Invisible actions in the energy system: Examining power relations of virtual power plants in Australia using actor network theory

With increasing levels of household solar across Australia, Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) have emerged as an innovative solution for electricity grid management. The use of VPPs on electricity markets promise benefits to aggregators, householders, and electricity networks. Orchestration is a central element of VPPs and describes the coordination of disparate Consumer Energy Resources (CER) such as household solar PV and batteries. This paper identifies a gap in understanding of how the coordination of household CER influences decision making, and indirect power relations between actors in emerging energy systems. The study draws on mixed methods social research conducted by the authors of a VPP pilot study in Western Australia, analysed through an Actor Network Theory (ANT) lens. The use of ANT assists the examination of indirect power imbalances that occurred in the VPP pilot by showing how orchestration reallocated decisions over household energy assets, largely out of view of households. We observed that the process of orchestration lacked visibility, created confusion and in some cases, transformed daily household energy practices. In this paper, we conceptualise orchestration as central to the attempted construction of a new actor network. We conclude by reflecting on the ways that ANT helps to make visible the decisions that occurred with orchestration, thus revealing the misalignment of expectations of households and industry partners. By identifying this misalignment and indirect power relations between VPP actors, our research advances the field by providing new insights into the social implications of VPP orchestration to inform future policy and design decisions.