VIRTUAL POWER PLANT PROGRAM™ (VPPP)
MI6’s Virtual Power Plant™ Program (VPPP) is the largest sustainability movement in Central and Eastern Europe, collecting and reviewing energy saving and renewable energy production actions since 2011, and using this knowledge to share, motivate, educate and raise awareness.
The Program has been widely recognized: It was selected among the TOP3 energy efficiency programs in Europe by the European Commission at the EU Sustainable Energy Award 2015. It has been featured at the cover of Forbes magazine recently, and also won the patronage of the Hungarian President of the Republic in 2019, who advised the United Nations Climate Summit 2019 participants to introduce this program in their countries (link).
VPPP is based in Hungary, now operates in four countries (Hungary, Romania, United Kingdom, Italy) with expansion under way in many countries. Now it has 9000+ company members, 200+ municipalities, educates 400,000+ students annually and acts as a trusted advisor to policy makers.
The Program is a social innovation, using a preventive approach. It closely links a non-profit scheme and motivational system with market network building, allows entry for stakeholders at several levels, uses gamification methods and has scaled up from 0 to becoming the 4th largest (though virtual) power plant in Hungary in 10 years.
MI6 is the Hungarian abbreviation of Hungarian Innovation and Efficiency Nonprofit Ltd., the organization that owns and operates the Virtual Power Plant Program. MI6 (and VPPP) is a full member of Climate-KIC, it is an official good practice in Interreg Europe, a supporter member of the Covenant of Mayors and a contributor to Under2 initiative.
Contact: Dr. Balazs Mezosi, COO, balazs.mezosi@mi6.hu
Company SUCCESSEs
The Virtual Power Plant Programme (VPPP) built up the 4th largest power plant in Hungary (made of invisble bricks of energy savings) collecting 588MW in energysavings.
VPPP carried out a total of EUR 10+ million projects in policy support to government on energy efficiency and renewable energy.
VPPP Advisory Board is composed of significant players from government, industry, education and non-profits.
VPPP has acquired 9,000+ company partners since 2011
VPPP operates its own company merit scheme since 2011 with more than 200 award winners.
In 2015, VPPP was ranked among the top 3 programmes in the European Commission Sustainable Energy Award competition.
Designed and enhanced the EDIOP-4 ERDF scheme on the energy efficiency improvement and renewable energy investment of SMEs (budget: EUR 270 million)
STUDENT and school successes
MI6 launched its student and school programmes in 2015 to raise awareness of future generations.
From 2015 it offered a newly built passive house, an energy efficiency demo house for students and broad public.
Our passive house is an attractive venue of international study tours and local ‘green’ events.
In 2016 we launched our Energy Conscious School Programme which attracted thousands of students to our passive house physically and virtually (via an e-learning education package).
Schools participating in the programme were also provided with LED lighting.
In 2016 we launched with the Ministry of Human Resources an awareness programme that reached 350,000 students.
In 2017 we exclusively provided educational programme for secondary schools as part of the Sustainability Thematic Week.
In 2017 we posted a scheme on Student Energy Efficiency Manager of the Year.
MUNICIPALITY SUCCESSES
From 2017, we have built county-level climate change mitigation strategies in partnership with the Association of Climate Friendly Settlements in three counties of Hungary.
From 2017 we have create 70+ SEAPs/SECAPs (Sustainable Energy (and Climate) Action Plans) in many settlements across Hungary.
INternational successes
International projects in Climate KIC
In 2016 we started our cooperation with an international consortium of six countries (Italy, Portugal, Lithuania, UK, Romania and Hungary) in the LOCARBO Interreg Europe project. Our objective is to improve policy instruments in energy efficiency at national and also EU level.
MI6 VPPP has started its international roll-out with. Localised operations are likely to start soon in the UK, Sweden and other countries.
