What are VPPs?
A Virtual Power Plant (VPP) is a network of homes and businesses with solar panels, batteries, or other energy devices that are digitally connected. Together, they act like one large power plant that can support the grid during high demand.
When you join a VPP, your battery is not just storing energy for your own use. It can also export power back to the grid when needed, often in exchange for bill credits or payments.
This means households can earn extra income while the broader grid benefits from stability and reduced reliance on fossil fuels.
Amber Energy vs Traditional VPPs
Most traditional VPPs work on set schedules or agreements with energy retailers. They may decide when and how much of your stored power is exported, often with fixed rates or credits. While this offers some financial benefit, it can also reduce your control and flexibility.
Amber Energy takes a different approach. By linking your system through their SmartShift technology, Amber can respond to live wholesale prices. Instead of following a static schedule, your system charges, discharges, or exports based on what is most profitable at the time.
This can mean:
- Charging your battery when prices are low.
- Using stored energy when grid prices spike.
- Exporting surplus energy when demand is high and prices are favourable.
The result is a more dynamic and potentially more rewarding way to participate in a VPP.
The Amber Energy SmartShift App
The SmartShift app is the brain of Amber’s system. It connects to your solar and battery equipment, monitors wholesale energy prices in real time, and automates decisions for maximum benefit.
Instead of manually guessing when to use or export energy, SmartShift does the work for you. The app also gives you visibility into:
- How much money your solar and battery are saving.
- When your battery is being charged or discharged.
- Market signals and real time pricing data.
This automation is what allows Amber to unlock savings beyond what you would get with standard feed in tariffs or flat retail rates.
How Amber Can Save You Money
Amber customers can benefit in several ways:
- Avoiding high prices: By drawing from your battery instead of the grid during expensive peaks.
- Maximising exports: Selling power back to the grid when demand is high.
- Using more of your solar: Storing excess generation instead of exporting at low feed in tariff rates.
- Accessing wholesale prices: Taking advantage of cheaper daytime or off peak rates when available.
The exact savings depend on your household’s battery size, energy use, and how much solar you generate. But for the right setup, Amber can significantly improve the return on investment for solar plus storage.
Bonus: Save Even More with Available Rebates
If you’re located in New South Wales, you may qualify for a VPP battery rebate under the state’s Peak Demand Reduction Scheme (BESS2).
- As of 2025, this incentive offers up to approximately $1,500 for households that connect an eligible battery to a Virtual Power Plant (VPP).
- This rebate can also be combined with the new Federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program, giving homeowners an even bigger saving on installation.
(more details: NSW Government Energy and NSW Government News)
Across Australia, the Federal Government’s Cheaper Home Batteries Program (launched July 2025) provides a discount of around 30% on the upfront cost of eligible battery systems.
- The discount is applied directly through accredited installers, making it easier for households to access energy storage with lower upfront costs.
Is Amber Energy Right for You?
Amber Energy is right for you if:
- You have a decent-sized battery such as larger than 5–6 kWh so you have enough storage to cover your home and still trade with the grid.
- Your inverter is compatible since Amber works best when it can control both your solar and battery inverter through its SmartShift technology.
- Your household uses energy during the day and evenings which allows the system to optimise when to store and when to sell back to the grid.
- You are comfortable with automation since Amber relies on smart software making real-time decisions for the best savings.
- You are open to a dynamic, wholesale-based tariff rather than a flat retail plan, so you can benefit from real market price fluctuations.
For households that meet these conditions, Amber can unlock higher savings and extra earnings by using your solar and battery more intelligently.
Is Amber Energy Good? (Our Perspective at Stag Electrical)
So, is Amber Energy good? From our perspective at Stag Electrical, the answer depends on your goals and your setup.
Amber’s wholesale pricing and SmartShift technology can deliver excellent results for households with the right equipment and usage profile. If you have invested in a larger battery, have compatible inverters, and are open to automation, Amber can turn your home into a more profitable mini power station.
That said, it is not for everyone. Smaller systems, low usage homes, or households that want a simple set-and-forget plan may find traditional solar savings models more straightforward.
Our advice: before signing up, take a close look at your energy profile, your battery capacity, and whether automation suits your lifestyle. That is something we at Stag Electrical help our customers with every day, designing solar plus storage systems tailored to your needs and making sure you are ready to get the most out of options like Amber.
