{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.virtual-power-plant","code":"thing-q785102","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/q785102/","name":"virtual power plant","alternateNames":[],"kind":"thing","status":"published","version":"0.2.0-wave.3","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Physical world and living systems","entryKind":"thing","plane":"PHY","domain":["PHY.BLT"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{}},"whatItIs":"A network of distributed energy resources such as rooftop solar, batteries, wind turbines, combined heat and power units, electric vehicles and controllable loads that are aggregated and controlled by software so that they operate as a single power plant in electricity markets and grid services; virtual power plants provide flexibility, balancing and capacity without a central generating station and are growing with renewable energy.","purpose":"Let an agent explain virtual power plants and how they work, relay technology, markets and regulation from energy sector sources, describe benefits and challenges with attribution, and distinguish virtual power plants from microgrids, demand response programmes and conventional power stations.","scope":{"in":[],"out":[],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["Aggregation","Software control","Market participation","No central plant"],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"understand","name":"Understand","description":"What a virtual power plant is.","layers":[{"id":"definition","name":"Definition","description":"Definition.","findings":[{"id":"definition-finding","name":"Definition","description":"Definition.","questions":[{"text":"What is a virtual power plant, and how does it differ from a microgrid, demand response and a power station?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Is the question about the concept, technology, markets or a specific provider?","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"working","name":"Working","description":"How it works.","findings":[{"id":"working-finding","name":"Working","description":"Working.","questions":[{"text":"How do aggregation platforms forecast, dispatch and control distributed resources?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Which entry fits distributed energy resource management?","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"markets","name":"Markets","description":"Markets and services.","layers":[{"id":"services","name":"Services","description":"Grid services.","findings":[{"id":"services-finding","name":"Services","description":"Services.","questions":[{"text":"What services do VPPs provide, from frequency response to capacity?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which references are standard?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"regulation","name":"Regulation","description":"Regulation.","findings":[{"id":"regulation-finding","name":"Regulation","description":"Regulation.","questions":[{"text":"How do market rules such as FERC Order 2222 and EU provisions enable aggregators?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which sources are cited?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]},{"id":"value","name":"Value","description":"Benefits and challenges.","layers":[{"id":"benefits","name":"Benefits","description":"Benefits.","findings":[{"id":"benefits-finding","name":"Benefits","description":"Benefits.","questions":[{"text":"What benefits do VPPs offer for renewables integration and consumers, as studies report?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits renewable energy integration?","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"challenges","name":"Challenges","description":"Challenges.","findings":[{"id":"challenges-finding","name":"Challenges","description":"Challenges.","questions":[{"text":"What technical, security and regulatory challenges exist, with positions attributed?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Is the presentation neutral?","kind":"boundary"}]}]}]},{"id":"context","name":"Context","description":"Examples and outlook.","layers":[{"id":"examples","name":"Examples","description":"Examples.","findings":[{"id":"examples-finding","name":"Examples","description":"Examples.","questions":[{"text":"What notable VPP programmes exist in Germany, Australia, the US and elsewhere?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits the specific programme?","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"outlook","name":"Outlook","description":"Outlook.","findings":[{"id":"outlook-finding","name":"Outlook","description":"Outlook.","questions":[{"text":"How are VPPs expected to grow, with forecasts attributed?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits the smart grid?","kind":"action"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["Monitor and forecast output of resources the agent is authorized to manage.","Dispatch enrolled batteries, generators and loads within the limits owners agreed to."],"mustNot":["Control a household's devices beyond what the household agreed to.","Dispatch resources in a way that breaches grid safety limits or operator instructions.","Weaken the security of the aggregation platform or the devices it controls.","Bid in electricity markets in a way that manipulates prices."],"requiresHuman":["Changing participation terms or overriding a household's own use of its devices.","Responding to a grid emergency instruction that cuts supply to customers."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["A compromised aggregator could switch many devices at once and destabilise the grid.","Households give up some control of their homes and deserve fair terms."],"affectedParties":["Participating households","Grid operators","Electricity customers"]},"owners":{"steward":"The aggregator that operates it, under the rules of the grid operator and energy regulator.","roles":[],"masterSystems":[]},"relations":[{"target":"Q3971388","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"},{"target":"energy generating station","type":"related","note":"in registry terms"},{"target":"distributed generation","type":"related","note":"and storage and loads"},{"target":"microgrid","type":"related","note":"which can operate islanded"},{"target":"electricity market","type":"related","note":"for grid services"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.virtual-power-plant","Wikidata: Q785102 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q785102)"]},"properties":{"applicability":"required","items":["early commercial VPPs: 2000s period - Germany and elsewhere","typical aggregated capacity: tens to hundreds of MW note","services: balancing, frequency response, capacity, arbitrage list"]},"recognition":{"applicability":"required","items":["Aggregated distributed resources acting as one plant","Solar, batteries, EVs and loads coordinated by software","A microgrid is a local grid that can island; demand response reduces load; a power station is a physical plant","Not a visible object; software coordinating many distributed assets."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["explain the concept","relay technology and markets","describe benefits and challenges","distinguish related concepts"]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Cybersecurity risks","Regulatory barriers to aggregation","Stale market information"]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["Grid codes and market rules for aggregators","EU Clean Energy Package provisions for aggregators","FERC Order 2222 in the United States","Communication standards such as IEC 61850 and OpenADR"]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["Aggregating distributed energy resources for grid services.","residential VPPs aggregating home batteries and solar","commercial and industrial VPPs with flexible loads","EV fleet VPPs","VPPs providing frequency and balancing services","VPPs in wholesale markets"]}},"sources":[{"title":"Wikidata item Q785102: virtual power plant","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q785102","note":"identity and sense of the item"},{"title":"Wikipedia: Virtual power plant","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_power_plant","note":"general description of the item"}],"openQuestions":["Should demand response and aggregator be separate primary entries?","How should energy sector sources be linked?","How should national market differences be recorded?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-q785102/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-q785102/spec.json"],"providers":["Claude"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-13T07:14:03Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"filled","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{"_gate":"Published through the thing publication gate 1.0 on 2026-10-06T19:52:02+00:00: completeness 1.00; sense: Wikidata description; 2 live sources; review by codex: pass"},"score":1.0}}