System and method configured to control a virtual power plant (vpp) to provide supplemental power to a grid during peak loading

A method of controlling power distributed across a virtual power plant (VPP) system, wherein the VPP system includes a plurality of appliances configured for heating, ventilating or conditioning air, distributed among a plurality of buildings, a plurality of energy storage systems (ESSs) distributed among the plurality of buildings and operationally coupled to corresponding ones of the appliances, a plurality of appliance controllers distributed among the plurality of buildings and operationally coupled to corresponding ones of the appliances and the corresponding ones of the ESSs,

• wherein the method includes:
• receiving, by a system controller, a first request from a power utility, querying an availability of power;
• transmitting, to the power utility, a first response indicative of a first quantity of available power, indicative of available power in the ESSs;
• receiving, by the system controller, a second request from the power utility to utilize a second quantity of the available power;
• and
• transmitting, to the appliance controllers, first instructions to set the ESSs to a discharge state, to power corresponding ones of the appliances with the available power, wherein a total amount of power discharged from the ESSs corresponds to the second quantity of the available power.