The residential demand-response pilot used smart thermostats to shift heating load during peak periods, expanding Virtual Peaker’s footprint in Canada.
LOUISVILLE, KY, UNITED STATES, April 28, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Virtual Peaker, a leading virtual power plant software company, today announced its role in Newfoundland Power’s demand response initiative, TakeCharge Mysa Thermostat pilot, marking an expansion of Virtual Peaker’s work in Canada and a milestone for winter demand response in the province.
Launched in December 2025, the pilot uses Mysa smart thermostats to shift residential electric space-heating load to off-peak periods during winter peak events. The pilot ran through the 2025–2026 winter season and enrolled nearly 600 customers across Newfoundland in just 2 months, quickly exceeding its goal. Because of this strong early customer response with over 2,700 devices participating, Newfoundland was able to run an event during their system peak in late January.
“This pilot represents an important milestone for Virtual Peaker as we continue to expand our footprint in Canada and support utilities navigating winter peak challenges driven by electrified heating,” said Dr. William Burke, CEO and Founder of Virtual Peaker. “By combining customer-centric technology with flexible load control strategies, Newfoundland Power is taking a thoughtful, data-driven approach to demand response in a cold climate.”
Evaluating Winter Load Flexibility
TakeCharge Mysa Thermostat is designed to assess both the technical and customer dimensions of winter demand response. Powered by Virtual Peaker’s VPP platform, the pilot examines customer comfort, pre-heating strategies, and whole-home impacts as Newfoundland Power analyzes demand response for winter-peaking systems.
A Collaborative, Made-in-Newfoundland Pilot
The pilot features an all-Mysa deployment in Newfoundland, where Mysa is headquartered, highlighting a locally-rooted approach to grid innovation. In addition to Virtual Peaker and Mysa, the pilot includes CLEAResult as the implementation partner and Guidehouse as the independent pilot evaluator. Newfoundland Power has also received funding from the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador through the Green Transition Fund to support this pilot.
“Pilots like this allow us to demonstrate the role space heating demand response can play in supporting winter-peaking systems in a way that also prioritizes customer comfort,” said Catherine Coates, Energy Solutions Planning Specialist, Newfoundland Power. “This TakeCharge Mysa Thermostat pilot allows us to showcase the potential value smart thermostats can deliver for both customers and the grid.”
“As a company born and built in Newfoundland & Labrador, launching demand response here is a proud milestone for our team and community,” said Josh Green, Founder and CEO of Mysa. “We’ve seen DR programs deliver real benefits across North America: customers earn rewards, the grid gets relief during peak periods, and communities become more resilient. We’re thrilled to bring those benefits home – and to do it in a way that most people hardly notice.”
As utilities across Canada face growing winter peaks driven by electrification, results from the pilot will help inform future demand response program design and potential broader deployment across Newfoundland Power’s service territory.
For more information about TakeCharge Mysa Thermostat, visit: https://takechargenl.ca/residential/mysapilot/.
To learn more about the Virtual Peaker platform to maximize the value of distributed energy resources, visit www.virtual-peaker.com.
About Virtual Peaker
Virtual Peaker is a leading virtual power plant software company that empowers utilities to build the grid of the future and meet global decarbonization goals. Through its cutting-edge software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform, the company seamlessly integrates distributed energy resource management system (DERMS) components, customer engagement, and load forecasting. Virtual Peaker’s groundbreaking technology, Topline Demand Control, paves the way for the next generation of virtual power plant capabilities. To learn more, please visit www.virtual-peaker.com or connect on LinkedIn and X via (@VirtualPeaker).
About Newfoundland Power
Newfoundland Power is the primary distributor of electricity on the island portion of Newfoundland and Labrador, purchasing 93% of its energy from Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro. With approximately 278,000 customers across the most expansive service territory in Atlantic Canada, Newfoundland Power is committed to safety, the highest level of customer service and the delivery of reliable, least-cost electricity.
About Mysa
Based in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Mysa’s mission is to fight climate change by empowering homeowners to take control of their energy use with innovative technology. Mysa’s smart thermostats for electric heating and cooling HVAC systems are designed to help users manage their household energy spend, decarbonize the grid, and build a more sustainable future for our planet. Since first shipping in 2018, Mysa has launched 5 products and helped hundreds of thousands of homeowners all across North America take smart control of their home’s heating and cooling without compromising on comfort. For more information visit: getmysa.com.
Amber Mullaney
Virtual Peaker
+1 502-689-0249
email us here
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