"That's because Calderon's battery is connected to hundreds of others in a network known as a "virtual power plant" that allows her utility to redistribute her unused energy. Scaled up, such a network could transform New York's grid. Tapping into the collective power of millions of smart devices in homes and businesses to balance electricity needs, experts say, would make the grid more reliable, help phase out polluting power plants, and save billions each year on energy bills."
"Calderon got her battery for free through a pilot program run by the utility company Orange & Rockland and the solar company Sunrun. The 350 households participating can deliver close to 50 megawatts of power to the grid at peak times - about enough to supply Calderon's entire small town of Warwick for a couple of hours. And they're saving money: Calderon's electric bill drops as low as $40 some months, she said, and she spends less on energy overall."
Home batteries connected in virtual power plants allow utilities to aggregate unused residential energy and redistribute it to balance demand and support the grid. A pilot by Orange & Rockland and Sunrun enrolled 350 households, delivering nearly 50 megawatts at peak, lowering participants' bills and improving local reliability. Scaled deployment of millions of smart devices could displace fossil-fired generation, reduce strain during storms, and save billions annually. Participants can receive free installations, lower monthly energy costs, and enhanced outage resilience. Widespread adoption faces regulatory, market, and interconnection challenges that require updated rules and incentives.
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