Virtual Power Plants (VPP):Turning Flexibility into Revenue

Energy markets are becoming more dynamic, with increasing demand for flexibility to support grid stability. For manufacturers, this creates a growing opportunity to unlock value from existing energy assets, but knowing where to start is often the challenge.

This session is aimed at manufacturing businesses looking to reduce energy costs, unlock new revenue opportunities, and play a more active role in supporting the electricity system.

We’ll introduce the concept of a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) and explain how it works in practice, including how flexible demand, onsite generation, and battery storage can be coordinated to participate in energy markets.

What attendees will learn:
  • What a VPP is and how it applies to manufacturing sites
  • Which assets and processes can generate value
  • How participation works without disrupting operations
  • Examples of how manufacturers are already generating value through our VPP

 

 Meet the Speakers:

Wayne Davies

Head of Flexibility – Enel X
Wayne Davies is Head of Flexibility for the UK and Ireland at Enel X, where he leads the strategic development and optimisation of demand side response and distributed energy solutions. He oversees more than 750 MW of B2B customer assets participating in flexibility markets and works across product strategy, market access and portfolio optimisation to deliver scalable solutions that support grid stability and decarbonisation. He brings over 20 years’ experience across energy markets and flexibility programmes.

 

Gareth Ball

Head of Sales & Marketing – Enel X
Gareth Ball is Head of Sales and Marketing at Enel X, where he helps manufacturers turn energy management into a source of profit and resilience. With over 16 years’ experience in enterprise sales, he works with senior decision-makers to reduce energy costs, unlock new revenue streams, and improve operational efficiency through energy flexibility. He specialises in helping businesses turn energy strategy into measurable commercial advantage.

 

Tom StJohn

Multimedia Editor, The Manufacturer (part of Nineteen Group)

Tom is the Multimedia Editor at The Manufacturer (part of Nineteen Group), with a background in broadcast journalism across tv and radio. As well as writing for The Manufacturer Magazine, he leads on video content and presents The Manufacturer Podcast. Tom loves immersing himself in the stories the manufacturing community has to tell, and views sessions lik these as a valuable extension of that.