Virtual Power Plant Programme
About this good practice
International research shows that the first step in improving energy efficiency is creating awareness, attention, rationalization, metering and checking energy consumption is capable of producing a 10% saving. Conscious energy consumption is cheap and hardly requires investment, only a change in attitude and corporate practices. These researches catalysed the thought process by which the idea of Virtual Power Plant Programme was born.
The Virtual Power Plan Program will set off a 200MW power plant's electricity production with proven energy savings by 2020 (regarding direct and indirect energy savings). Building the “virtual power plant” starts with assessing the existing energy efficiency projects. The energy saving results of a company investment is verified by our experts from the participating universities and converted into saved fossil primer energy of an actual power plant. The savings in fossil energy and the electricity with 6000h top capacity will be registered on the accounts of the company participating in the VPP Program in yearly breakdown.
These savings serve as building blocks of a NEGAWATT power plant that is “virtual” since it prevents the building of a new fossil power plant.
To calculate power plant production equivalent, we assume a fossil lower plant with 50% efficiency rate and 6,000 working hours a year. Therefore, 200MWe is about 2,4TWh/year in consumption.
Resources needed
The good practice is financed through the contribution of mentor companies and the procedure fees of the award nominees. A team of four runs the programme.
Evidence of success
Six years of successful operation, 8.500 partner companies, 150+ awarded companies, cca. EUR10 million of energy efficiency market research and policy analysis and policy development support and the 2015 EU Sustainable Energy Award nomination (nominated in top 3 out of 500 Energy Efficiency projects in Europe in 2015) underpins the success of the programme.
Currently, the counter shows 207MWe, meaning that VPPP is the 7th largest power plant in Hungary. Our new goal is to be 2nd by 2030.
Potential for learning or transfer
The Programme practice is fully transferable, adaptable and scalable in any country. In fact, the Programme is being transfered from Hungary to the UK, with the plan to launch the Virtual Power Plant Programme UK with Durham, UK base. Measures have been already made to transfer the methodology of the Programme to Italy and Romania.
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Magyar Innováció és Hatékonyság Nonprofit Kft