan McLaughlin, Joe Sfarra, Nate Cinal, Jon Brown, Dan Barker, Tim Perfitt, Ashley MacKinlay, Tobias Linder Philippe Daoust, AJ Potrebka, Adam Burg, & Hamlin Krewson
Everyone is talking about virtual power plants, but as I discuss with EnergyHub CEO Seth Frader-Thompson, not all VPPs are created equal. We get nerdy on the various stages of VPP maturity and the specific technical requirements that VPPs must meet to truly compete with conventional power plants rather than just acting as “enhanced demand response.” This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.volts.wtf/subscribe
In this episode of The Jason Jones Show, Jason interviews Nick Ochs about his experiences as a J6 defendant, his time in prison, and his views on political activism. They discuss the impact of the Proud Boys, the challenges of prison life, and Nick's new book. Jason also highlights the work of the Vulnerable People Project. Takeaways Nick Ochs shares his journey from being a Marine to a political activist. The challenges and misconceptions surrounding the Proud Boys are discussed. Nick talks about his experiences in prison and how it shaped his views. Jason emphasizes the importance of standing by friends during tough times. The episode highlights the work of the Vulnerable People Project. Nick's new book offers insights into his life and experiences. The conversation touches on the political climate and its impact on activism. Jason and Nick discuss the role of faith and resilience in overcoming adversity. The episode explores the dynamics of media portrayal and public perception. Jason encourages listeners to support vulnerable communities through VPP. Title Options Additional Information Book by Nick Ochs: Age of Rot — https://www.amazon.com/Age-Rot-Dissidents-Dispatches-America/dp/B0G4T9HXCC
This week on Clean Power Hour Live, Tim Montague and John Weaver break down the biggest solar and storage headlines shaping the industry right now.The US reached 40 gigawatts of grid storage in 2025, beating the 35 gigawatt goal set in 2017. But supply chains are struggling to keep up. 100 amp-hour battery cells are sold out through 2026 as demand surges across residential, commercial, and utility projects.John discusses his company's expansion into Illinois, where new legislation adds 873 megawatts of solar and 3 gigawatts of storage over the next few years. The state is also unlocking VPP programs, giving distributed batteries a bigger role in grid operations.Episode Highlights:US grid storage installations reached 40 gigawatts in 2025, exceeding the 35 gigawatt goal set in 2017 (Energy Storage Association via Canary Media)Illinois passes new legislation adding 873 megawatts of solar and 3 gigawatts of storage, enabling VPP programs Battery cell shortage intensifies as 100 amp hour cells sell out through 2026 due to demand across residential and utility sectors (PV Magazine)Electric freight vehicles and delivery trucks show explosive growth in China, with EVs approaching 50% of all vehicle sales (John Hanger via Blue Sky)Natural gas prices spike above $5, expected to drive electricity rate increases in 2026 through utility cost recapture mechanisms (Bloomberg)US extends tariff exclusions for solar manufacturing equipment, including silicon growth furnaces and wire saws (PV Magazine)The discussion explores why battery adoption creates a flywheel effect for solar installations, how state incentives are driving developer interest, and what supply chain pressures mean for project timelines in 2026. Support the showConnect with Tim Clean Power Hour Clean Power Hour on YouTubeTim on TwitterTim on LinkedIn Email tim@cleanpowerhour.com Review Clean Power Hour on Apple PodcastsThe Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.com Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America's number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems. Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com
Want the latest news, analysis, and price indices from power markets around the globe - delivered to your inbox, every week?Sign up for the Weekly Dispatch - Modo Energy's unmissable newsletter.https://bit.ly/TheWeeklyDispatchThe energy transition faces significant hurdles across Europe - especially in the Netherlands. Grid congestion, high grid fees, and investment uncertainty are creating a logjam that halts crucial infrastructure deployment like offshore wind and utility-scale batteries. This episode explores how leading integrated energy companies are strategically evolving to overcome these barriers. Learn how balancing assets like flexibility, energy storage, and electron sinks are essential for building resilient portfolios and unlocking positive business cases. In this episode, we look at how leading integrated energy companies such as Eneco are adapting to move past these challenges. We explore why flexible assets including energy storage, demand-side flexibility, and technologies that can absorb excess electricity - are becoming critical for building resilient energy systems and supporting viable business models.Ed speaks with Karen de Lathouder, Eneco's Chief Operating Officer, to dive into the biggest issues facing integrated energy companies as they navigate the next stage of the transition. Their conversation touches on market design, grid constraints, and how flexibility technologies are evolving across Europe.Key topics include:• How high grid fees and overloaded networks in the Netherlands are slowing demand growth and delaying major investments.• How the Netherlands is approaching this balanced system by combining renewables with storage, hydrogen, and VPP-based flexibility tools.• Why new large renewable projects need long-term power contracts (PPAs), and how colocation is helping developers secure reliable offtakers.• How flexible grid access contracts are paving the way for the next wave of battery storage projects.• The growing role of dynamic pricing and how it is changing customer behaviour.About our guestKaren is Chief Operating Officer at Eneco where she oversees asset-based value chains, covering everything from heat and renewable power to flexibility assets like batteries, hydrogen, and electric heating systems (e-boilers). She provides an expert view on what it takes to manage capital risk and activate crucial power demand in the North-West European energy sector. For more information on what Eneco do - head to their website. https://www.eneco.nl/en/about-us/About Modo EnergyModo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.All of our interviews are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, conversations, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn. Check out The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series breaking down how power markets work.
Want the latest news, analysis, and price indices from power markets around the globe - delivered to your inbox, every week?Sign up for the Weekly Dispatch - Modo Energy's unmissable newsletter.https://bit.ly/TheWeeklyDispatchThe energy transition faces significant hurdles across Europe - especially in the Netherlands. Grid congestion, high grid fees, and investment uncertainty are creating a logjam that halts crucial infrastructure deployment like offshore wind and utility-scale batteries. This episode explores how leading integrated energy companies are strategically evolving to overcome these barriers. Learn how balancing assets like flexibility, energy storage, and electron sinks are essential for building resilient portfolios and unlocking positive business cases. In this episode, we look at how leading integrated energy companies such as Eneco are adapting to move past these challenges. We explore why flexible assets including energy storage, demand-side flexibility, and technologies that can absorb excess electricity - are becoming critical for building resilient energy systems and supporting viable business models.Ed speaks with Karen de Lathouder, Eneco's Chief Operating Officer, to dive into the biggest issues facing integrated energy companies as they navigate the next stage of the transition. Their conversation touches on market design, grid constraints, and how flexibility technologies are evolving across Europe.Key topics include:• How high grid fees and overloaded networks in the Netherlands are slowing demand growth and delaying major investments.• How the Netherlands is approaching this balanced system by combining renewables with storage, hydrogen, and VPP-based flexibility tools.• Why new large renewable projects need long-term power contracts (PPAs), and how colocation is helping developers secure reliable offtakers.• How flexible grid access contracts are paving the way for the next wave of battery storage projects.• The growing role of dynamic pricing and how it is changing customer behaviour.About our guestKaren is Chief Operating Officer at Eneco where she oversees asset-based value chains, covering everything from heat and renewable power to flexibility assets like batteries, hydrogen, and electric heating systems (e-boilers). She provides an expert view on what it takes to manage capital risk and activate crucial power demand in the North-West European energy sector. For more information on what Eneco do - head to their website. https://www.eneco.nl/en/about-us/About Modo EnergyModo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.All of our interviews are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, conversations, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn. Check out The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series breaking down how power markets work.
The Jason Jones Show | The War on Christians with Father Viktor, Director of VPP Nigeria In this powerful episode, Jason Jones speaks with Father Viktor, the Director of VPP Nigeria, about the escalating persecution of Christians across Nigeria.Father Viktor shares firsthand stories from the field — of faith, suffering, and resilience — and explains how the Vulnerable People Project (VPP) is providing protection, aid, and hope to those most in need.
Brad Phillips https://persecutionproject.orgFollow Jason on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/osu4491Visit Movie to Movement @ www.MovieToMovement.comAnd the Vulnerable People Project: www.vulnerablepeopleproject.com
In this episode, Sean White talks with Seth Frader-Thompson, President of EnergyHub, about virtual power plants (VPPs) and the future of distributed energy. They discuss what VPPs are, how they work, and their potential to transform the electric grid by pooling together devices like batteries, electric vehicles, and smart thermostats. Seth explains the role of EnergyHub in enabling utilities and customers to participate in VPPs, shares real-world examples of customer savings, and explores the growing impact of electric vehicles and bidirectional charging. The conversation also covers the challenges and opportunities of integrating new technology, the importance of software and APIs, and tips for homeowners and installers interested in joining VPP programs. Topics covered: VPP = Virtual Power Plant How VPPs work and their benefits for the grid Bitcoin Mining DERMS = Distributed Energy Resource Management System Customer participation and incentives in VPP programs Connected Solutions API = Application Programming Interface V2G = Vehicle to Grid V2H = Vehicle to House V2X = Vehicle to Everything Interconnection challenges and grid modernization EnergyHub's platform EVSE = Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Tips for homeowners and installers on joining VPPs The evolving role of inverters and smart devices Reach out EnergyHub and Seth Frader-Thompson here: Website: www.energyhub.com Seth's LinkedIn Account: www.linkedin.com/in/frader Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean's classes at www.heatspring.com/sean www.solarsean.com/ess
In the latest Clean Power Hour Live, Tim Montague and John Weaver discuss major developments in clean energy markets. Learn about the world's largest solar plus storage project breaking ground in Abu Dhabi, how silver prices are transforming solar panel economics, and why residential batteries are creating a feedback loop that drives more solar installations. Tim shares insights from his recent visit to the TenneSEIA market, where LightWave Solar and other installers are building community-scale projects and expanding into battery storage.Episode Highlights:Silver prices exceeded $50 per ounce, making older solar panels worth $30 or more for recyclers and adding $7 to $15 in material costs to new modules (Link)Masdar breaks ground on 5.2GW solar with 19GWh storage in Abu Dhabi, delivering 1GW of baseload power around the clock starting in 2027 (PV Tech)Australia's residential battery installations tripled after new energy storage incentives launched, requiring VPP compatibility (Link)Tennessee Valley Authority (TenneSEIA) market shows growth in utility-scale solar through Silicon Ranch and community solar projects, with Light Wave Solar leading residential installations since 2006FlexGen announces hybrid OS software platform to manage both batteries and solar assets, expanding to 25GWh of battery capacity under management (PV Magazine)Residential battery demand creates a shortage of smaller 100Ah cells as manufacturers shift to larger utility-scale formats (PV Magazine)The clean energy sector shows strong momentum across multiple fronts. Large-scale storage projects like Masdar's 5.2GW plant demonstrate the path to 24/7 solar baseload power. Meanwhile, residential battery incentives in markets like Australia prove how energy storage dri Support the showConnect with Tim Clean Power Hour Clean Power Hour on YouTubeTim on TwitterTim on LinkedIn Email tim@cleanpowerhour.com Review Clean Power Hour on Apple PodcastsThe Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.com Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America's number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems. Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com
Dr. Pat Castle is the founder of LIFE Runnershttps://www.liferunners.orgFollow Jason on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/osu4491Visit Movie to Movement @ www.MovieToMovement.comAnd the Vulnerable People Project: www.vulnerablepeopleproject.com
Electric vehicle owners in China are now getting PAID by the power grid to discharge their cars during peak hours. This isn't science fiction - it's happening right now through V2G (Vehicle-to-Grid) technology, and it's about to change everything about how we think about EVs and energy.In this deep dive, I break down the V2G revolution sweeping across China, how EV owners in Wuhan are earning 60 yuan per hour just by plugging in their cars, and why this technology could reduce carbon emissions by 1.7 billion tons by 2035.We'll cover:What V2G technology actually is and how it worksThe real economics: how much money can EV owners actually make?Why this matters beyond your wallet - solving China's peak load problemHow 350 million EVs could store China's entire daily electricity consumption by 2050NIO's strategic positioning with battery swap stations as distributed energy storageThe partnership between NIO Power and China Southern Power GridReal challenges: battery degradation concerns, infrastructure costs, and standardization issuesWhat the future looks like: V2G standard in all new EVs by 2028This is bigger than just making a few hundred yuan from your car. We're watching the convergence of transportation and energy systems in real-time. When EVs become mobile energy storage units participating in grid stabilization, the entire power system transforms from "source follows load" to "load follows source."Whether you're a NIO investor, EV enthusiast, or just interested in the future of energy infrastructure, this episode breaks down why V2G represents one of the most significant developments in the clean energy transition.Key topics: V2G technology, vehicle-to-grid charging, NIO Power swap stations, virtual power plants (VPP), renewable energy storage, grid stabilization, EV investment thesis, China EV market, bidirectional charging, smart grid technology, peak load reduction, energy transition, NIO analysis, electric vehicle infrastructure, battery swap technology.V2G technology, vehicle to grid, NIO stock, NIO analysis, electric vehicles 2025, EV charging, China EV market, NIO Power, battery swap stations, virtual power plant, VPP, renewable energy storage, smart grid, bidirectional charging, EV investment, NIO news, Tesla competitor, grid stabilization, peak load reduction, energy storage, lithium battery, EV infrastructure, China electric cars, NIO bull case, green energy, carbon neutral, EV revenue, passive income EV, energy transition, power grid technology, distributed energyTAGS (500 Characters Max, SEO-Optimized)
Demand response was the original distributed energy resource. In its early days, it was surprisingly manual: a grid operator would call up a large load, like a factory, and request a few hours of reduced demand during peak times. Fast forward to today and DERs look dramatically different. They're automated, deployed frequently across the country, and include everything from EVs and thermostats to sophisticated management systems at paper mills and data centers. So how did DERs evolve from phone calls to fully fledged virtual power plants? And what role do they play now as electricity demand surges? In this episode, Shayle talks to Dana Guernsey, co-founder and CEO of DER and VPP developer Voltus. She is also the former Director of Energy Markets at EnerNOC, a pioneer in demand response. Shayle and Dana cover topics like: The changing mix of customers and resources, as well as the evolving use cases Voltus's new “Bring Your Own Capacity” model, allowing large loads like data centers to fund regional VPPs The barriers that hold DERs back, like access to data The market forces shaping DER adoption, including load growth, declining system costs, and market structures How DERs stack up against conventional power plants in meeting rising demand Resources: Open Circuit: The grid flexibility solutions staring us in the face Catalyst: Is now the time for DERs to scale? Catalyst: Making DERs work for load growth Catalyst: PJM and the capacity crunch Latitude Media: Google expands demand response to target machine learning workloads Credits: Hosted by Shayle Kann. Produced and edited by Daniel Woldorff. Original music and engineering by Sean Marquand. Stephen Lacey is our executive editor. Catalyst is brought to you by EnergyHub. EnergyHub helps utilities build next-generation virtual power plants that unlock reliable flexibility at every level of the grid. See how EnergyHub helps unlock the power of flexibility at scale, and deliver more value through cross-DER dispatch with their leading Edge DERMS platform, by visiting energyhub.com. Catalyst is brought to you by Bloom Energy. AI data centers can't wait years for grid power—and with Bloom Energy's fuel cells, they don't have to. Bloom Energy delivers affordable, always-on, ultra-reliable onsite power, built for chipmakers, hyperscalers, and data center leaders looking to power their operations at AI speed. Learn more by visiting BloomEnergy.com.
Entrevista sin filtros sobre VPO en España: desmontamos mitos y contamos, en claro y con casos reales, qué es la vivienda protegida y cómo se diferencia de la privada, qué tipos existen (VPO, VPP, VPPL; compra o alquiler) y qué requisitos pide cada comunidad; cómo funciona la descalificación o liberalización —pasos, documentos, plazos y costes—, cuándo compensa y cuándo no, qué riesgos legales y financieros hay, cómo cambia el precio máximo y el valor de mercado antes y después, y si tiene sentido como inversión hoy. También revisamos cómo se construye la vivienda pública, dónde están los cuellos de botella y qué alternativas pueden ser más eficaces para mejorar el acceso a la vivienda. Mirada crítica pero práctica: criterios accionables para decidir si solicitar, comprar o invertir en VPO, y un pronóstico para 2025 y los próximos años. Si te aporta, suscríbete y comparte este vídeo. ✅¿Necesitas un PSI (Personal Shopper Inmobiliario) para acompañarte a invertir en bienes raíces en la Com.Madrid?: magnatesladrillo@gmail.com ✅Si vas en serio «La Biblia del Magnate del Ladrillo» está AQUÍ ✅
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Tell us what you think of the show! This summer, key stakeholders across the state of California teamed up for a first-of-its-kind, coordinated test of virtual power plant (or VPP) capabilities. Thousands of systems dispatched a whopping 535 megawatts and reduced net load during the evening peak in a successful demonstration of the potential impact that distributed energy resources can have.On this episode of the podcast, Factor This host Paul Gerke welcomes Kendrick Li, who handles demand response for Pacific Gas and Electric Company, one of the three California utilities that teamed up for the massive VPP test. Their conversation starts at the 101 level, then gets deep into the weeds on how these systems work, how they might be deployed, and the roadblocks to larger customer adoption.Want to make a suggestion for This Week in Cleantech? Nominate the stories that caught your eye each week by emailing Paul.Gerke@clarionevents.com
Want the latest news, analysis, and price indices from power markets around the globe - delivered to your inbox, every week?Sign up for the Weekly Dispatch - Modo Energy's unmissable newsletter.Electricity grids worldwide need both the flexibility to adapt to renewable energy sources, and the resilience to cope with grid-stress events. Demand curtailment and other forms of demand-side response (DSR) play an increasingly fundamental role in supporting both these requirements, yet direct participation in these programmes can be complex, and is typically geared towards high-demand customers with single, centralised sites.However smaller, decentralised organisations can still unlock the benefits of DSR and provide a crucial grid service by working with an aggregator. By bringing multiple demand customers and sites together in a virtual power plant (VPP), aggregators help businesses of all sizes become major contributors to grid stability, without the challenges of managing individual enrolment themselves.In this episode, Michael Lynch, manager of Enel X's global Network Operations Centre (NOC) in Dublin, joins Ed Porter to discuss the growing role of VPPs in helping stabilise global electricity grids. In conversation they discuss:The nature of VPPs, and the type of generation, storage and load-curtailment resources they aggregate. How VPPs respond to the requirements of grid and asset operators. The use of flexibility and automation in managing VPP performance. The need for resilience in the NOC to ensure a reliable and rapid response in volatile conditions – from shutdowns and outages, to extreme weather and earthquakes. The human dimension and skills set required to balance around 10 GW of flexibility services worldwide.The future of VPPs as they adopt more battery storage assets in EVs, homes and businesses.About our guestMichael joined Enel X Global Retail in 2020 from an airline operations control centre, where hegained hands-on experience planning, scheduling and managing disruptions in a fast-paced,high-pressure environment.Enel X Global Retail is Enel Group's business line dedicated to customers around the world with the aim of effectively providing products and services based on their energy needs and encouraging them towards a more conscious and sustainable use of energy. Globally, it provides electricity, integrated and innovative energy services to more than 54 million customers worldwide, offering flexibility services aggregating 9.8 GW, managing around 3 million lighting points, and with 30,500 owned public charging points for electric mobility.For more information on what Enel X Global Retail does, head to its website at https://www.enelx.com/uk/en/About Modo EnergyModo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.All of our podcasts are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, podcasts, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn. Check out The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series breaking down how power markets work.
Want the latest news, analysis, and price indices from power markets around the globe - delivered to your inbox, every week?Sign up for the Weekly Dispatch - Modo Energy's unmissable newsletter.Electricity grids worldwide need both the flexibility to adapt to renewable energy sources, and the resilience to cope with grid-stress events. Demand curtailment and other forms of demand-side response (DSR) play an increasingly fundamental role in supporting both these requirements, yet direct participation in these programmes can be complex, and is typically geared towards high-demand customers with single, centralised sites.However smaller, decentralised organisations can still unlock the benefits of DSR and provide a crucial grid service by working with an aggregator. By bringing multiple demand customers and sites together in a virtual power plant (VPP), aggregators help businesses of all sizes become major contributors to grid stability, without the challenges of managing individual enrolment themselves.In this episode, Michael Lynch, manager of Enel X's global Network Operations Centre (NOC) in Dublin, joins Ed Porter to discuss the growing role of VPPs in helping stabilise global electricity grids. In conversation they discuss:The nature of VPPs, and the type of generation, storage and load-curtailment resources they aggregate. How VPPs respond to the requirements of grid and asset operators. The use of flexibility and automation in managing VPP performance. The need for resilience in the NOC to ensure a reliable and rapid response in volatile conditions – from shutdowns and outages, to extreme weather and earthquakes. The human dimension and skills set required to balance around 10 GW of flexibility services worldwide.The future of VPPs as they adopt more battery storage assets in EVs, homes and businesses.About our guestMichael joined Enel X Global Retail in 2020 from an airline operations control centre, where hegained hands-on experience planning, scheduling and managing disruptions in a fast-paced,high-pressure environment.Enel X Global Retail is Enel Group's business line dedicated to customers around the world with the aim of effectively providing products and services based on their energy needs and encouraging them towards a more conscious and sustainable use of energy. Globally, it provides electricity, integrated and innovative energy services to more than 54 million customers worldwide, offering flexibility services aggregating 9.8 GW, managing around 3 million lighting points, and with 30,500 owned public charging points for electric mobility.For more information on what Enel X Global Retail does, head to its website at https://www.enelx.com/uk/en/About Modo EnergyModo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.All of our podcasts are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, podcasts, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn. Check out The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series breaking down how power markets work.
Plico Energy CTO George Martin says business is booming under the new home battery rebates, but the name of the VPP game remains the same. Plus news of the week.
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For the month of August, we’re highlighting episodes from the 2024-2025 season of Energy Policy Now. We’ll be back with new content, and a new season, on September the 9th. Virtual power plants can help electric grid operators address supply shortages and reliability concerns, but policy support is needed. --- (This episode was recorded on October 15, 2024.) The U.S. electrical grid is under growing stress, raising concern that recent widescale power outages may signal more grid challenges to come. In recent years, electricity demand has grown at an accelerating pace while, at the same time, power supply has tightened as existing power plants have retired and grid operators have struggled to bring new sources of power online. Yet one promising solution to the grid’s challenges may already be in place, if grid operators and regulators can figure out how to use it to full advantage. ‘Virtual power plants’ can combine small, distributed energy resources such as rooftop solar and demand response into a single, virtual whole that grid operators can deploy like a traditional powerplant. VPPs hold the promise of delivering large amounts of readily available and reliable energy services, if a number of regulatory and technological challenges can be overcome. On the podcast Ryan Hledik, a principal with electricity market consultancy The Brattle Group, explores the potential of virtual power plants. He explains how VPPs work, discusses hurdles to their development, and considers policy solutions to speed their growth. Ryan Hledik is a principal with electricity market consultancy The Brattle Group. Related Content: Closing the Climate Finance Gap: A Proposal for a New Green Investment Protocol https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/closing-the-climate-finance-gap-a-proposal-for-a-new-green-investment-protocol/ The Untapped Potential of “Repurposed Energy” https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-untapped-potential-of-repurposed-energy/ Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.eduSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A 2025 PLMA Award of Excellence winner, APS marked five years of commitment to 100% clean electricity by 2050 and to date has achieved 54% clean energy. By collaborating with its customers, APS has supported its clean energy goal by operating one of the largest VPPs in North America. With its VPP, APS can shift load using behind-the-meter resources to achieve predetermined load shapes during flexibility events. Given Arizona's extreme temperatures, APS plans to continue refining and testing new use cases for dynamic load shaping. With its demand growth increasing to >13,000 MW of energy by 2038, the utility is also committed to building more customer-collaborative VPP solutions to address extreme weather, congestion, renewable generation variability, and rising energy costs.
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Order Jason's new book, The Great Campaign Against the Great Reset on Amazon https://a.co/d/6yiOk5sand on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/osu4491Subscribe: https://substack.com/@thejasonjonesshowVisit Movie to Movement @ www.MovieToMovement.comAnd the Vulnerable People Project: www.vulnerablepeopleproject.com
Techman Pat joins Kempy from Solar Outsiders to uncover the best solar battery in Australia for 2025. They break down Alpha, Sunro (Sungrow), Sigenergy, and Growatt, share raw installer feedback, discuss battery fires, and explore what the new WA solar battery rebate means — including the controversial VPP requirement. If you're looking to upgrade your solar system or wondering if batteries are finally worth it — this is your must-watch. Support the showBest Solar Panel Installer in Brisbane - Queensland Solar & Lighting - Since 2012
Order Jason's new book, The Great Campaign Against the Great Reset on Amazon https://a.co/d/6yiOk5sand on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/osu4491Visit Movie to Movement @ www.MovieToMovement.comAnd the Vulnerable People Project: www.vulnerablepeopleproject.com
A decade ago, Zach Borton had a lightbulb moment when studying energy economics at Ohio State University: the grid was trending toward decentralization. That realization set him on a path that would eventually lead him to Colorado, where he now serves as DER services manager at Platte River Power Authority.Platte River's 2024 integrated resource plan includes an ambitious goal: 30 megawatts of virtual power plant capacity by 2030. But building a VPP across multiple utility territories isn't just about technology -- it's about coordination, customer engagement, and breaking down organizational silos.This week on With Great Power, Zach explains the technical architecture behind Platte River's VPP strategy, which relies on two interconnected systems: grid derms and edge derms. He also discusses the challenges of aligning five different organizations, the importance of seamless customer enrollment, and why he believes curiosity-driven leadership is his superpower in the energy transition.With Great Power is a co-production of GridX and Latitude Studios. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you get podcasts. For more reporting on the companies featured in this podcast, subscribe to Latitude Media's newsletter.Credits: Hosted by Brad Langley. Produced by Erin Hardick and Mary Catherine O'Connor. Edited by Anne Bailey. Original music and engineering by Sean Marquand. Stephen Lacey is executive editor. The Grid X production team includes Jenni Barber, Samantha McCabe, and Brad Langley.TRANSCRIPT:Brad Langley: Back in the early 2010s, apps skyrocketed in popularity. Apple had just launched its famous "There's an app for that" commercial, and within a few years, more than a million apps were available for download in the app store.Commercial clips: Ever wish you could really read people's emotions? Well, now there's an app for that. Don't have a great voice or any real musical talent? Well, there's an app for that too. You want to get the potholes filled? Well, there's an app for that. There's an app for that...Brad Langley: Zach Borton's family was right there with the rest of America, feverishly downloading apps to manage finances or track the weather or achieve personal fitness goals.Zach Borton: Fitbits were becoming popular and my mom and dad would all compete against different steps, and we wanted to bring that kind of competitive element to the energy space.Brad Langley: At the time, Zach was studying business and sustainability at The Ohio State University.Zach Borton: Most of my classmates were going down the road of corporate social responsibility, sustainability reporting, but I took an energy economics course and that kind of shifted my path.Brad Langley: As part of that course, Zach was presented with some graphics of the power system. One showed the traditional energy value chain with big centralized generation. Another showed the declining cost of rooftop solar and an upward trend for installations.Zach Borton: I realized at that moment we're going from this horse and buggy to car event. Every few generations will have that shift, and I wanted to be a part of that shift.Brad Langley: After graduation, Zach and two friends decided to launch their own energy-focused app, the idea was to show people the impact of their environmentally focused investments.Zach Borton: What we were trying to build is a visualization tool to track environmental metrics such as carbon saved or trees planted, and also kind of that competitive nature of seeing what your friends were investing, what types of projects they were investing in, and then competing with your friends or tracking that with your friends to drive that competitiveness.Brad Langley: Unfortunately, for Zach and his friends, their app didn't make millions, but it did motivate Zach to keep working on some of the big complex problems unfolding in the power sector. So he took a job at American Municipal Power in Columbus, Ohio.Zach Borton: I was a power supply engineer. There was learning kind of the nuts and bolts on how to serve a community with generation, really how to stack those assets for energy, capacity, and transmission. But really despite everything I was learning, I kept going back to those two graphics from that energy economics course.Brad Langley: He just couldn't get one question out of his head. How would the legacy power system interact with all these new DERs? And he wasn't the only one thinking about it.Zach Borton: There was utility of the future white paper coming out of MIT, and so we were really going through that and understanding rather than a centralized approach from these large generators, how can we hedge against energy, capacity, and transmission from within the load?Brad Langley: Once Zach locked into this problem, he just couldn't let it go. So he headed west to Colorado where he now works at a public power utility helping build a virtual power plant.Zach Borton: My job is to take distributed energy resources and make use of them as we transition to a non-carbon grid.Brad Langley: This is With Great Power, a show about the people building the future grid, today. I'm Brad Langley. Some people say utilities are slow to change, that they don't innovate fast enough, and while it might not always seem like the most cutting edge industry, there are lots of really smart people working really hard to make the grid cleaner, more reliable and customer centric. This week I'm talking to Zach Borton, the DER service manager at Platte River Power Authority, a public power utility that serves the communities of Estes Park, Fort Collins, Longmont, and Loveland in Colorado. Platte River provides wholesale electricity generation and transmission for its member communities, each of which has its own local electric utility. So a major part of Zach's job is figuring out how to build a VPP across all of those different utilities.Zach Borton: So each have their own technology suite, which makes integrations maybe a little bit more difficult. So we're all at different paths in this integration and technology suite, but getting there is going to require more collaboration and breaking down those silos.Brad Langley: I wanted to dive into the mechanics of building this kind of VPP, but first I asked Zach how the initiative came about and how Platte River planned to break down those utility silos. So let's dig into your work at Platte River. Platte River's 2024 Integrated resource plan includes 32 megawatts of VPP by 2030, which is a significant amount. Tell us about that project. How did the initiative come about?Zach Borton: Yeah, so it can all kind of go back to the 2018 resource diversification policy. In that policy, there's a few things that line out how we can get to a non-carbon future, but it really suggests better integration and coordination across the systems from the generation transmission system down to the distribution. So senior managers, utility directors, and a few different public engagement sessions really sparked this vision and guiding principles for a DER strategy. Next came kind of a gap analysis, so we tried to understand what systems we have today and what we need, and so this really showed us where we need to go with how to make this technology work. Finally, we got to that potential study, which you saw in the 2024 IRP. This showed us kind of the market size and the potential and really gives us a goal to hit. It tells us what types of programs we should run and where we should head into that 2030 mark that you said, 30 megawatts.Brad Langley: And what is your role as DER services manager on the project? What are you specifically tasked with?Zach Borton: It's really trying to coordinate and develop these programs with our owner communities. We can think about our strategy in two different approaches. It's really that best thinking available today, which you can see in the SEPA article Decoding DERMS. It's going to require two different systems, and that's the grid DERMS and the edge DERMS. But really I want to circle back to VPP isn't just a piece of software, it's a utility strategy. It's a system level approach that brings together people, technology and data to orchestrate this cleaner and more flexible grid.Brad Langley: So we've established there's two main components to this. There's the grid DERMS and there's the edge DERMS. Talk me through specifically what the grid DERMS is doing as well as what the edge DERMS is doing.Zach Borton: Absolutely, yeah. So we can think about the grid DERMS as the brain of the future utility operation. It's going to hold our network model. It's going to monitor the state of the distribution in real time, say watching for those stress points and identifying where flexibility could be made available. Some of this technology is in place today, but a lot of this needs to be developed over the next several years, whereas the edge DERMS manages the customer side. It's going to help us enroll devices into the programs, optimize them, and then deliver those optimized energy shapes, load shapes or blocks into the grid DERMS as kind of like, here's a block at this hour. Here's the shape that you can use here for this stress point, and together these two systems kind of coordinate those individual devices into actionable blocks.Brad Langley: Can you go into more detail in terms of what those components are? I assume it's a mix of hardware and software, but any specific technologies you're able to call out.Zach Borton: When we think about our owner communities, they're kind of laying the foundation for the grid DERMS for that distribution system awareness, whether that's smart metering, switching, things like that. We need to build out that process with our owner communities to bring in those data points and make that distribution grid a little bit more intelligent. We can think about the future of advanced distribution management. When we think about the edge DERMS, there's a lot of processes and people involvement: enrolling customers and engaging with those customers. Obviously there's a lot of software optimization on the backend, but that's where we lean on our partners.Brad Langley: So two distinct yet connected systems for owner communities. What kind of challenges are you either experiencing or do you foresee in making this program a reality?Zach Borton: There's quite a bit of challenges. I'd say one of our biggest challenges is aligning across the five organizations. It's sometimes hard enough to break down the department silos, but then breaking down the five organization department silos is really complicated. So everyone might agree on this goal of a functional customer friendly VPP, but getting there in sync is the hard part, which kind of brings us to the next challenge, which is a unified vision and consistency. Like I said, we have incredibly talented people working on this from all sides, but aligning on a common path with consistency is critical. We may ask, why is that so important? Well, we risk confusing the customer if we're changing things as we go or sending mixed messages. So we need to really build that trust and participation with our customers and our own communities. That brings us kind of to the third point, which is the customer patience and experience.We're building something new and with that comes unavoidable, really growing pains. So making the enrollment and engagement process as smooth as possible in that first year is going to be so important for us to scale to that 2030, 30-megawatt goal. And that's the last piece is that OEM maturity and industry coordination. Like OEMs are learning how to build and design for flexibility, but it's a learning curve and everyone's taken their unique approach. Whereas the utilities, I can call up a utility that has a similar goal to us and they'll share the lessons learned where I feel like some of the OEMs aren't sharing those lessons learned with each other.Brad Langley: It's an interesting point. We're big believers in partnerships in this space. I think partnerships are super important. Are you encouraging the OEMs to talk to each other? Because it's tricky, they might be competitive, but they're implementing similar programs, so lessons shared can be important. How do you navigate that? Are you finding openness for OEMs to be more collaborative or is it kind of a walled garden so to speak?Zach Borton: It seems like a walled garden, but I would like for all of us utilities to try to break that down and share like, Hey, we're trying to get to this non-carbon future and open up all of these opportunities for flexibility. And so I think if a lot of us will say that to the OEMs, maybe they'll start listening. So I think if we can band together and really get the OEMs to listen, we can get to this non-carbon flexibility future.Brad Langley: You mentioned you'll start enrolling customers early next year. Does that mean the project is complete? What are some of those stages or milestones that kind of happen before or after that? Maybe give us the one to two year look into the various stages of the program following customer enrollment?Zach Borton: Yeah, so I mentioned the two types of DERMS and there's kind of different working paths for each of those, but I'll kind of talk about the edge DERMS really enrolling customers there early next year. So I think we're breaking this strategy out into three different years. First year we really want to boost up the enrollment and awareness of these programs. So enrolling customers, boosting up satisfaction and increasing that program awareness. It's going to take many actions to get there, like streamlining that DER onboarding process and establishing incentive structures and engagement methods with our customer base. That's going to be critical for scaling the VPP all testing in that first year dispatches with a small number of megawatts and devices. In that next year, we're really going to be looking for analytics and post-event insight, so leveraging event data to better understand how we're forecasting and modeling DR.So we're going to lay out the infrastructure needed to capture dispatch data and analyze that across the systems, whether it's on the distribution or the generation transmission system. And then that third year is going to be building out scale. To get to that 2030 goal in the third year, we're really going to be trying to grow those legs and pick up our speed, and it's all going to be about scalability of the dispatch and optimization. I think this is where the edge DERMS becomes integrated with the grid DERMS. So as the grid DERMS is getting intelligent and connecting to all of those devices in the field, we'll build out that integration to kind of build this full VPP fully integrated using those historical insights. And really in that year, we start to see the real time grid data and the integrations.Brad Langley: How did the customers react to the VPP announcement? Are they excited about the prospect of integrating this type of technology? What was their overall sentiment towards the program when it was announced?Zach Borton: Yeah, absolutely. There's a lot of excitement around this. When we think about our customer base, they love technology. We have a lot of EVs in our service territory. We have a lot of solar. We're starting to see that solar being paired with storage. So I think there's a lot of interest in helping us get to that non-carbon goal. And it's really the foundation we've built over the past 50 years, our community ownership, our collaborative mindset, and a long-term vision. We're not just building it alone, we're building it with our members, our partners, and every customer who chooses to be part of the solution. And it's really great to see a lot of those customers show up to the stakeholder meetings and suggest really great ideas to get to this VPP.Brad Langley: How many customers are you initially targeting and what's the scale of that look like over time?Zach Borton: Yeah, so the first few years, our big focus is on seamless integration, enrollment and engagement with those customers. We're going to most likely start within three different program groups, so EVs, batteries and thermostats and expand offerings from there. We hope to have roughly one megawatt in that first year, but again, I want to focus mostly on building out the seamless enrollment process and engagement. We can't build that 30 megawatts by 2030 without the customers and the devices, so having that poor engagement or poor enrollment process isn't going to help us scale. So we really need to build out the processes we have and kind of scale up to that 30 megawatt number by 2030.Brad Langley: Well, hey, we call this show With Great Power, which is a nod to the energy industry. It's also a famous Spider-Man quote. With great power comes great responsibility. So Zach, what superpower do you bring to the energy transition?Zach Borton: That's a really great question. I would say that curiosity-driven leadership. I'm highly adaptable and I have this ability to connect with all types of people, meet them where they're at, and build that real trust through kind of empathy, curiosity. I find common ground and help bring out the best in others, whether it's a technical person, strategic customer focus, I know how to relate and inspire those folks and share a sense of purpose. The ability to connect with folks is key when bringing together a diverse team with the single vision that we have.Brad Langley: And I'd add a great sense of fashion. I know our listeners can't see it, but I love the VPP hat you're rocking. It's right on point. So nicely done with that. Well, Zach, thank you so much for coming on the show and we wish you the best of luck with the program.Zach Borton: Yeah, thank you. I appreciate you having me, Brad.Brad Langley: Zach Borton is the DER service manager at Platte River Power Authority. With Great Power is produced by GridX in partnership with Latitude Studios. Delivering on our clean energy future is complex. GridX exists to simplify the journey. GridX is the enterprise rate platform that modern utilities rely on to usher in our clean energy future. We design and implement emerging rate structures and we increase consumer investment in clean energy all while managing the complex billing needs of a distributed grid. Our production team includes Erin Hardick and Mary Catherine O'Connor. Anne Bailey is our senior editor. Steven Lacey is our executive editor. Sean Marquand composed the original theme song and mixed the show. The GridX production team includes Jenni Barber, Samantha McCabe, and me, Brad Langley.If this show is providing value for you and we really hope it is, we'd love it if you could help us spread the word. You can rate or review us on Apple and Spotify, or you can share a link with a friend, colleague, or the energy nerd in your life. As always, we thank you for listening. I'm Brad Langley.
Order Jason's book, The Great Campaign Against the Great Reset on Amazon https://a.co/d/6yiOk5sand on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/osu4491Visit Movie to Movement @ www.MovieToMovement.comAnd the Vulnerable People Project: www.vulnerablepeopleproject.com
Why haven't more homeowners installed batteries—despite growing outages and rising rates? I tend to agree with Vinnie Campo, co-founder and CEO of Haven Energy, who believes the answer lies in who owns the asset. But beyond who owns the asset (and assuming, then, that it should not be the homeowner?), is there a way to deliver a truly zero-cost, fully managed battery system that benefits both homeowners and the grid?In this episode, Vinnie shares how Haven is flipping the script on residential energy storage. Backed by strategic investors (and co-founded by former Casper Mattress execs), Haven is creating a seamless path for utilities and CCAs to deploy batteries at scale—without burdening customers with financing complexity or upfront costs.We explore Haven's creative partnership with one of those CCAs, Clean Power Alliance, helping deliver batteries to their base of 3 Million homeowners. We also learn just how they make it possible to deploy “zero cost” batteries, and why Vinnie's background in energy trading helped bring this vision to reality.
Since her first power sector job with Pacific Gas & Electric, Hannah Bascom knew she wanted to focus on people and clean energy — not on what she calls “the pipes and wires part of the business.”That interest led her to Nest in early 2014, just a few months after Google had acquired it. Almost a decade later, she moved on to SPAN and then Uplight, a technology partner for energy providers. Today, as Uplight's chief growth officer, Hannah thinks more than ever about how people interact with energy — and how to better manage that demand.This week on With Great Power, Hannah talks with Brad about the vital role of demand side management, also known as DSM, for managing load growth, and why she thinks leveraging the demand stack can help utilities to better manage that growth. They also discuss how Puget Sound Energy is using a VPP and rate program to reduce peak demand. And she talks about the important role that rate design can play in encouraging consumers to electrify their homes.With Great Power is a co-production of GridX and Latitude Studios. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you get podcasts. For more reporting on the companies featured in this podcast, subscribe to Latitude Media's newsletter.Credits: Hosted by Brad Langley. Produced by Erin Hardick and Mary Catherine O'Connor. Edited by Anne Bailey. Original music and engineering by Sean Marquand. Stephen Lacey is executive editor. The Grid X production team includes Jenni Barber, Samantha McCabe, and Brad Langley.
Follow Jason on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/osu4491Visit Movie to Movement @ www.MovieToMovement.comAnd the Vulnerable People Project: www.vulnerablepeopleproject.com
Follow Jason on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/osu4491Visit Movie to Movement @ www.MovieToMovement.comAnd the Vulnerable People Project: www.vulnerablepeopleproject.com
Forgive Douglas Murray, For He Knows Not What He Doeshttps://crisismagazine.com/opinion/forgive-douglas-murray-for-he-knows-not-what-he-does Follow Jason on Locals: https://jasonjones.locals.com/and on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/osu4491Visit Movie to Movement @ www.MovieToMovement.comAnd the Vulnerable People Project: www.vulnerablepeopleproject.com
Valentyna Pavsyukova, Founder of Chalice of Mercy https://chaliceofmercy.orgImagine Treating Ukrainians as Ends in the Themselves - https://stream.org/imagine-treating-ukrainians-as-ends-in-the-themselves/Follow Jason on Locals: https://jasonjones.locals.com/and on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/osu4491Visit Movie to Movement @ www.MovieToMovement.comAnd the Vulnerable People Project: www.TheGreatCampaign.org