The generating capacity of the connected distributed energy resources will be marketed directly, and will also be offered in the form of balancing power via the corresponding trading platforms for system service.
Siemens is making the required technology (hardware plus its cloud-based DEMS Portal) available in a service center that Mark-E accesses via a user interface. Omnetric GmbH, a joint venture of Siemens and Accenture, delivers and operates the infrastructure needed for the system.
Siemens is also making its existing sales channels available to assist Mark-E with the acquisition of the power capacities of distributed energy resources and consumers that they will market via the virtual power plant. The offering is aimed at utilities that want to participate in this aggregation network by combining the capacities of other distributed energy resources for marketing by Mark-E.
Siemens Smart Grid Division CEO Jan Mrosik said: "Virtual power plants are an important module in building smart grids, without which it would be impossible to implement the new energy policy.
"Smart grids provide the only practical solution for integrating the growing number of distributed and renewable energy resources in the grid. With our cloud solution for virtual power plants, which we offer as a "managed service," we make it easier for power suppliers and utilities to get into this promising technology."
Erik H̦hne is Technical Director of the ENERVIE Group and is also responsible for energy trading at Mark-E. He said, "With its service for virtual power plants, Siemens provides us with a low-cost solution for operating a virtual power plant, and this allows us to concentrate on what is essential. That means acquiring as many distributed and renewable energy resources as possible Рincluding from industrial companies and other utilities Рand efficiently integrating them in the energy markets."
Siemens and Mark-E enable smaller utilities to operate their own virtual power plants with a minimal investment by using Siemens technology and collaborating with Mark-E as their market partner.
The solution is based on the Siemens energy management system DEMS, which is already employed in numerous virtual power plants and manages all required system functions.
