Key Points
All it takes for supply to be disrupted is slightly overcast skies or a subtle change in weather that becalms the winds..
Key to this would be the strategic deployment of network technology solutions that are capable of integrating all these diverse and distributed energy sources into one unified and flexible power supply system, which, through real-time data analytics and active monitoring, will be able to efficiently aggregate available energy resources to guarantee reliable supply..
If we can use these features to coordinate the way in which they consume power, or at the very least ensure that their operations are synchronized with the intermittent supply we receive from our renewable energy sources, we should be able to significantly improve our energy efficiencies..
They do so by managing power-consuming appliances like smart thermostats, electric vehicle chargers and home energy management systems on one hand, while at the same time augmenting supply through a combination of distributed storage and available sources of renewable energy on the other..
In order for this approach of using Virtual Power Plants to be effective, we will need to put in place common technology infrastructure that all stakeholders in the energy space will have to commit themselves to and implement, so that their systems can communicate with each other seamlessly..
