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15.03.2012
Feed-in management system in Germany - Small pv installations are as well affected
On December 14, 2011, the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMU) and the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi) published the application note section 6, paragraph 2 EEG 2012. The note affects the requirement of a remote controlled regulation possibility of PV installations. The regulation will be handled through the grid operator. Up to now, only PV installations with an output power of more than 100 kW were affected by this regulation, now as well smaller installations should be equipped with a technical device in order to ensure the possibility of a controlled regulation or shut-down of the installation. In general, PV plants will be first integrated into the feed-in management system when a so called „Regulation about a standard procedure for determination of revenue losses” comes into effect. This regulation will be set up and published in the course of 2012.
PV installation operators have to gather information from the grid operator who will inform the plant owner about the technical equipment for receiving communication signals. The application note does not stipulate a specific technique or procedure. Costs for the establishment have to be borne by the installation owner. It is anticipated that in most cases the communication will be transposed via a ripple control signal. In this case the plant operator has to install a corresponding ripple control receiver. In case the grid operator cannot provide detailed information about the requirements, the installation owner still has to fulfill certain minimum requirements. In any case, inverters have to be installed that can be regulated and shut down by an external signal (“EinsMan Ready” feature). Furthermore, a receiver device for the communication signals has to be provided. The device should be at least able to transpose the commands “On” (feed-in power 100%) and “Off” (feed-in power 0%). That can be ensured by the installation of an AC contactor. As soon as the grid operator provides all relevant information to the plant owner, the installation has to be retrofitted within three months. Otherwise remuneration claims do not apply anymore.
Due to the fact that different requirements apply for different installation sizes, the overview was split accordingly:
PV Installations up to 30 kW Power Output
The installation owner can chose if he installs a technical receiver device or if he reduces the feed-in power to 70 % of the nominal power (installed power). The application note contains no statements about the upgrade of existing installations.
PV Installations between 30 kW and 100 kW Power Output
At these installation sizes the operator is obligated to install a technical device for remote controlled regulation of the PV installation. Existing installations with an output power between 30 kW and 100 kW that were installed between 1 January, 2009 and 1 January, 2012, have to be retrofitted until the year 2014.
PV Installations with more than 100 kW Power Output
Since quite some time already new plants have to be equipped with a technical device for remote controlled regulation. Installations with an output power of more than 100 kW have to be upgraded until the 1st of July, 2012 at the latest.
A manufacturer´s declaration for the SOLIVIA solar inverters from Delta can be found here: http://www.solar-inverter.com/eu/en/download/Herstellererkl_rung_Delta_EinsManReady.pdf. The application note can be read under: http://www.erneuerbare-energien.de/files/pdfs/allgemein/application/pdf/eeg_anwendungshinweis_bf.pdf.
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