I am having solar panels installed tomorrow and I have been planning to change my BOINC usage as part of my own power optimization strategy.
With a grid connected solar system and an feed-in rats less than 50% of the usage tariff I will be aiming to have peak power consumption during the middle of the day and into the early afternoon when the solar production is at it's peak while reducing my excess power consumption outside of daylight hours.
I will alter my BOINC usage schedule to shed excess grid capacity from my own generator while (coincidentally) grid power demand is at it's lowest.
Although I don't receive any incentive to reduce solar production from my energy retailer I will be optimizing my electricity consumption for the best monetary value and by changing my behavior around when I consume power I will effectively be helping to stabilize my generator's production vs grid demand.
I love the idea that the electricity market operator could signal my PC to hammer out some high intensity research in exchange for some kind of credit as a means of load balancing the grid, intelligent load shedding devices have been in the medial recently, it would definitely be possible to have the companion intelligent load application device operated by similar means.