Renewable procurement for organisations with many sites.
A vPPA can support renewable energy and price-risk objectives without requiring a physical solar installation at every operating location.
Useful when onsite renewable capacity cannot cover the portfolio.
A virtual PPA is fundamentally different from an onsite energy project. It is a financial and renewable procurement arrangement, so settlement mechanics, certificates, hedge exposure and accounting treatment all need careful assessment.
Multi-site portfolios
Support renewable procurement across many locations rather than developing infrastructure at each site.
Limited roof or land
Consider offsite renewable exposure where physical constraints prevent meaningful onsite generation.
ESG scale
Potentially secure larger volumes of renewable certificates and support portfolio-level emissions objectives, depending on structure.
The right answer may be both.
Onsite solar and storage can directly change how a facility consumes grid electricity. A vPPA works at a portfolio and market level. For larger organisations, the strongest strategy can combine onsite projects at suitable facilities with offsite procurement for the remaining load.
PPA and vPPA solve different problems.
Onsite PPA
- Physical system at your site
- Directly offsets onsite electricity consumption
- Can include solar and long-duration storage
- Requires suitable site, approvals and connection
- Operational savings are tied to site generation and usage
Virtual PPA
- Offsite renewable generation contract
- No physical installation required at each site
- Supports portfolio-level renewable procurement
- Introduces financial settlement and market exposure
- Requires careful treatment of certificates, hedge mechanics and risk
A vPPA should be evaluated with finance, energy and risk stakeholders together.
The contract can create long-term financial exposure. Green Grid Australia can help frame the energy strategy and compare the role of onsite and offsite structures, while specialist legal, accounting and market advice should form part of any final transaction.
Not sure whether to start onsite or virtual?
We can compare the two pathways using your site portfolio and energy objectives.