We have launched a pilot project in which a pioneering virtual power plant based on demand flexibility will be built together with customers. We will build an over 100-kilowatt virtual power plant from an aggregated network of roughly 70 water heaters located in single family homes. The capacity of this
power plant will be offered to the Finnish national grid company Fingrid to maintain a continuous power balance in the electricity system.
Our pilot virtual power plant is based on remote control of the water heater. When more power is required in the system, we momentarily take over control of the water heater without any impact on the heating of the home or on the hot tap water. The customers participating in the pilot project will
be provided with a mobile energy monitoring application that enables real-time monitoring of their household’s electricity consumption. Increased information on electricity consumption helps customers to pay more attention to their own consumption habits and often also reduces consumption.
The pilot project is also a solid step towards the smart city model in which households and the energy solutions they use create a new player in the electricity markets.