Tesla Powerwall owners can now save big with Origin’s Loop VPP network

Origin Energy has extended its virtual power plant (VPP) network, Loop, to include BYO batteries for households in New South Wales, Victoria, south-east Queensland, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory. 

Eligible Tesla Powerwall owners can now benefit from further solar savings through Origin’s Energy’s Loop network, which financially rewards eligible solar battery customers for sending renewable energy back to the grid at peak times. 

Until recently, this program was exclusive to Origin Energy customers who had purchased and installed a compatible solar battery system directly through the retailer. 

Michael Artup, the Head of Growth – Future Energy at Origin, said widening the scheme’s availability was a step towards creating cleaner, smarter energy solutions for Origin’s customers. 

“The ability for customers to bring their own battery and plug this into Origin Loop means that customers can make their investment in a Tesla Powerwall work harder for them,” he said.

In addition to accessing the Loop network’s financial rewards, households who have an eligible Tesla battery will receive a one-off $400 bill credit when they join the Loop network. A further $1 per kilowatt hour (kWh) will be awarded for every kWh of solar energy Origin sends back to the grid from the battery on the battery owner’s behalf.

Origin’s Loop BYO scheme is open to households across NSW, Victoria, SEQ, SA and ACT who have an operational solar system with a capacity of at least 5kW and a compatible Tesla Powerwall and solar inverter. 

Households will also need to sign up to one of Origin’s electricity plans (if they aren’t already) and agree to the terms and conditions to join Loop. Their property also needs to have a reliable internet connection and a smart meter. Homeowners with life support equipment are ineligible to join Origin Loop. 

Full terms and conditions about Origin’s Loop program can be found on the Origin Energy website.

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How does Origin’s Loop work?

Origin’s Loop VPP essentially acts as a mini power station to help maintain energy supply and demand in residential areas. It uses home solar batteries from member households to create a network that can reserve solar energy to later provide to the grid in times of peak energy demand – typically between the hours of 5pm and 9pm. 

To accomplish this, Origin’s Loop network uses AI technology to communicate with household solar batteries, pulling energy from the batteries as needed by the grid. Similar to the concept of a solar feed-in tariff, in exchange of sharing their solar energy with the wider community, Origin Loop customers receive a credit on their bill, usually paid per kWh shared. 

Origin promises that it will never completely discharge a household battery, leaving at least 20 per cent charge at any given time for customers’ personal use. A maximum of 200kWh of energy can be extracted by Origin from solar batteries over a year.

Origin Loop customers also have the ability to track their battery’s participation in the network through the Origin app. 

There are no lock-in contracts for Origin Loop customers, so households are free to leave the program at any time. For more information, it is best to visit the Origin Energy website. 

Can I join Origin’s Loop network if I don’t have a Tesla Powerwall?

There are two ways a household can join Origin’s Loop VPP network; install an eligible solar inverter and battery system through Origin or sign up through its BYO battery scheme. 

The BYO battery scheme is currently only open to households with an eligible Tesla Powerwall but Origin has said that this is only the first stage of BYO battery integration into its VPP network. Solar battery owners who don’t have a Tesla Powerwall can register their interest in being part of the network via the form on the Origin Energy website though and be kept in the loop about when additional battery systems will become compatible. 

Alternatively, solar customers keen to join Loop can get a leg up by installing a Tesla Powerwall or Sungrow SBR HV through Origin Energy. The energy retailer is running a promotion on solar battery installation until September 30, 2022, offering households in New South Wales, Victoria or Queensland a $2,000 discount off the upfront costs of their battery. 

This discount is only eligible on the installation of Tesla Powerwall or Sungrow SBR HV batteries, however.

Not eligible to join Origin Loop? Check out one of Origin’s solar plans instead

If you aren’t eligible for Origin’s Loop VPP network yet, then you may find some value in one of Origin’s dedicated solar plans. These are plans designed specifically for solar customers so offer a higher feed-in tariff than Origin’s standard plans. Just be sure to read the fine print before signing up. 

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