Virtual power plant (VPP) developer SOLRITE and VPP energy storage technology firm sonnen have expanded their partnership revolving around the SOLRITE sonnen VPP.

Under the new terms of the partnership agreement, the two firms will now digitally integrate smart breakers in to their combined VPP services. The newly expanded VPP Node combines the sonnenHub smart energy and power plant device with ADAPT Energy’s breaker technology to more intelligently manage the energy loads of any given households.

The partnership “creates a more streamlined approach to whole-home backup while
unlocking an entirely new source of flexibility for the SOLRITE sonnen VPP,” the companies say.

“Our work with ADAPT Energy is a meaningful step forward in how we think about residential battery storage and VPP participation,” says SOLRITE Energy founder and CEO Regan George. “We have already demonstrated the tremendous value of connecting sonnen batteries together as a pooled grid asset. Now, we’re going inside the home and unlocking another layer of flexibility that has been sitting there all along.

“By combining the battery with additional load management made possible by the VPP smart breaker technology, we’re creating a more valuable node for the grid while also giving homeowners a clever backup solution.”

The new VPP integration addresses a common problem with whole-home backup, the firms explain. That is, how a VPP can provide broad electrical coverage without draining household batteries too quickly, or causing a one-household grid to fail after an off-grid transition.

Crafting a new generation

The new smart breaker technology is able to intelligently shed large loads, SOLRITE and sonnen officials say, without requiring circuit relocation. This change marks a new generation of VPP technology, according to representatives, keeping the breakers synchronized with the sonnen battery during backup mode and automatically restoring them when grid power returns.

The new shift in thinking also reduces installation complexity, as well as “tedious” installer inspections, allowing crews to complete more jobs in a given week.

“This is about making whole-home backup work the way homeowners expect it to,” says Troy Morgan, president of ADAPT Energy developer PanTech Design. “Instead of putting the pressure on homeowners to change the way their home is wired, and to manually manipulate loads during an outage, we’re putting intelligence into their energy system, which provides a seamless and automatic backup power experience for their home. Our technology empowers home loads to supply optimal backup power during an outage or provide valuable flexibility to the grid.”

Using permission-based architecture better aligns the interests of the homeowner, battery owner, and utility company, the firms say. It also creates a real opportunity when more homeowners opt in, letting their breakers participate in VPP events on the grid.

Blake Richetta, sonnen’s chairman and CEO, says the addition of VPP breaker technology expands the VPP platform to being a “fully orchestrated home-energy platform.” For example, a homeowner who has opted to include a pool pump into the VPP program can temporarily turn that load off while the sonnen battery is still discharging to the grid.

“By synchronizing energy that has been harnessed in our battery with intelligent, real-time control of household electrical loads, we can deliver more flexible, responsive capacity to the grid precisely when it is needed most,” Richetta says. “This integration materially strengthens the value of SOLRITE’s virtual power plant—supporting grid reliability, creating greater customer value, and enabling SOLRITE to continue delivering industry-leading solar-plus-storage VPA solutions to homeowners.”

— Solar Builder magazine