Enphase Expands Support For North America Grid Services Programs – CleanTechnica

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Enphase has made some big announcements recently. One was about a new residential battery for Europe. Another is the expansion of its support for Colorado, Nova Scotia, and Puerto Rico virtual power plants programs.

Virtual power plant programs are exciting because they allow homeowners to share electricity stored in their home battery systems with local utilities. The utilities can use this electricity to reduce grid loads, potentially avoiding having to invest a lot of money in constructing more generation — for example, in the form of a new peaker plant. Within a virtual power plant program, homeowners with battery storage systems that share their stored electricity may also make a little money. Using home batteries has this advantage over diesel home generators, which are also stinky, loud, and generate toxic air pollution.

Andy Newbold, an Enphase spokesperson, answered some questions about the expanded programs support for CleanTechnica.

How does the Enphase battery system work with a local utility to make a virtual power plant?

Enphase grid services programs vary in form, participation periods, and incentives based on region, utility, and grid needs, with utilities leveraging Enphase batteries for VPP support under program-specific stipulations. When a customer with eligible Enphase batteries signs up for a grid services program, they are essentially handing over some control of the battery to the program operator (utility or third-party) that will aggregate and dispatch many home batteries in unison to support the grid.  

For example, Enphase battery owners accepted into PSEG’s Long Island Battery Storage Rewards Program will receive an upfront incentive of $250 per kWh of usable battery capacity (with a cap of $6,250 per household) if they sign up through their Enphase installer. An Enphase IQ Battery 10 or two IQ Battery 5Ps have a total capacity of about 10 kWh and therefore would be eligible to earn $2,500 from the program. 

In addition to providing valuable incentives to participating homeowners, demand flexibility through grid services is increasingly a critical tool for utilities and system operators to cost-effectively manage peak load, improve grid stability, reduce energy procurement costs, and more.

What would the capacity of the Enphase battery system need to be a virtual power plant?

[Tried to answer this question – but the framing is a bit fundamentally off. Any capacity of battery can participate in a VPP. Maybe the question should be “how many home batteries are required to form a VPP?” … Although, that’s an existential question that’s tricky to nail down … One could argue that batteries at two homes create a VPP. The size of these programs can be limitless. The definition of a VPP is simply an aggregation of home batteries used in coordination to provide grid services.]  

VPPs can be defined in many ways – but generally we define it as many distributed energy resources (like home batteries) being aggregated / coordinated to act (discharge power, self-consume power, etc.) in unison. Any size battery on an individual home would qualify as being part of a VPP.  

The capacity amount depends on the Grid Services program, which varies from state to state and regionally based on the utility provider. With a capacity between 3-10 kWh, a single Enphase IQ Battery can participate in most available programs. You can stack several IQ Batteries in some programs. Some programs require that batteries deliver up to 80% of their energy capacity during each demand response event.

What is the cost of the battery system, fully installed?

The cost of a fully installed Enphase battery system depends on several factors, including the system size (number of batteries, microinverters, etc.), the installer, location-based incentives, and regional labor costs. Pricing can vary significantly based on where the system is sold and installed. You can probably find some pricing online for Enphase batteries from various distributors — but that wouldn’t include the install cost of the product. EnergySage has some average cost data. 

During a local demand event, would the battery owner still have enough electricity for themselves?

Programs can have a range of foundational set ups. In all programs, homeowners will always have some amount of reserved energy for backup in case the grid is down. And solar will help refill the battery for indefinite backup support. In some cases, the Storm Guard feature on the Enphase App can prioritize a full battery charge when severe weather is approaching – and prevent utilities from draining the battery. 

Does the battery system allow the homeowner to partition some of the electricity in it for self-use?

Yes, Enphase battery systems allow homeowners to allocate a portion of their stored energy for personal use. Again, all programs are different. Some call on batteries to discharge daily, while some only call on batteries to discharge during times of critical need. 

When there is available capacity, the Enphase App allows users to select profiles such as “AI Optimization” or “Self-Consumption” or “Savings” and adjust the “Reserve” slider to set aside a specific percentage of battery capacity for backup power during grid outages. 

Can the battery owners who participate in the virtual power plant program also have their own home solar power systems?

Yes, homeowners with Enphase battery systems participating in VPP programs almost always have solar, as well. 

Do you have a table of the battery owner benefits for all the locations where the program is available?

For more information on Enphase’s Grid Services program, please visit the Enphase website.