This is a great article, thanks for sharing.

Virtual power plants are recognized as being part of the future of the power grid, and it's nice to see the details behind at least one implementation.

Having worked on the wholesale market side of things: technology is moving quickly, and I worry that there are years of chaos ahead of us due to a lack of standardisation, as the post mentions.

Not only are each deregulated market different (e.g. California, New York, Mid-Atlantic, etc.), but in regulated markets, each UTILITY could be using a different standard. The night (the current power grid infrastructure) is darkest (most chaotic) just before the dawn (power infrastructure revolution).