Virtual Power Plant (VPP) Comparison Table

Last Updated: 18th Mar 2024

Discover details of various Virtual Power Plant (VPP) programs on offer in Australia with our regularly updated VPP comparison table. See which VPP might be best for your home or business.

Scroll within the table to see all the rows and columns and see notes below the table for further information. Any corrections, additions or feedback? Email us.

VPP Provider

VPP Provider	AGL “Bring Your Own Battery”	Amber for batteries	Diamond Energy WATTBANK VPP	Energy Australia “PowerResponse”	ENGIE BYO Battery VPP	ENGIE New Battery VPP Offer	LAVO EAAS by Diamond Energy	Nectr VPP	NRN VPP by Diamond Energy	Origin ‘Loop’ Virtual Power Plant	Powershop Virtual Power Plant	Reposit “No bill”	South Australia’s Virtual Power Plant	ShineHub	SolarHub VPP	SonnenConnect	SonnenFlat VPP	Tesla Energy Plan/Energy Locals
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Batteries approved for use	Tesla, LG, SolarEdge	Via SmartShift: Tesla SolarEdge inverter with LG batteries SolarEdge battery AlphaESS/Hive Sungrow Integration with Growatt, Goodwe, Fronius and Enphase coming in 2023. Via Evergen: Solax Redback Eveready Energizer Huawei	Goodwe, Sungrow, LG	Tesla Powerwall, AlphaESS, Redback, LG Chem	Tesla Powerwall 2	Tesla Powerwall 2, Eguana	LAVO	Alpha-ESS, LG Chem RESU	Sungrow	Sungrow, Tesla, LG Chem	Alpha-ESS, Energizer, Eveready, Hive, Huawei, LG, Redback, SolarEdge, SolaX, Sungrow, Tesla	SolaX Triple Power	Tesla	Alpha-ESS	LG Chem RESU "HV", Tesla Powerwall, SolarEdge, SolaX	sonnenBatterie Eco sonnenBatterie Hybrid	sonnenBatterie Eco sonnenBatterie Hybrid	Tesla Powerwall only
VPP subsidy	$100 bill credit sign-on bonus. $70 bill credit per quarter.	None (Technically SmartShift is not a VPP)	Up to $450 per year. Automatic credit added to monthly Diamond Energy bill.	$15 monthly bill credit, payment for discharge events	$300 upfront + $20 monthly credit	$500 upfront and $20 monthly credit	Up to 800kWh per month free. Any additional usage at fixed low rate. Usage and daily charge included on Diamond Energy bill.	$10 per month ongoing. Monthly payment plan for solar + battery system.	10% discount on any grid electricity usage. Low rate for usage from system. Usage and daily charge included on Diamond Energy bill.	$1500 bill credit if you buy a system through Origin and stay for 5 years	Up to $40 per month credit on bill	Guaranteed 'no bill' for 7 years.	Completely free Tesla Powerwall, below-market-rate electricity rates	$0.55c/kWh paid for electricity fed from battery into grid during VPP events (on top of retailer feed in tariff)	$4,950	$100 sign up bonus. Monthly bonus of up to $15.	Annual allowance of energy (min. 4000kWh) for total household consumption. BYO battery.	$1,000 Powerwall subsidy for new owners, $100 credit for existing owners. Additional $220 "grid support credits" earned annually
Eligibility requirements	AGL customers in NSW, QLD, SA and VIC only	Located in the NEM in: SA NSW VIC ACT QLD (Energex region)	Residential households in NSW, SA, VIC and QLD (Energex only).	Residential households in Queensland, New South Wales, ACT, Victoria and South Australia with Energy Australia as retailer.	· Retailer must be ENGIE · SA, VIC, NSW and QLD residents · Customer must have min. 3kWp PV system, max 10kWp	Retailer must be ENGIE · SA, VIC, NSW and QLD residents · Customer must have min. 3kWp PV system, max 10kWp · Customer must have had their battery installed within 30 days of signing up, through a ENGIE partner installer	Residential households in NSW, SA, VIC and QLD (Energex only).	Must be NSW, QLD, VIC, SA, or ACT. Must currently have a fully functioning solar system installed that is compatible with battery system and exports at least 2MWh of electricity a year.	Residential households in NSW, SA, VIC and QLD (Energex only).	VIC, SA, NSW, ACT, QLD via installer partner network or existing compatible batteries. 5kWh eligible battery, 5kW solar, reliable internet connection	Must be Powershop customer	Currently spend < $3500/a on electricity; Have no existing solar panels or batteries installed; If in VIC, be eligible for the Solar Victoria battery subsidy; Must purchase a solar + battery system from Reposit.	Only Housing SA properties eligible	Residents of SA, VIC, NSW, and QLD.	Specific NSW council areas	ACT, NSW, QLD, SA, TAS or VIC residents. Minimum 4kWh storage.	>3kW solar capacity & min 4kWh SonnenBatterie	Residents of South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, South East Queensland (Energex Network) and the Australian Capital Territory. PV system less than 15kW and no zero export restrictions in place.
Number of places in program	TBD	Uncapped	Uncapped	TBD	Uncapped	Uncapped	Uncapped	Uncapped	Uncapped	Uncapped	TBD	TBD	Phase 3 (current) - 3,000 Housing SA Properties	Uncapped	650	Uncapped	Uncapped	Up to 50,000 planned
Feed-in/usage tariffs offered	No VPP-specific tariffs offered - you simply use your existing plan with AGL.	Wholesale electricity rates - can be anywhere from negative electricity prices to $15/kWh	30c/kWh Battery usage credit between 6pm to 8am. Diamond Energy’s best available market plan.	Standard feed-in tariffs	Standard feed-in tariffs	Standard feed-in tariffs	Diamond Energy’s best available market plan.	Varies by state and DNSP - full list here: https://nectr.com.au/home-battery-addon/#rates	Feed-in credit equal to retail plan usage rate. Diamond Energy’s best Single Rate plan.	Standard Origin tariffs	No VPP-specific tariffs offered - you simply use an existing plan offered by Powershop	Similar to a PPA - customer buys system outright and Reposit guarantees no bills.	TBD	$0.45c/kWh paid for electricity fed from battery into grid (on top of retailer feed in tariff)	17c/kWh for first 10kWh daily	Dependent on the customer's selected retailer	Feed in is credited once the customer exports beyond the Export Threshold of their plan. FIT varies per distribution network. In Ausgrid, feed in is 8c/kWh with Export Threshold of 1,210kWh for sonnenFlat Economy.	Feed in rates vary by state: NSW: 30c/kWh between 2pm-8pm only VIC: 4.9c/kWh QLD: 5c/kWh SA: 5c/kWh ACT: 3c/kWh
Minimum energy storage capacity reserved for homeowner	Powerwall: 20% capacity. LG Chem: Varies based on inverter settings. Others TBD	Set by homeowner	No specified reserve.	20% battery capacity reserved for the homeowner	20% capacity	20% capacity	No specified reserve.	Approx 10%	No specified reserve.	Origin reserves the right to discharge entire battery, but may "preserve the capacity in the Battery so that it can be used for your consumption at times determined by us." 200kWh maximum usage by Origin for the year.	20% battery energy reserved for use by homeowner.	TBD	TBD	10% battery capacity reserved for the homeowner	No minimum reserved for the household.	sonnen does not access energy reserved by the sonnenBatterie.	No minimum reserved for the household.	20% battery energy reserved for use by homeowner; max 50 discharge cycles per year
Contract term length	12 months	None	No lock-in contract. Opt-in and out at any time.	3 years	Ongoing	Ongoing	No lock-in contract. Opt-in and out at any time. Note, LAVO Energy as a Service Lease Agreement is for a fixed term.	5 years	No lock-in contract. Opt-in and out at any time. Note, NRN System Services Agreement is for fixed term.	5 years	None	5 years	N/A	None	None	1 year	No minimum term.	None
Contract cancellation fee	$0	None	None.	$0	$0	$0 (clawback applicable on the $500 credit, pro rata over 5 years)	None. Note, LAVO Energy as a Service Lease Agreement is for a fixed term.	Remainder of battery storage balance must be paid out early.	None. Note, NRN System Services Agreement is for fixed term.	TBD	$0	No cancellation fee.	N/A	$0	$0	No cancellation fee.	No cancellation fee.	None
Modern slavery statement or forced labour policies?	Not applicable	Not Applicable	TBD	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	TBD	Not Applicable	TBD	TBD	Not Applicable	Not Applicable
More information on brand	Here	Here	Here	Here	Here	Here	Here	Here	Here	Here	Here	Here	Here	Here	Here	Here	Here	Here

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We update this comparison table as VPP programs become available, VPPs end, and details of existing offers change.

While we do our best to ensure the information provided is up-to-date and accurate, you should always confirm details with the Virtual Power Plant provider you are considering signing up with before entering into any contract.

What Is A Virtual Power Plant?

In this scenario, a virtual power plant is a network of solar power and battery systems installed at homes and businesses. The systems are coordinated by a central control software system run by the VPP operator that taps into the stored energy of the batteries during periods of peak demand to supply the mains grid. You can learn more about Virtual Power Plants here.

Solar Batteries Approved For Use

VPP program participants have a limited choice of solar batteries compared to energy storage options currently available in Australia. This row lists the batteries available to the participants of a specific VPP.

VPP Subsidy

This can be thought of as the “discount” a solar household receives for choosing to participate in a VPP. Some VPP operators offer more than others, but all represent one of the cheapest ways to acquire a battery due to the discount over standard market prices.

VPP Eligibility Requirements

Each Virtual Power Plant has its own set of rules for homeowners looking to participate in the program. For example, the Tesla/SA Government VPP is currently restricted to SA Housing Trust tenants only. Others, like the Shinehub VPP, are less restrictive.

Number Of Places In Program

This is the scale of the Virtual Power Plant program. Some, such as the Shinehub VPP, are limited to 1,000 places. Others, like the Tesla VPP, are planned to eventually be opened to 50,000 homeowners.

Energy Plan Rates (Feed-in Tariff, Usage Tariff)

Different VPPs offer different energy plans to participants in the program. The two most important tariffs to check (that is, what you pay/are paid for grid electricity imports/exports) are the feed-in tariff and the usage tariff.

Minimum Energy Storage Capacity For Homeowner

This is the percentage of the battery that is reserved for exclusive use by the homeowner. A core component of a VPP is the ability of a VPP operator to cycle a battery when needed, regardless of the homeowner’s current energy needs. This figure is important for understanding if your chosen Virtual Power Plant allows you to keep any of your battery’s capacity solely for your own needs (such as backup).

Contract Term Length

Exactly what it says on the tin – some VPPs require the homeowner to enter into a contract, while others don’t.

Contract Cancellation Fee

If a Virtual Power Plant Operator requires the customer to enter into a contract, this is the fee that will need to be paid if the homeowner chooses to exit from the VPP program.

Added note: regarding the “modern slavery” row in this table – all our comparison tables are powered by the same application. While this row has relevance for our hardware comparisons, it doesn’t apply to VPP programs and will be removed in due course.