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Start Earning With Voltus

This article is an overview of how Voltus connects new customers to demand response revenue.

To get paid in the electricity market, grid operators require you to do these three things:

  1. Enroll in the relevant programs and define participation parameters
  2. Provide electricity usage data to demonstrate performance
  3. Prove ability to receive and act on dispatch signals

The Voltus onboarding process addresses these requirements so your sites can start earning demand response revenue.

1. Data Collection​

Voltus obtains a signed Letter of Authorization and utility bill for each site. We'll use that information to work directly with the utility for the duration of your Voltus relationship.This enables Voltus to obtain electricity usage data and report demand response performance to grid operators more quickly. This ensures that you get paid as soon as possible. We also review usage data to find opportunities to increase revenue.

2. Kick-off Meeting​

After we collect and review your data, we will schedule a kick-off meeting with your team. In this meeting, we review critical information about the programs you will be registered for. During the call, we discuss:

  • Software integration timelines
  • Program parameters
  • Curtailment plan and nominations
  • Voltlet installation plan (if applicable). The Voltlet is our on-site metering device. It gives us high granularity electricity usage data, which may be necessary depending on your program participation.

Before the meeting, review our API documentation and experiment with our Sandbox Environment ahead of time so our team can answer any questions you might have as you start planning your integration.

3. Software Integration​

After the kick-off meeting, we'll work with you to build your control integration. We offer an OpenADR API and a JSON REST API that supports polling and webhooks. You will schedule simulated dispatches in our sandbox environment to verify your integration is working correctly. Then you will schedule a production test dispatch to confirm your connection to the Voltus production API. We will also validate that we are able to obtain energy usage data according to the requirements of your participation plan.

4. Dispatch Verification​

Now we're ready to get electrons moving! This step is a formal “Dispatch Verification” test. This test simulates a real, grid-initiated dispatch. We use this to verify how much load your sites can reduce under realistic operating conditions. Based on these results, we review and finalize your nominations with the market to ensure we are maximizing your earnings.

5. Market Registration​

The last step is to enroll your sites with the relevant market(s) and notify you once registration is complete. Your first check will be in the mail sooner than you think!

By working with Voltus, you’re earning the absolute maximum from your DER assets. Use our market-leading VoltApp platform to see the status of your sites, projected revenue, and actual earnings, broken down by dispatch in real-time. You can also reach out to our product and engineering team with any questions.