EnergyHub, a leading grid-edge flexibility provider, in partnership with Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), has enrolled more than 100,000 homes in the Save on Energy Peak Perks™ program in just six months to create the largest residential virtual power plant (VPP) in Canada.  It’s the fastest growing flexibility program in EnergyHub’s decade-plus working with over 60 utility clients on Bring Your Own Thermostat™ programs.

With 100,000 homes enrolled, the VPP is capable of delivering peak demand reduction of up to 90 MW, the equivalent of taking a city the size of Kingston, ON off the grid during peak times. Flexible capacity is expected to climb as enrollment continues. 

According to a recent report by the Rocky Mountain Institute, virtual power plants –  groups of internet-connected devices like batteries, electric vehicles, and smart thermostats that can be actively controlled – are a valuable and largely overlooked resource for advancing key grid objectives. By 2030, VPPs could reduce peak demand in the United States by 60 gigawatts (GW) and could grow to more than 200 GW by 2050. In addition, VPPs could help reduce annual power sector expenditures by $35 billion in 2030.

“The scale and speed of enrollment proves that electricity providers and customers can partner on initiatives that provide mutual benefit,” said Erika Diamond, Senior Vice President of Customer Solutions at EnergyHub. “The IESO has built a resource that will continue to grow and play a key role in keeping the grid reliable and accelerating decarbonization as demand for electricity in the province increases.”

The Peak Perks™ program shows that well-designed and effectively-marketed programs scale quickly. Close coordination with device partners (OEMs) to secure maximum visibility for the program in OEM marketing channels, optimized customer-facing microsites and enrollment pages, and consultation on marketing best practices – paired with integrations with the industry’s largest network of device partners – enabled tens of thousands of the IESO’s participants to easily join Peak Perks™ with the smart thermostat of their choosing.

“We are so pleased that Ontario residents are taking an active role in energy efficiency through Peak Perks,” said Tam Wagner, Director of Demand Side Management at the IESO. “Demand side management is a critical resource that can make a significant contribution to the reliability of the province’s electricity grid – especially on hot summer days when air conditioning use is at its highest – and will play an important role in ensuring long-term electricity supply matches demand in the province.”

EnergyHub is an independent subsidiary of Alarm.com (NASDAQ: ALRM), the leading platform for the intelligently connected property.