It is no secret: modern energy infrastructure can be very, very expensive.
Take Hinkley Point C, for instance. The nuclear power station, which has been under construction in the UK since 2017, is expected to cost tens of billions by the time it is finished in 2030.
Meanwhile, a recent update from NESO, the UK's national energy system operator, estimated that the country's upgrades to the grid could cost around US$119bn in the fullness of time.
But what if there was a way to make better use of the energy that we already have in the grid, without the need for any new generation whatsoever? That is the pitch of 'virtual power plants'.
For laypeople, VPPs are networks of decentralised energy assets – things like EV chargers, home batteries and solar panels – which are controlled by sophisticated software.
