Grid-Optimized Control: PV Systems Successfully Connected to the iMSys

January 13, 2022

Mannheim/Munich/Bornheim/Erfurt, January 13, 2022: The project partners PPC, Prolan, Robotron, Swistec, and TMZ have successfully connected several PV systems to the smart metering system, paving the way for grid-optimized control of PV systems. This is another major milestone for the German energy sector in its effort to increase the share of renewable energy in the electricity grid to 80 percent by 2030.

As part of the innovation project “Implementation of Intelligent System Management,” another forward-looking solution was put into practice through the grid-optimized control of distributed generation sources. Among other things, the project involves the targeted control of PV systems to regulate their electricity feed-in based on grid conditions. This eliminates the need to shut down the systems across the board—as is currently the practice—as soon as the permissible grid frequency is exceeded. The solution is based on smart metering systems—specifically, control via the CLS channel of the smart meter gateway from Power Plus Communications AG (PPC). Thanks to this successful implementation, the way is paved for Level 3 energy use cases (EAFs) in the “Measurement and Control” category of the roadmap developed by the BSI and BMWi. It is highly likely that the EAFs will be approved by lawmakers in the first half of 2022.

Successful Control of PV Systems with FNN Control Boxes

The project was implemented in Leinefelde and Farnroda. The systems are controlled via control boxes from Prolan AG and Swistec GmbH. To this end, Thüringer Mess- und Zählerwesen Service GmbH (TMZ), acting as the gateway administrator and active external market participant, uses the Switching Server (RSS) from Robotron Datenbank-Software GmbH. Ingo Lange of TMZ is the project lead and explains:

“LTE smart meter gateways are used to connect the systems. In Leinefelde, inverters manufactured by IBC Solar have been controlled according to the 100%, 60%, 30%, and 0% schedule since the end of October.”

The substation in Farnroda was commissioned at the end of November.

“The SMGW inverter-control-box system was successfully tested in both installations. This marks an important technical milestone that will enable us to rapidly transition the control of EEG systems into routine operation next year through the interaction of the smart meter gateway and the control box,” says Jörn Lutze, CEO of TMZ, emphasizing the importance of this success.

The successful demonstration of PV system control via the smart metering system not only paves the way for Stage 3 energy use cases, but also lays the groundwork for Stage 4:

EAF 11: Measurement and Control for Redispatch 2.0
EAF 12: Metering and Control for Direct Marketing under the EEG
EAF 17: Remote Meter Reading for RLM Electricity