Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation (Toshiba ESS) announced on December 17, 2018, that it will launch a service that uses optimal control storage batteries with IoT for Virtual Power Plant (VPP), starting from January 1, 2019. The service was commissioned by TEPCO Energy Partner, an electricity retailer company operating under the TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Company) brand throughout mainland Japan.

Toshiba ESS will install 15kWh storage batteries at 11 elementary schools in Yokohama City and will control them and monitor their efficiency in order to manage demand response for the electric grid, while making sure there is sufficient electricity left to respond to any emergency situations. The program will use Toshiba’s lithium-ion rechargeable battery which is designed for high safety and long battery life.

Toshiba ESS, Yokohama City, and TEPCO EP have worked together since 2016 on this project, including designing the control technology for the storage batteries and conducting the VPP demonstration test.

Toshiba ESS aims to become a Cyber Physical System (CPS) technology company in the energy industry and plans to develop various distributed energy resources for the supply and demand balancing market in Japan, which is expected to open in 2021.