10 Years of Virtual Peaker: Where We’ve Been, What We’ve Learned, & Where We’re Going

For the last 10 years, Virtual Peaker has worked to help make the world a little greener, one utility at a time. Together, we’ve worked to innovate behind-the-meter distributed energy resources (DERs) to unlock the full potential of virtual power plants. Over the last decade, we’ve enhanced our AI-informed Shift Grid-Edge distributed energy resource management system (DERMS) to include the Relay Customer Engagement and Envision Forecasting suites, as well as smart DER management functionalities like flexible dispatch or Topline Demand Control, which renders behind-the-meter DER assets as reliable as a gas turbine.

So what has most inspired us and where are we going? Learn what our leadership team thinks about where Virtual Peaker has been, where we are today, and where we’re going tomorrow.

Bill Burke – Founder & CEO

Virtual Peaker was started with a simply stated vision – to make demand as dispatchable as a gas turbine generator, but as they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day! For nearly ten years, our diligent team has been building and stacking technologies like bricks in an arch, and in the last year we put in place the keystone and launched our Topline Demand Control technology for residential storage. I’m incredibly proud of the team for persevering, and I’m excited to continue expanding this game changing technology to all DERs over the coming months.

Heather Droel – VP of Human Resources

For the last several years, I’ve been lucky enough to call Virtual Peaker my team. I’m blessed that I’ve been able to work with a diverse team of forward thinkers dedicated to decarbonizing and helping utilities meet demand one distributed energy resource at a time. In that time, I’ve worked with my team to help create a pool of the best and brightest to help shape our energy landscape and help utilities along the way. I’m excited that Virtual Peaker has persevered for a decade now and look forward to helping foster a great team of the friendliest, most provocative minds to help utilities enhance their revenue streams while providing the cleanest available.

Joey Mudd – VP of Engineering

I have had the privilege of contributing to Virtual Peaker since very early on, experiencing the evolution of the company and the DER landscape in which we operate. Through all the growth and challenges, accomplishments and setbacks, what has stood out to me is the consistent foundation of our approach: an active collaboration with utilities of all types to help them solve the challenges of managing DERs.

I feel confident that no matter how unpredictable the landscape of our industry or the energy future may be, we will stay grounded in that foundation to provide the best possible software solutions to unlock the potential that DERs present.

Amber Mullaney, VP of Marketing

As we celebrate our 10th anniversary, I’m filled with pride reflecting on Virtual Peaker’s journey as a leader in grid-edge technology. I’m so grateful to have been on this journey for the past four years! From our early days as a visionary startup to our current position as a leading provider of Grid-Edge solutions, we have consistently pushed the boundaries of innovation. Our commitment to empowering utilities with the tools they need to navigate the evolving energy landscape has remained unwavering.

This success is a testament to our entire team’s incredible talent and dedication. I’m particularly grateful for the opportunity to have worked alongside some of the brightest and smartest minds in the energy industry, building a phenomenal marketing team that has played a crucial role in shaping Virtual Peaker’s success. We have meticulously crafted a strong brand identity that resonates with our values of innovation, collaboration, and sustainability. As we look ahead, we will continue to be at the forefront of the energy transition, driving the adoption of clean energy solutions and shaping the future of the grid.

Spencer Newman – Chief Financial Officer

It’s been incredibly thrilling—and gratifying—to see Virtual Peaker grow from a one person startup to the robust, industry-leading company it is today. Throughout it all we’ve always remained close to our mission and created an environment where both employees and customers are valued and respected. I look forward to the next 10 years!

Jeff Quigley – Sr. VP of Customer Solutions

It’s been the most fulfilling professional experience of my life to be a part of Virtual Peaker these nearly 7 years. To watch both the company, and the DER space more broadly, grow over this timeframe has been incredible. I feel incredibly lucky to be a part of the smartest and hardest working team in the industry, and am looking forward to what happens next!

10 Years of Virtual Peaker Conclusion

So far, the start of our tenth-year has been a time of change and promise, with investors at Greensoil PropTech Ventures and more investing in our mission. Already, Virtual Peaker has worked to support the mission of increasing virtual power plant capacity, including our recent work with Enphase in Puerto Rico. We’re so proud to work to make the world a greener, cleaner, and more equitable for everyone involved, while supporting our utility partners to help them defray high peak energy costs and enhance grid resiliency. Cheers to another ten years to come!

About The Author

Virtual Peaker is a remote-first company based in Louisville, KY, with employees in many time zones. Since 2015, Virtual Peaker has worked to help our utility partners around the world build a better, greener grid through scalable, cloud-based software solutions. Founded by Bill Burke, Virtual Peaker has grown to serve utility DER and demand response management needs, as well as providing resources to help utilities meet decarbonization regulations and grid reliability.

More About Virtual Peaker