Hokkaido Electric Power Adopts Shizen Connect for Low-Voltage VPP Operations

Shizen Connect Inc. (hereinafter, Shizen Connect), the No. 1 platform in market share for Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) that integrate and manage distributed energy, announces that its "Device Control DR Support Service" (hereinafter, this service), which supports the low-voltage VPP operations of retail electric power providers, has been adopted by Hokkaido Electric Power Co., Inc. (hereinafter, Hokkaido Electric Power) for its "Enemocharge ~Battery Point Service~." With this adoption, the total market share of retail electric power providers using Shizen Connect has reached approximately 36% (Table 1).

Background of Service Introduction

Hokkaido Electric Power continues to make maximum efforts in collaboration with the national government, local authorities, and other companies towards the realization of "carbon neutrality of the entire energy sector" in Hokkaido by 2050.

Currently, with the widespread adoption of renewable energy sources such as solar power generation, there is a growing demand for the maximum utilization of distributed resources like storage batteries. However, resources such as storage batteries commonly found in households are managed individually. Therefore, advanced control technology and a platform compatible with many manufacturers were essential for the operation of low-voltage VPPs (Virtual Power Plants) that collectively control these resources and utilize them as "ancillary services."

Key Points for Adopting Shizen Connect

In addition to the results of the joint demonstration announced in December 2023 (*3), the adoption was largely driven by the agreement based on the capital and business alliance concluded in July 2024 (*4) to utilize Shizen Connect as a shared VPP platform and promote the efficient use of energy resources by both companies.

Furthermore, the following points were evaluated and led to the adoption:

・ Cloud integration with major battery manufacturers, accounting for approximately 80% of the domestic market share, has already been completed, enabling immediate response to a wide range of customer resources without manufacturer dependency (Table 2).

・ The ability to achieve one-stop optimization of electricity procurement costs and future multi-purpose controls, such as for the capacity market and supply-demand adjustment market (Table 3).

Comment from Hokkaido Electric Power Co., Inc.

"In Hokkaido, which possesses globally attractive rich natural resources and the nation's leading potential for renewable energy introduction, we have been exploring the use of new technologies to contribute to the effective utilization of renewable energy sources and the stable supply of electricity. With the adoption of Shizen Connect, we have established a system that utilizes the storage batteries owned by our customers to help stabilize the power system. We will continue to strive to build advanced energy services towards the realization of carbon neutrality by 2050 and the stable supply of electricity."

Shizen Connect will continue to contribute to the realization of a decarbonized society in collaboration with a wide range of partners.

Figure 1 Business Scheme Diagram

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