Centrica PLC secured approval from National Grid PLC to combine domestic hot water tanks with batteries and flexibility from industrial consumers in a 2.5-GW virtual power plant.
Through subsidiary British Gas PLC, Centrica is rolling out a new offer for smart hot water tanks for its customers, according to a Sept. 30 news release. The initiative is a partnership with Oxford University spinout Mixergy.
"The first batch of 100 hot water tanks, which are now in homes in the UK will, at times of stress, be capable of capturing energy at low market prices on sunny or windy days when there is an abundance of renewables on the network, all whilst maintaining efficiency, cost and comfort for our customers," said Charles Cameron, Centrica's group director of technology and engineering and chairman of Centrica Innovations.
