A new study by Juniper Research has found that smart grids will underpin over 40% of global electricity distribution by 2030, growing from less than 25% in 2024. It identified virtual power plants (VPPs) as a key driver of growth over the next five years.
VPPs provide decentralised energy supply from multiple smaller sources, such as solar panels, wind turbines, and battery storage systems, rather than a single larger source. By decentralising energy distribution, VPPs provide more stability in smart grids. “VPPs will help balance supply and demand in real-time and make energy supply much more resilient to rapid changes in demand. This will become key as the global demand for energy increases,” explained Adam Wears, Associate Research Analyst at Juniper Research.
To maximize the impact of VPPs, Juniper Research believes that vendors must develop interoperable platforms that orchestrate decentralized VPPs in real-time to foster interoperability between energy sources. This will enable VPPs to overcome the cost of integrating a diverse range of market participants into an ecosystem that requires a substantial number of energy providers. In addition, Juniper Research urges the development of standard protocols for data sharing, real-time visibility, and settlement, if adoption is to grow.
“To fully capture the benefits of wide-scale decentralisation, vendors must think beyond integration. VPPs must attract small-scale energy providers by introducing pricing models, such as time-of-use tariffs, real-time pricing, and capacity-based payments,” concluded Wears.
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