Consumer-oriented feeding in of electricity: SPIE digitalises the grid connection process for infra in Germany

• SPIE is implementing a fully digitalised solution for the grid connection process, including application management, for the long-standing customer infra fürth gmbh (infra)^[1]. This facilitates the decentralised, consumer-oriented feeding in of electricity.
• The central component of this solution is a consumer-friendly portal in accordance with the Grid Connection Regulations (“Netzanschluss-verordnung”, NAV^[2]) and the Renewable Energy Sources Act (“Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz”, EEG^[3]) to speed up low-voltage grid connections, which facilitates the feeding in of electricity into the grid, even for private persons.
• Together with Mettenmeier GmbH, SPIE developed the AM Suite software, which is used by infra for the sectors electricity, natural gas, drinking water and district heating.
• As "ready-to-use" software, this has also been used for the digital portal of Stadtwerke Passau since December 2023^[4].

Fürth, 11 January 2023 - SPIE, the independent European leader in multi-technical services in the areas of energy and communications, facilitates decentralised, consumer-oriented supply of electricity and thus accelerates the energy transition in the low-voltage sector. At infra, which is based in Middle Franconia, the entire process landscape for checking grid connections and application management in the sectors electricity, natural gas, drinking water and district heating is being digitalised. The grid connection portal has been live at the Fürth-based energy supplier since 2023, enabling it to meet new 2024 legal requirements for accelerating low-voltage grid connections at an early stage. The AM Suite software developed by SPIE together with Mettenmeier GmbH is used for this purpose. The AM Suite is an EEG-compliant “ready-to-use” solution for small and medium-sized grid operators in particular.

Digitalisation for the energy transition in the low-voltage sector

Starting on 1 January 2024, distribution grid operators in Germany will be legally obliged to set up and operate a uniform internet platform for the digitalisation and optimisation of customer communication, data management and the comprehensive exchange of information in order to make it easier for even private persons to feed in (self-produced) electricity into the grid. Franconian infra has already met these requirements since January 2023. The AM Suite software used for this was developed by CeGIT, a business unit of SPIE Deutschland & Zentraleuropa, in cooperation with Mettenmeier. “With this solution, infra can offer an end-to-end digitalised grid connection process including a portal. This means that all applicants receive a quick answer to the question of whether a consumer or a supplier can be connected to the Fürth grid, for electricity as well as for natural gas, drinking water and district heating,” explained Benjamin Zagel, Head of Digitalisation and Innovation at infra.

AM Suite data hub

The AM Suite has a modular structure and covers all the needs of municipal utilities, from the service centre for digital house connections to gas leak detection. “One of the special features of the web-based AM Suite is that it does not require redundant data storage, but instead acts as a data hub in the centre of the system landscape,” described Andreas Kern, Head of Sales South-East at CeGIT, who has been supporting infra as a customer since 2008. The data for the grid connections comes from the SPIE InfoGraph GISMobil Geographic Information System. The Camunda BPM workflow engine can be used, for example, to graphically model and compile the grid connection process from application to grid inspection, quotation, commissioning, work preparation and implementation through to invoicing. “This allows the solution to be perfectly customised to the company's processes,” said Olaf Schimpf, Project Manager at CeGIT.

Constructive partnership

The practical experience gained from infra’s comprehensive order helped SPIE to offer the AM Suite as a “ready-to-use” solution, especially for small and medium-sized network operators. “We have enjoyed a very constructive and agile partnership with infra since 2008. We are delighted that our AM Suite solution is being used so successfully at infra that other municipal utilities are also benefiting from it. In this way, we are actively helping to accelerate the energy transition in the low-voltage sector,” said Frank Hülskamp, Head of Business Development at CeGIT. Stadtwerke Passau also went live with a portal based on the AM Suite in December 2023.

_{[1] The company is a local provider for electricity, natural gas, water, and district heating of the city of Fürth, in Germany.}

_{[2] “Netzanschlussverordnung” (NAV) refers to the German regulation that governs the relationship between the energy supply company (EVU) and the consumers of general electricity supply. The ordinance regulates the general conditions under which network operators must connect everyone to their low-voltage network and make the connection available for electricity withdrawal.}

_{[3] The Renewable Energy Sources Act, or “Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz” (EEG) in German, is a series of German laws that originally provided a feed-in tariff (FIT) scheme to encourage the generation of renewable electricity.}

_{[4]Stadtwerke Passau GmbH is a local utility company in Passau, Germany, primary service provider for energy and infrastructure in the Passau region.}