Virtual Peaker, a cloud-based distributed energy technology company that empowers utilities to build the grid of the future and meet global decarbonization goals, today launched the first-of-its-kind Topline Demand Control solution for utilities. The technology maximizes the potential of distributed energy resources (DERs), ensuring they can effectively provide grid stability, when required, with dependable and precise accuracy.

Topline Demand Control allows utilities to specify and harness an exact amount of demand during a precise period of time while optimizing around device, customer, and program constraints. While traditional virtual power plants (VPPs) manage DERs collectively, Topline Demand Control revolutionizes DER aggregation by optimizing device outputs to achieve an operator-specified load shape. This guarantees precise and predictable load shaping, shifting the paradigm in flexible load management with its ability to provide a variable topline power output—resembling a supply block to grid operators.

“Topline Demand Control brings our aspiration of establishing an authentic virtual peaker plant to fruition. When I founded our company [Virtual Peaker] nine years ago, the ultimate vision was to grant utilities the same level of control over demand as they have over a gas turbine generator,” said Dr. William “Bill” Burke, Founder and CEO of Virtual Peaker. “Topline Demand Control realizes this vision by empowering operators to define their desired load shape during load management events and utilize optimization-based controls to achieve them.”

This solution utilizes AI and machine learning to leverage and optimize control over DERs, starting with batteries and, in the coming months, adding other smart devices like thermostats and EVs to:

• Accurately account for total available DER capacity
• Remove DER event calling uncertainty
• Reliably manage DERs at scale
• Save costs, stack value, and defer system upgrades

“Forward-thinking utilities are looking for innovative ways to reduce their reliance on dirty peaker plants and accelerate the clean energy transition with flexible demand-side resources,” added Burke.

“Our Topline Demand Control solution is the next evolution of load side management beyond conventional VPP capabilities. It adds a layer of situational awareness and intelligence to managing customer DER load and helps shape customer DERs into a predictable and reliable resource. We’re excited to have the only product on the market like this. Our vision is to move DERs into the control room and change demand response from a nice-to-have to a must-have by maximizing the value of DERs.”

To learn more about Topline Demand Control, visit https://virtual-peaker.com/topline-demand-control.