Czestochowa University of Technology (CUT), Faculty of Electrical Engineering decided to use OSIsoft's PI System as an integration platform for its Virtual Power Plant (VPP) project. The goal of the VPP project is a Go-To-Market commercial product that supports the needs of the market due to currently changing renewable power production legislation in Poland. CUT partnered with ConnectPoint as the commercial partner that is specialized in renewable energy. CUT's know-how of local energy markets was tapped to properly design a solution that fit the needs of local communities. The Institute chose ConnectPoint as its partner mainly because of their flexibility and experience developing applications on OSIsoft's PI System, which is crucial for optimum use of the PI System Infrastructure while conforming to already established best-practices.
The product is being commercialized together by the two entities. The VPP product will be offered to the market using the Connected Services model, which allows for effective use of the PI System infrastructure along with delivering added value and service content to the end-user. The main customer for the VPP Connected Services model are local communities in Poland, which usually own energy generating and consuming assets in geographical areas like towns or counties. The plan is to go one step further and bring the VPP product to communities from more varied geographical regions. For example, the northern part of Poland has good wind conditions while the South-East is best for PV generation; combining such geographical facts into one VPP is expected to generate additional value as a result. "