sonnen Pioneers Canada’s First Home Battery-Based VPP Embedded in a Master Planned Community

sonnen, in collaboration with Landmark Homes, EPCOR, Solartility and the University of Alberta, launches a first of its kind Virtual Power Plant at award-winning sustainable community, Blatchford Lands, in Edmonton

STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. and EDMONTON, Alberta, June 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, sonnen, a global leader in energy storage and virtual power plant (VPP) technology, launched its first VPP in Canada at Blatchford Lands, a master planned community designed for net-zero living and a reduced environmental footprint. Landmark Homes, a recognized leader in sustainable and innovative home construction and the builder behind Blatchford Lands, collaborated with sonnen, along with utility provider EPCOR, electric retail provider Solartility and the University of Alberta. Together, these energy leaders developed the VPP that can be considered the vanguard of a newly decentralized and digitalized clean energy system for the future of Canada.

With this inaugural VPP launch into Canada, sonnen once again sets the standard for innovation in solar powered battery storage systems deployed across master planned communities as a virtual power plant. The Blatchford Lands VPP is the first of its kind on scope and scale for Canada. As a primer for broad adoption throughout the EPCOR service territory, this project constitutes the beginning of renewable energy and grid coordination’s evolution. sonnen, with its partners, is providing the community and its residents with emergency back-up power, daily management of peak energy use and demand response, among other grid services, for the overall management of the electric grid.

As a prototype, the Blatchford Lands VPP begins with 100 sonnen batteries deployed throughout the master planned community, representing nearly a half a megawatt (MW) of power and over two megawatt hours (MWh) of storage capacity that will support the Canadian energy grid. Following this initial deployment, sonnen plans to launch VPPs throughout Alberta and into other Canadian regions, with potential to reach over 3,000 individual sites, providing more than18 MW of energy and 60 MWHs of grid support over the next 3 years.

“What has been achieved at Blatchford Lands is extremely special, and even beyond many of the VPP market designs in America,” said Blake Richetta, Chairman and CEO of sonnen Inc. USA. “sonnen proudly stands behind our Canadian colleagues and customers, as our sister market, and as the closest of friends to the American people.”

sonnen, Solartility and the University of Alberta envision this highly innovative master planned community VPP project to become a replicable model for communities across the province and throughout Canada. This model can also be replicated in select U.S. markets, like Texas, where sonnen recently announced a Virtual Power Plant Power Purchase Agreement (VPA) and launched behind-the-meter, battery-enabled VPPs.

“Canada has developed into a rich and innovative VPP market thanks to the pioneering efforts and support from great partners,” said Geoff Ferrell, Senior Vice President – Global C&I and VPP Project Business of sonnen Inc. USA. “The coming together of builders like Landmark Homes, the utility EPCOR, retail providers like Solartility, and academics like those at the University of Alberta, are working together to build this innovative VPP program at Blatchford Lands and beyond.”

With awards from Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA), the Canadian Home Builders' Association (CHBA), the Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC), among others, Blatchford Lands has been recognized for its commitment to sustainability and innovative community planning. Residents can enjoy diverse housing options equipped with renewable energy sources for heating and cooling—all in a centrally located neighborhood that once served as Edmonton's municipal airport, now reimagined as a model for sustainable urban development.

Blatchford Lands is the latest sonnen VPP to launch at a master planned community, following wildly successful deployments at Soleil Lofts and Soleil Tech Park in Utah, Pearl Homes’ nationally renowned Hunters Point in Cortez Florida, and Mandalay Homes in Arizona, among other projects.

ABOUT sonnen
sonnen is a global leader in smart energy storage systems for residential use and a pioneer in residential battery-based virtual power plants. The sonnen VPP is recognized as a model for the decentralized, digitalized, and decarbonized energy system of the future. As one of the most experienced and rapidly growing VPP energy storage companies worldwide, sonnen has earned numerous international awards for its technological achievements. The sonnenCommunity, a network of visionaries worldwide, utilizes sonnen's products and services to promote clean and affordable energy for all. With offices in Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia, and the USA, sonnen is a wholly owned subsidiary of Shell. Learn more at: https://sonnenusa.com

Media Contact
sonnen@fischtankpr.com
FischTank PR

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.