AGL Energy acquires 100 percent of the shares of the purchase of the South Australia (SA) Virtual Power Plant (SAVPP) owned by Tesla. This will enable AGL to capture a huge number of residential solar and battery plants under its portfolio.
The SAVPP is currently one of the largest virtual power plants (VPPs) in Australia, and it was established via the programming of the SA government and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) in 2018. It also involves a distribution of solar capacity and 7,000 Powerwall home batteries.
The SAVPP is an array of Powerwall home batteries and sun-based systems mounted on the social and community housing in South Australia.
The acquisition goes hand in hand with the launching of the AGL Community Power program by AGL.
The goal of this initiative is to consider new ways of sharing the benefits of the energy transition with those who cannot afford to install their own solar panels and batteries or have difficulties associated with the ownership of their houses.
The residents under the programme will also gain, as the cost of energy will be low with the prices of electricity consumption discounted.
“SA social and community housing residents participating in this program will continue to receive significantly discounted energy prices. This innovative model of a virtual power plant means we can extend the benefits of the energy transition to more customers in a smart and simple way.”
“This deal follows on from our existing community support to help address cost-of-living pressures and is part of AGL’s ongoing focus on making sure all customers and communities can take part in the benefits of the energy transition. We know that upfront costs of installing solar and batteries can be a significant barrier for many, and we are focused on how we can make these more accessible.”
“We are focused on growing our flexible load under management and virtual power plant to support the energy transition.”
– Jo Egan, AGL chief customer officer.
AGL stated that it now has “one of the largest” residential battery virtual power plants in Australia, bringing it closer to its fiscal 2027 target of 1.6 GW of “decentralized assets under orchestration.”
AGL, as part of its $90m customer support package as it seeks to help people undergo the current cost-of-living crisis, has set aside customer and community support resources.
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