Monitor. Verify. Coordinate.
What distribution network operators need to address now
The low-voltage grid is carrying more load, handling more feed-in and shouldering more responsibility than ever before. Today, distribution system operators must no longer simply monitor the system, but actively manage, coordinate and document it. Those who lay the technical foundations today will be prepared for the demands of tomorrow.
The number of controllable consumer devices is on the rise. The control chain must keep pace.
From 2024, newly connected controllable consumption devices must be capable of being controlled when required. With every wallbox, heat pump and battery storage unit installed, the number of systems that must be controlled in a non-discriminatory manner, via the metering point operator and with full documentation, continues to grow.
A regulatory requirement thus becomes an ongoing task for network operators. The control chain must function reliably – from congestion detection, through communication with the metering point operator, to audit-proof documentation. With every new installation connected, the workload involved in control, coordination and documentation increases.
Controlling feed-in systems – without a second control chain
As the use of photovoltaics expands, so too does the number of controllable feed-in systems. Grid operators are therefore faced with their next challenge: in future, the control chain already in place will need to integrate not only controllable consumption devices but also feed-in systems.
The technical basis for this remains the same. Communication via the metering point operator, secure control and traceable documentation will also be required on the generation side. Anyone who has already laid the groundwork for Section 14a can also use this for the implementation of Section 9 of the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG).
Control signals from superimposed network levels require a coordinated low voltage.
All controllable systems must be checked regularly to ensure they can be controlled. With the rapid increase in the number of wallboxes, heat pumps and controllable PV systems, the number of tests required is growing significantly every year.
Thousands of control commands must not be triggered in an uncoordinated manner. The tests must be planned to ensure grid compatibility, coordinated with existing control systems and fully documented. What still works today with just a few systems quickly becomes an operational challenge when there are thousands of participants.
Control signals from superimposed network levels require a coordinated low voltage.
SMIGHT’s largest low-voltage measurement database already shows that, even today, two-thirds of the monitored transformers feed power back into the medium-voltage grid on a daily basis during the summer. As renewable energy continues to expand, this trend is set to increase further.
Control measures therefore no longer end at the grid boundary. Requirements from the medium- and high-voltage levels are increasingly having an impact on the low-voltage level. Grid operators must be able to execute control signals reliably whilst at the same time providing reliable information on the actual control potential available.
Different challenges. The same technical foundation.
Load management under Section 14a of the Energy Industry Act (EnWG), controllable feed-in installations under Section 9 of the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG), controllability checks under Section 12 of the EnWG, or coordination with higher-level grid tiers under Section 13 of the EnWG all require the same technical components: transparency regarding the grid status, an end-to-end control chain, and audit-proof documentation.
This is exactly where SMIGHT NeMS comes in.
How SMIGHT NeMS works
Basis
Recording – Creating transparency online
SMIGHT measurement technology continuously records currents, voltages and load factors in local network substations and cable distribution boards. The measurement data provide a true picture of the current network situation, with precision down to the individual measurement point and without any model assumptions.
Feeder Measurement | Transformer measurement
Voltage measurement | KSA/ EOR-Integration
Understand
Understanding – turning data into knowledge
All measurement data is consolidated and processed in the SMIGHT IQ Cockpit. This provides network operators with a minute-by-minute overview of critical conditions, bottlenecks and available capacity across all substations and feeders.
Trade
Taxation – turning observation into the ability to act
This transparency enables active intervention. Consumer appliances and feed-in sources can be controlled in a targeted manner because SMIGHT NeMS knows the actual state of the grid and does not rely on projections or worst-case assumptions.
Provide evidence
Document
All control actions are logged in an audit-proof manner. Each control command is stored along with the time, scope and affected assets, and is assigned to the relevant control event. Evidence for the upstream distribution system operator can be retrieved at any time.
SMIGHT NeMS addresses all the challenges of active grid operation on a single platform and using a shared control chain.
Resolving grid overload caused by controllable
loads
Load Management
SMIGHT NeMS detects grid congestion based on real-time measurement data and automatically adjusts the output of wallboxes, heat pumps and battery storage systems in a non-discriminatory manner. The control chain is managed entirely by the metering point operator. Every control action is documented in an audit-proof manner, including a timestamp, scope and grid area ID – in compliance with BNetzA and VDE regulations.
Automatically
curtail excess PV feed-in
Feed-in Management
PV systems are automatically regulated via the same control chain as load management – no separate system, no duplicate infrastructure. The Adaptive Dynamic Twin also detects unregistered PV systems using satellite imagery and enables voltage analysis, which would not be possible without a grid model.
Automate and verify the controllability check
Proof of controllability
Test planning, the dispatch of test commands, collision avoidance with active control systems and audit-proof documentation are all carried out fully automatically – even for thousands of systems. The pre-filled reporting form for TSOs is available straight away.
Coordinating control commands from superimposed network layers
High-voltage/medium-voltage coordination
SMIGHT NeMS receives control commands from MS and HS, validates them and executes them in the low-voltage system in accordance with BSI standards. The Adaptive Dynamic Twin provides qualitative feedback: how much control potential is available and when – based on actual measurement data, not on installed rated power.
NeMS can do more than just control. It understands the grid.
The Adaptive Dynamic Twin combines measurement data, grid topology, weather data and external sources to create a dynamic grid model. This enables SMIGHT NeMS not only to respond to bottlenecks, but also to identify them up to 24 hours in advance – and to position the low-voltage grid as an active partner to the higher-level grid tiers.
Living network model
Measurement data, network topology, weather data and satellite images are continuously consolidated – without the need for manual input.
24-hour forecast
Load and feed-in profiles are forecast on the basis of historical data and machine learning – including for unmetered off-takes.
Qualitative feedback to MV/HV
Overlapping network layers receive not only confirmation of implementation, but also a qualitative assessment of available control potential – based on actual measurement data.
