Grid compliance · Germany
Grid conformity in Germany: Westnetz and the E.ON grid operators
Voltmasters connects your EMS to the Westnetz-Gateway 2.0 over IEC 60870-5-104 (Westnetz-Profil), for plants above 500 kW on the 10/20 kV medium-voltage grid. For the 100 to 500 kW class we connect over the E.ON Modbus TCP profile (Gateway Light), which the entire E.ON group of grid operators uses: Westnetz, Bayernwerk Netz, Avacon Netz, E.DIS Netz and Schleswig-Holstein Netz.
When is a telecontrol connection mandatory?
The TAB Mittelspannung (medium-voltage connection rules) and the VDE-AR-N 4110 require, above certain power levels, that the grid operator can remotely control your generation or storage plant. Which protocol applies depends on the connection power. From 100 kW, participation in Redispatch 2.0 is also mandatory, and setpoints from grid-security management always take priority over market signals.
The tiers below apply to the E.ON group. The specific gateway depends on your grid operator: at Westnetz it is the Westnetz-Gateway 2.0 above 500 kW, at the other E.ON operators it is their own IEC-104 gateway. Grid operators outside the E.ON group can have different requirements.
Connection power (kW) · which connection applies?
The decisive figure is the total power at the grid connection point. Above 500 kW, Westnetz uses the Westnetz-Gateway 2.0; the other E.ON operators use their own IEC-104 gateway per their grid guideline. The exact thresholds are confirmed by the grid operator per project.
Two connections, kept clearly separate
Germany has two different integrations, depending on the power class. They are two standalone products, and we do not mix them: the wired IEC-104 telecontrol device above 500 kW, and the Modbus TCP coupling from 100 to 500 kW.
DSO integration: Westnetz (IEC 104)
Connection to the Westnetz-Gateway 2.0 over IEC 60870-5-104 with the Westnetz-Profil, in accordance with the TAB Mittelspannung. The EMS is the plant-side telecontrol device: it receives the active-power setpoints, executes them with the required ramp rates and reports setpoint confirmation and measurements back.
- IEC 60870-5-104, Westnetz-Profil
- Ramp rates per VDE-AR-N 4110, Q control, Sofort-AUS
- Support for the commissioning signal test
DSO integration: E.ON profile (Modbus TCP)
Coupling over the E.ON Modbus TCP profile at the Gateway Light. The EMS provides a Modbus TCP server, receives the grid-security setpoint in steps and reports voltage, active and reactive power back. The same profile applies at all five E.ON grid operators.
- Modbus TCP, E.ON profile (Gateway Light)
- Setpoint in steps, measurement feedback
- Available at Westnetz, Bayernwerk, Avacon, E.DIS and SH Netz
E.ON group of grid operators
One profile, five grid operators
Germany has more than 800 distribution grid operators. Today we are integrated with the E.ON group: five DSOs that share a closely related telecontrol grid guideline (reg. no. NT-10-24) and the common E.ON Modbus TCP profile for the 100 to 500 kW class. Anyone connecting a plant in one of these grid areas usually searches for the name of their own operator. Choose your DSO below for the specific requirements.
Westnetz
FlagshipNRW, Rhineland-Palatinate, parts of Lower Saxony, Hesse and the Saarland
IEC 104 & Modbus TCP
Requirements for Westnetz
Bayernwerk Netz
Bavaria
E.ON Modbus TCP profile
Requirements for Bayernwerk Netz
Avacon Netz
Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, parts of Brandenburg, Hesse and NRW
E.ON Modbus TCP profile
Requirements for Avacon Netz
E.DIS Netz
Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
E.ON Modbus TCP profile
Requirements for E.DIS Netz
Schleswig-Holstein Netz
Schleswig-Holstein, part of the HanseWerk group
E.ON Modbus TCP profile
Requirements for Schleswig-Holstein NetzYour grid operator is not listed? The E.ON group is our starting point, not the limit. We extend the same IEC-104 and Modbus stack to other German grid operators project by project, for example Netze BW, EWE Netz or MITNETZ Strom. Tell us your DSO and the connection power, and we will check the data-point list for your project.
The E.ON Modbus TCP profile
For plants from 100 to 500 kW, the E.ON group uses the Gateway Light: a compact telecontrol path over Modbus TCP instead of a full IEC-104 telecontrol device. The EMS provides the Modbus TCP server on the customer side.
The gateway hands over the setpoint from grid-security management in steps. The EMS executes it across the controlled assets and reports voltage, active and reactive power as well as the setpoint confirmation back. Because the profile is identical at all five E.ON grid operators, a connection proven at one DSO carries over to the others.
What the profile covers
- Active-power limitation via a setpoint in steps, from grid-security management
- Measurement feedback: voltage, active and reactive power
- Setpoint confirmation back to the gateway
- Fixed Modbus TCP server on the customer side, without NAT or routing
Above 500 kW the connection switches to the full IEC-60870-5-104 telecontrol device. At Westnetz over the Westnetz-Gateway 2.0, described in detail here.
Why Voltmasters
We already run the same IEC-60870-5-104 stack in Belgium, for Fluvius telecontrol and for Fall-Back Flex. The connection to the Westnetz-Gateway 2.0 is a port of that proven stack onto the E.ON group's data-point list. Your benefit: tested control logic and a team that guides the signal test with the grid operator step by step.
- Telecontrol integrated in the controller: the EMS is the plant-side telecontrol device, no separate RTU needed
- Ramp rates per VDE-AR-N 4110: setpoints are executed with the required gradients
- Grid security before market: grid-security setpoints always take priority, energy trading resumes as soon as the restriction is lifted
- Guided signal test: we prepare all signals and support commissioning with the grid operator
The control loop, visualised
The grid operator commands, the controller regulates, the site reports back
The grid operator sets a power limit over the IEC 60870-5-104 protocol. The Voltmaster Controller ramps the assets down in a controlled way and feeds the measurements back in real time, with an independent hardware emergency stop that the controller executes through its IO extension as a safety net.
Getting a project grid-compliant in Germany?
Tell us the grid operator, the connection power and the voltage level. We determine the right connection, configure the data-point list and support the signal test.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about grid compliance in Germany
Which grid operators does Voltmasters cover in Germany?
Today we are integrated with the E.ON group: Westnetz, Bayernwerk Netz, Avacon Netz, E.DIS Netz and Schleswig-Holstein Netz. From 100 to 500 kW all five use the common E.ON Modbus TCP profile at the Gateway Light. Above 500 kW the connection is over IEC 60870-5-104, at Westnetz over the Westnetz-Gateway 2.0. Germany has more than 800 distribution grid operators; we connect others project by project with the same IEC-104 and Modbus stack.
What is the difference between the Westnetz-Gateway 2.0 and the Gateway Light?
The Westnetz-Gateway 2.0 is the full IEC-60870-5-104 telecontrol connection for plants above 500 kW on the medium-voltage grid. The Gateway Light is the more compact Modbus TCP variant for 100 to 500 kW over the E.ON Modbus TCP profile. They are two different integrations, which we implement cleanly separated.
From what power level is a telecontrol connection mandatory?
The decisive figure is the total power at the grid connection point. From around 100 kW the grid operator generally requires a telecontrol connection and participation in Redispatch 2.0. The exact thresholds are set by the respective grid operator in its grid guideline and the TAB Mittelspannung.
Does every E.ON grid operator use the same Modbus profile?
Yes, in the 100 to 500 kW range Westnetz, Bayernwerk, Avacon, E.DIS and Schleswig-Holstein Netz use the common E.ON Modbus TCP profile. That makes a connection proven at one operator transferable to the others. We align the specific data-point list per project.
Can the plant keep trading on the market when grid-security management intervenes?
Yes. As long as no active setpoint is present, the EMS optimises freely on the market. When the grid operator sends a setpoint, it always takes priority and the EMS adjusts its operation. As soon as the restriction is lifted, optimisation continues.
Does the EMS need certification with the grid operator?
There is no formal certification for the customer-side device. Approval effectively happens through commissioning and the signal test with the grid operator. Whether an additional EZA-Regler (plant controller) per VDE-AR-N 4110 is required depends on the plant configuration and is clarified per project.
Sources
Official sources and standards
This page is based on the grid operator and standards documents below. Always check the most recent version at the publisher.
- Technische Anschlussbedingungen Mittelspannung Westnetz opens the publisher's site
- Energie einspeisen Bayernwerk Netz opens the publisher's site
- Energie einspeisen Avacon Netz opens the publisher's site
- Energie einspeisen E.DIS Netz opens the publisher's site
- Energie einspeisen Schleswig-Holstein Netz opens the publisher's site
- VDE-AR-N 4110: Technische Anschlussregeln Mittelspannung VDE FNN opens the publisher's site
- Redispatch Bundesnetzagentur opens the publisher's site
Looking for the technical details and step-by-step configuration? You will find them in our documentation.
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