Retired teacher and AGL customer Geoff Perkins says he’s “the world’s worst greenie.” But he’s doing what he can to change that.
“When I was a kid back in the 50s, we knew we should be using less plastic and fuel,” he says. “But we never did. We were going to change the world, and then we forgot”.
“Now us Baby Boomers have to revisit those ideas and go on a mission in retirement to make it right for our grandchildren.”
According to the Clean Energy Council, more than 4.2 million households in Australia use rooftop solar power. Geoff is one of those people. But he wanted to do even more. That’s why he signed up to connect to the AGL virtual power plant (VPP) in Adelaide.
The retail led virtual power plant uses a cloud-based operating system to connect solar batteries installed in homes and businesses around a city.
This lets the batteries share information, such as solar energy capture and usage rates and charge levels. With this data, the VPP can ensure better allocation of solar power to residences, businesses and the city’s power grid.
Geoff had just had solar panels installed on his roof in August 2016 when he heard about the Adelaide VPP project.
The goal was to install 1,000 solar batteries in homes and businesses across the South Australian capital. Together, these buildings would capture solar energy and share it. Any extra captured power could be used by the city’s power grid.
“What excited me was that it was a project,” Geoff says. “It’s wasn’t being sold as a solution, it was a chance to be part of research to advance the whole mindset around renewable energy.”
“Knowledge allows you to change your behaviour. The VPP collects the data we need to improve how we use solar.”
Geoff called AGL that day and was one of the first to sign up to be part of the VPP trial.
In addition to providing data about his solar power collection and use via the solar battery in his garage, Geoff occasionally participates in AGL experiments. For a recent trial, Geoff let AGL access his solar battery to explore re-charging it during cheaper off-peak times ahead of poor weather. While it proved unnecessary in Adelaide, it was the experimentation that mattered to Geoff.
“We tried something to see if it would have a positive impact,” he says. “While it didn’t in Adelaide, AGL now has data that might help people other parts of Australia.”
Geoff believes innovation is the key to moving away from fossil fuel reliance.
“The only way we can make progress is by investing in new ideas to help preserve the world around us for future generations,” he says.
After speaking about the VPP on the radio one day, Geoff says an apartment strata group asked him to give a presentation to its residents. They were considering installing a solar battery bank and solar panels that would let them share power between the apartments.
“That’s community thinking that had nothing to with AGL, nothing to do specifically with the VPP,” he says. “This is one of the best benefits of what we’re doing down here. It’s getting people to start thinking about alternatives.”
Geoff is proud to be part of the AGL VPP community – one he thinks will grow to include the next generation of solar users.
“I just love that I can be part of a project with my little 400 square metre block of land,” he says. “By even being a tiny part of the project, I can do something to help."
“My grandkids come over and we talk about the battery and the roof panels. If we can prep kids their age for that kind of thinking, we’ll be on our way to changing the world like we thought we would.”
If you live in South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales or Queensland, and already have a battery installed, you can connect it to AGL's Virtual Power Plant and help improve grid reliability. In return, you’ll receive bill credits on your AGL electricity bill*.
*Eligibility criteria and T&Cs apply - see VPP Terms and Conditions.
Want to join AGL’s Virtual Power Plant and get more out of your battery?
