VCharge Provides Regulation in New England

Concord MA, Spring 2010

North American electric grid operators use Regulation markets to balance the minute to minute fluctuations of power on the lines. While at present essentially all Regulation is provided by generators, there is a National mandate to open these markets to distributed demand response and storage.

VCharge Distributed Assets Following Regulation Signal, 5/2010

As one of a small number of pilot participants in the Independent Systems Operators of New England (ISO NE) Alternative Technology Resources Pilot Program for Regulation, VCharge began providing Regulation in the spring of 2010 by aggregating eight residential Steffes Electric Thermal Storage (ETS) in Concord MA. Well-insulated ceramic bricks heated with resistive elements up to around 1500 degrees F, larger residential ETS units can draw an average of between 4-6 kW (with a maximum of 30-45 kW). With VCharge controls, ETS represents a relatively cheap, high-impact entry into fast, accurate, flexible, and dependable distributed demand response.

In addition to working with ISO NE on the steps needed to bring distributed demand response into the final market rules for New England Regulation, VCharge is also expanding into other regions and plans to enter markets run by PJM, NYISO, and IESO.