Further development and acceleration of the detection procedure as an essential part of the operatingapproval procedure for the grid connection of generation and storage systems in the plant segment up to500 kW of cumulative installed power

Regulation amending the Electrotechnical Properties Verification Regulation (NELEV-ÄndV)

The exemption from the certification requirement for generation plants, that are to be connected directly to alow-voltage general supply network, which was previously regulated in the NELEV, will be significantlyadapted. It is transferred to those generation plants that have a maximum total installed capacity of up to 500kilowatts and a maximum feed-in capacity of 270 kilowatts downstream of a connection point with a generalsupply grid, - irrespective of the voltage level. These limit values ensure that the actual feed-in of theinstallations is comparable to the feed-in of installations that are directly connected to the low-voltage grid ofthe general supply.

At the same time, the technical requirements are changed for these installations. In order to facilitate the futuremass business, the same requirements will then apply to the installations as to installations connected to alow-voltage general supply network. These requirements are extended to include system security aspects inorder to take the stability of the electricity system into account. There will be a transitional phase until theTechnical Connection Rules (TCR) are adapted by the ‘Forum Netztechnik/Network Operation in the VDEVerband der Elektrotechnik Elektronik Informationstechnik’ (FNN). During this transition phase, this will beregulated in a simplified form based on a few additional requirements in the (also notified) Regulation onTechnical Requirements for energy installations.
(Energy Installation Requirements Regulation – EAAV) to allow the facilitations of the NELEV AmendmentRegulation to enter into force immediately.
In addition, for installations connected to a medium-voltage general supply network or a higher voltage levelwith a cumulative installed capacity of more than 270 kilowatts, a superordinate decoupling protection mustalso be installed – a kind of ‘fuse’ at the grid interconnection point that ensures that all systems downstream ofthe grid connection point are disconnected from the grid at the right time in the event of a failure in the publicgrid (contribution to system stability).
The extended exemption greatly reduces the number of installations affected by the plant certificationobligation. As was the case for small generation plants under the previous legislation, these plants will thenonly have to prove compliance with the technical requirements by means of a so-called unit or componentcertificate.
It also establishes the basis for a register accessible via the Internet for recording and monitoring all unit andcomponent certificates. This strengthens the liability in the area of system stability.
Impact assessment information can be found in the draft regulation on the preliminary sheet as well as in theexplanatory memorandum, to which reference is made in order to prevent repetition. The draft regulation hasno impact on the competitiveness of the European Union’s industry. It only provides for the possibility offacilitation in the certification process.
The draft NELEV-ÄndV is supplemented/accompanied by the draft Regulation on Technical Requirements forEnergy Installations (EAAV) [Energieanlagen-Anforderungen-Verordnung], Notification No 2023/0507/D.