VPP Events

Virtual Power Plant (VPP) events are special grid stress periods when utilities pay premium rates for exported battery energy. GridMind manages your battery automatically during these events — pre-charging to maximum capacity beforehand and exporting at the optimal rate throughout the window — so you can maximize earnings without lifting a finger.

What Is a VPP Event?

During periods of high grid demand — such as heat waves, severe storms, or peak summer afternoons when air conditioning loads strain the grid — utilities sometimes offer significantly above-market rates for exported energy from distributed home batteries. These demand response events are typically announced 24–48 hours in advance and last anywhere from 2 to 6 hours.

GridMind lets you register these events and then handles everything automatically:

• Charges your battery to 100% before the event window opens
• Exports at maximum rate during the event to capture the premium price
• Tracks real-time earnings with a live counter on the dashboard
• Logs the completed event with full financial details for your records

Setting Up a VPP Event

To register a new VPP event:

1. Go to the Value page → VPP Events section, or open the Dashboard and tap the VPP card
2. Click New Event
3. Enter the event details provided by your utility or VPP program
4. Click Save — GridMind begins preparing immediately

The export rate is provided by your utility or VPP aggregator and is what GridMind uses to calculate your earnings. It is not automatically pulled from your TOU rate schedule — you must enter the premium rate specified by the event notification.

What Happens During an Event

Before the Event

As soon as you register an upcoming VPP event, GridMind begins preparing your battery. It overrides normal Optimize and self-powered logic to charge your battery to 100% in time for the event window. A VPP Pre-Event banner appears on the dashboard showing the event details and a countdown to the start time.

If your solar production alone can’t fully charge the battery before the event starts, GridMind will draw from the grid during off-peak hours to finish the charge — the economics of buying off-peak and exporting at a $2+ VPP rate make this highly favorable.

During the Event

• The dashboard switches to a purple VPP theme to make the active event unmissable
• The battery exports at its maximum safe continuous discharge rate
• A real-time earnings counter shows cumulative event earnings, updating every few seconds
• Normal GridMind Optimize is paused for the duration of the event

After the Event

• Your original backup reserve and operation mode are automatically restored
• GridMind Optimize resumes and picks up the next scheduled TOU cycle
• A completed event summary is saved with total kWh exported and total earnings

VPP vs. GridMind Optimize

VPP events take the highest priority in the GridMind system. When a VPP event is registered, it supersedes Optimize for the relevant time window:

If a VPP event overlaps with your normal TOU peak window, Optimize yields entirely to VPP for that period. The VPP export rate is almost always many times higher than your standard peak rate, so the financial outcome is better in every case.

Real-Time Earnings

During an active VPP event, the dashboard shows a dedicated earnings panel:

• kWh exported so far — Energy delivered to the grid since the event started
• Current export rate — The premium $/kWh rate for this event
• Running total earnings — Dollar amount earned so far, updating every few seconds
• Time remaining — Countdown to the end of the event window

Event History

The Value page maintains a complete VPP event log. For each completed event you’ll see:

• Event date and time window — When it occurred and how long it ran
• Total kWh exported — Energy delivered during the event
• Export rate paid — The premium rate for that event
• Total earnings — Final revenue from the event

These records are also factored into the Lifetime System Value calculation on the Value page, contributing to your break-even progress tracking.

VPP Achievements

Participating in VPP events unlocks special achievements that appear on your profile:

• Grid Citizen — First VPP event completed
• Grid Hero — 5 VPP events completed
• Power Broker — 20 VPP events completed or $100+ in total VPP earnings