DESC0024951

As widely reported, there has been significant growth in the adoption of solar, largely due to advances in hardware technology and manufacturing driving down the price per kWh for solar energy production. While hardware advances have continued, business model innovation as a means to accelerate adoption of solar technology has largely been overlooked, particularly with respect to virtual power plants (VPPs). VIA proposes to accelerate the adoption of VPPs through digital ôsmart contractsö that provide customers greater benefits, through customer-specific incentives and control, without increased cost. In addition, the traditional VPP contracting system used by most utilities has led to incentives and advantages of solar and VPPs disproportionately accruing to home and building owners with the means to purchase hardware. To address this inequity and align with the objectives of DOEĺs Justice40 mandate, VIA proposes the use of zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) as a carbon record that is then distributed to the residents and tenants of the building where the solar equipment is installed. This (1) expands the attractiveness of solar to new participants, particularly to the 20 million apartments in the United States, and (2) enables renters, often the most underserved and disadvantaged segment of the population, to benefit economically from their participation in the transition to clean energy.