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Power up the value of your solar with a home battery
Installing a home battery will help you maximise the benefits of your existing solar system. Going through one of our preferred accredited installers means you could be eligible to join our Virtual Power Plant (VPP) energy plan, which will earn you credits to help offset the costs and make your battery more affordable.
Features and benefits of an Eguana Evolve battery
- Expandable capacity to deliver between 14 - 42 kWh of electricity storage to your home.
- Integrates with new and existing Solar PV Systems.
- Safety & reliability features including emergency reserve control and multi-day backup storage.
- Easily manage your energy storage device through their handy app.
Features and benefits of Tesla Powerwall 2
- Lithium-ion battery with 13.5kWh usable capacity ^
- Fully integrated Tesla Inverter
- Monitor & manage your energy usage with the Tesla app
- Stored energy can be used in the event of a blackout
^ Usable capacity - Battery capacity is measured at the battery module DC terminals. Losses associated with further system conversion may vary.
Offset your battery investment by joining our VPP
*Install an eligible battery through one of our preferred installers and receive a $500 sign-up credit, plus approximately $20 monthly VPP credits. The longer you stay the more you earn!
Plus, receive a competitive solar Feed-in Tariff to help make the most out of your solar exports. View in our terms and conditions.
What is a Virtual Power Plant?
A Virtual Power Plant (VPP) is a network of connected home solar and battery systems that together support the electricity grid.
Watch our video to discover more on how our VPP can work for you.
Your battery stores excess energy
When your solar system generates more energy than you can use, the excess is stored in your battery, which you can draw on after the sun goes down and your solar is no longer generating electricity.
Join the VPP to support the grid
When the grid is under stress, the VPP will export excess energy stored in your battery to support increased demand. You benefit from ongoing credits while reinforcing the grid and supplying your local community with renewable energy.
What people are saying about VPP
I haven't had a power bill in two years
"The VPP is part of my whole energy setup, and because everything's combined, I haven't had a power bill in two years. I wanted to join the VPP because of the rebates offered".
Jeremy
... generous battery subsidy and export rate
"I wanted to opt into the VPP because of the generous battery subsidy and export rate. I also think it's helpful for grid support and helping ease climate change."
Kaden
I saved 62% of the cost of the battery
"The upfront and ongoing credits made the cost of the Tesla battery far more affordable, I saved 62% of the cost of the battery. It was a great way to help recoup the cost of the solar battery system"
Fiona
Am I eligible?
To be eligible for the ENGIE VPP energy plan, you must meet the following criteria:
- Purchased an eligible battery from one of our preferred installers.
- Have the system installed within 3 months of signing up to the offer OR have signed up to the offer within 30 days of the installation date.
- An available, continuous, and reliable internet connection to which your energy storage system is connected (excluding 3G & 4G internet connections).
- A fully functioning solar system with a minimum inverter size of 5kW and maximum size of 10kW.
- Have a Smart Meter
You can view the full eligibility criteria within our terms and conditions.
Are you ready to install your new battery?
Step 2
We’ll match you with one of our preferred Clean Energy Council Accredited installers, who will contact you to discuss your battery storage objectives.
Step 3
Your trusted installer will talk you through your options and answer any questions that you may have. They will recommend the right battery storage options to suit your needs.
Step 4
Once your battery installation is scheduled, we'll remind you to join our ENGIE VPP energy plan, so you can start earning!
Start your Battery & VPP journey today
Register your details below and we’ll match you with one of our preferred and trusted installers.
They’ll be in touch to talk about the right solar power and battery storage options for you.
Frequently asked questions
What are the benefits of joining a Virtual Power Plant?
Store excess energy
When your solar system generates more than you can use, your battery stores this excess energy for you to use in the evening when the sun goes down.
Share excess energy with your community
When the grid is under stress, the Virtual Power Plant will share excess energy with your local community. Don’t worry, you’ll always benefit from annual VPP credits to your account, and you won’t have your supply interrupted due to your participation in the VPP as our priority is to always ensure you always have enough stored energy in your battery to meet your needs.
Support the grid
Battery storage and VPPs do more than simply earn bill credits. These smarter, more sustainable energy solutions mean you’ll also be helping take care of your community and environment by supporting the grid.
How will I receive my credits?
When you purchase and install an eligible battery through one of our preferred installers, you will receive a $500 sign-up credit applied to your electricity bill, plus approximately $20 monthly VPP community credits. Your monthly VPP Community credit is calculated by multiplying the daily rate of 0.657534c (GST exempt) by the number of days in a month. This is an ongoing contract. The longer you stay, the more you earn!
Do I still receive my Feed in Tariff whilst on a VPP?
Yes, customers that join our VPP are eligible to receive the FiT outlined in the answer above.
Can I get a government grant for my battery?
Yes, in addition to our $500 sign-up credit, there are government grants for eligible residents to help make your battery more affordable.
To view the current government grants available, visit www.energy.gov.au/rebates
Can I join if I have received a government grant for my battery?
Yes, customers are still eligible to join if they have received a grant to purchase their battery.
Who are ENGIE’s preferred installers?
We are partnered with the following Clean Energy Council Accredited installers: All State Solar, Eguana, G-Store, Kozco Energy Group, Natural Solar, Solar Lab, TCK Solar, GI Energy, UNIfied Energy Services.
Do I need to have the battery installed when I sign up for the VPP?
No, customers can sign up for our VPP before having their battery installed by one of our preferred installers. However, you must install your battery within three months of joining, as we need your battery details before providing your credit. Once your battery is installed, you will be eligible for your $500 sign-up credit.
Do you need to install anything on my battery?
No, we connect customers to the VPP community via a cloud-based platform, so no installation is required.
How many times will ENGIE access my battery?
ENGIE will not discharge more than 405 kWh of electricity from your Energy Storage System to the grid. If your Energy Plan includes a solar feed-in tariff, you will be paid that tariff for energy discharged from your battery;
ENGIE will also not draw more than 405 kWh of electricity to your Energy Storage System from the grid or your Distributor’s network. You will be charged the usage Charges pursuant to your Energy Plan for each kWh of electricity drawn from the grid to your Energy Storage System, but these charges will not exceed the aggregate amount of monthly Credits paid to you during the VPP Benefit Period until that point.
What happens during a blackout?
With minimal disruption, the battery will automatically back-up either your whole home or selected essential loads (depending on which circuits you have selected to be supplied and how many power phases are in your home).
Some key features of a battery during a blackout include:
- The ability for your solar PV system to continue generating energy to power your home and/or charge your battery (only applicable for single phase solar PV inverters)
- In most cases you won’t notice the switch to using the backup power in the battery
As part of our VPP you will have access to a minimum storage capacity in the battery. For customers with a Tesla Powerwall 2, the manufacturers recommended minimum capacity is 20%.
Why do you use my battery?
We use your battery in two ways to support the grid when power demand is high:
Wholesale Energy Market Support
In Australia, wholesale energy prices are set every 5 minutes based on the energy supply available and current demand across the grid. In some rare cases, when there is exceptionally high energy demand (for example, during a summer heat wave) or a sudden reduction in supply (for example, if a power station breaks down), wholesale energy prices can spike to very high levels. By exporting the excess renewable energy stored in your battery at these times, we can support the electricity demand and create extra value from the wholesale energy market.
Ancillary Services Support
A side effect of an imbalance between the energy supply and energy demand is a change in the frequency of the electricity on the grid. Significant frequency variations from the standard 50Hz can lead to issues across the grid. The grid operator has established markets to provide ancillary services to stabilise the grid's frequency in times of need. These markets are called Frequency Control Ancillary Services (FCAS) markets. Your battery can provide these ancillary services by responding to grid frequency deviations and briefly charging or discharging power. In doing so, it also generates payments from these FCAS markets.
You will receive VPP Community Credits in consideration of the payments we receive for this support.
Do I still get VPP credits if you don’t use my battery?
Our VPP credits are not contingent on whether we use your battery. If we don’t use your battery, this will not impact the value of credits that you will receive over this period.
Which internet connections are not suitable for the VPP?
Currently the response times for 3G & 4G are not suitable for the VPP.
I'm an existing VPP customer, can I sign up to this energy plan?
Yes, you can still sign up to this plan if you're an existing VPP customer, although you are not eligible for the $500 sign up credit.
Are there any fees if I decide to leave the VPP?
There are no fees if you leave this energy plan.
I have more than one eligible battery. Am I eligible for multiple credits?
- Each battery is an eligible battery;
- You have 3 phase connection and each battery is connected to an individual phase; and
- You have an export agreement in place to allow for energy from all batteries to be exported concurrently.
What are the current batteries eligible for the VPP?
- Tesla Powerwall 2