# Adding a new project

> Create a project in the Voltmasters platform and link an EMS controller to it, from the site details to the controller ID.

Source: https://voltmasters.io/en/docs/getting-started/adding-a-new-project/

Follow these steps to create a new project and link a controller to the Voltmasters EMS platform.

1. **Start a new project**
   
   On the home screen, click **Add new project**.
2. **Enter project information**
   
   Fill in the basic details of the installation site:
   
   -   **Project name**: enter a clear and unique name for the project, for example *Company HQ - Battery System*.
   -   **Street**: street name of the installation address.
   -   **City**: city where the system is installed.
   -   **Postal code**: postal or ZIP code of the location.
   -   **Country**: select the country from the dropdown list.
3. **Configure grid capacity limits**
   
   These values define the technical limits of the grid connection and are critical for EMS operation.
   
   -   **Grid import capacity limit (kW)**: enter the maximum power that may be imported from the grid. This value is used for load limiting and peak shaving.
   -   **Grid export capacity limit (kW)**: enter the maximum power that may be exported to the grid. This is important for export limitation and PV curtailment.
   
   > **Note**
   >
   > These limits should match the contractual or physical grid connection limits. Be sure to verify this in advance.
4. **Link the controller**
   
   -   **Controller ID**: enter the unique Controller ID of the EMS controller installed on-site.
       -   Make sure the controller is powered on and connected to the internet.
       -   The Controller ID can be found on the device label.

![The Add project form with the site details, the grid capacity import and export limits in kW, and the controller ID field.](https://voltmasters.io/assets/docs/image-47.webp)

## Having the project validated

A new project is first **commissioned**: devices are added, the grid settings are entered and the control strategy is chosen. When that work is finished, you can have the configuration checked by the Voltmasters **project engineers** before the installation goes into service. Mark the project as **ready for validation**.

-   The **EMS dashboard** shows a status bar with the validation state of the project, so everyone involved can see whether the project is still being commissioned, is waiting for validation, or has been validated.
-   Voltmasters reviews the configuration: the meters and their roles, the grid limits, the strategy and the energy contract, and the communication with each device. Anything that needs correcting is reported back to you.
-   The engineers work through a fixed **validation checklist**, so you know in advance what is being checked: whether all project settings are entered, whether the battery responds to a charge setpoint and to a discharge setpoint, whether the PV inverters respond to a curtail setpoint, and whether there is no oscillation. Remarks can be added per point, and the project can only be validated once every point is met.

![Voltmasters EMS: the controller validation checklist](https://voltmasters.io/assets/docs/controller-validation-checklist.webp)

*The checklist the project engineers work through before a project is validated.*

\* After you correct the findings, request the validation again.

Before you request a validation, check that:

-   every device has been added and is delivering **live data**;
-   the correct **main meter** is selected and the grid connection type matches the installation;
-   the **import and export limits** and their safety margins match the grid connection contract;
-   the **strategy** and the **energy contract** match each other.

See [Adding and verifying devices](https://voltmasters.io/en/docs/getting-started/adding-and-verifying-devices/) and [Project settings](https://voltmasters.io/en/docs/voltmasters-platform/project-settings/general-settings/) for the settings involved.