Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) significantly contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by leveraging distributed energy resources (DERs) like solar panels, energy storage systems, and smart home devices. Here are three primary ways VPPs help mitigate emissions:
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Decrease Fossil-Fuel Dispatch:
- Shifting Demand: VPPs reduce carbon emissions by shifting electrical demand away from hours when the grid relies on high-emissions fossil fuel plants.
- Renewable Integration: Instead, they shift demand to periods when renewable energy sources, such as solar power, are abundant, thereby optimizing the use of clean energy sources.
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Empowering Low-Carbon Resources:
- Renewable Energy Deployment: VPPs support the rapid transition to low-carbon energy by increasing the value of renewable resources. This encourages further deployment of renewable energy infrastructure.
- Avoiding Peaker Plants: By reducing peak demand, VPPs help defer or replace the need for expensive and polluting peaker plants, which are typically used during peak hours.
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Enable Electrification of End-Uses:
- Efficient Load Management: VPPs facilitate the efficient integration of electrified loads (e.g., electric vehicles and heat pumps) by managing demand during low-load periods, reducing strain on distribution systems, and enabling more affordable electrification of traditionally carbon-based end-uses.
These features collectively help VPPs reduce the reliance on combustion-based energy sources, contributing to a cleaner and more sustainable energy system. By 2035, VPPs could prevent up to 28 million tons of CO2 emissions in the U.S., significantly impacting grid decarbonization efforts.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/how-do-vpps-contribute-to-reducing-greenhouse-gas-emissions/
