The energy transition is picking up speed, especially when it comes to electricity from sunlight. Various reputable sources all report that around 1 million new photovoltaic systems were installed in Germany in 2023, including around 270,000 plug-in solar systems. The dynamic behaviour of these small systems, also known as balcony power plants, is particularly strong. In 2023, the number of new installations was four times as high as in the previous year. And interest in solar energy continues to grow.

As a result of regulation, distribution system operators are facing a huge amount of work. On the one hand, they must check whether the data transmitted to the DSO by the system operator or installer and the data entered by the latter in the Federal Network Agency’s market master data register are identical. If this inspection is not carried out within six months, the DSO faces a penalty of 6,000 euros per system in the worst-case scenario. Exceeding inspection deadlines harbours high economic risk: Large DSOs, for example, connect thousands of PV systems to the grid every year. However, an automated check is also essential because it is the only way to cope with the high workload. In addition, data inconsistencies cause errors in various subsequent processes, the correction of which takes up valuable working time and generates costs.

On the other hand, with Solar Package I, the German government has exempted operators of balcony power plants (up to 800 W inverter output) from the obligation to register their systems with the local grid operator. It is sufficient to register them in the Federal Network Agency’s market master data register. It is now the task of the DSO to retrieve this operator data from the market master data register. The legislature requires this to be done within one month. In this case, too, the DSO faces regulatory measures if the deadline is not met, and even penalties in the event of systematic violations. Here, as there, it is obvious: manual processing is ineffective and harbours considerable risks.

Process automation facilitates data synchronisation

With APP:Sync-MaStR software from Soptim, grid operators are relieved of all administrative hassle when managing classic PV systems and balcony power plants, as well as other decentralised generation systems and energy storage systems. During the grid operator check, the data from both landscapes (the DSO system and market master data register) is imported into Sync-MaStR via a web service and compared there on a screen view. The system identifies discrepancies and displays them. All the user has to do is click the mouse to determine which data is correct. These are then automatically stored in both systems.

Sync-MaStR offers needs-based support and a great deal of convenience. For example, the processes can be set according to individual requirements and automated processes can be stored. A configurable automatic system can be used to determine how the system should react for each master datum – even without user intervention. In the dashboard, the user can see where there is a risk of a deadline violation. Impending delays can not only be reported, but deadline extensions can also be requested directly via Sync-MaStR. Workflows and text modules are also stored for cases requiring clarification. System synchronisation takes place cyclically and always displays the delta to the previous call.

Jochen Schmidt, Product Owner of the APP:Sync-MaStR software at Soptim AG: “Fully automated data synchronisation enables personnel cost savings and at the same time alleviates the shortage of skilled workers.”

Increased transparency through additional system information

Sync-MaStR provides additional added value, for example by enabling you to enrich your own database. For example, the orientation of solar panels may be noted in the market master data register, something which was previously unknown to the DSO. This gives them additional transparency about the generation situation in their grid. “The fully automated comparison of master data from the market master data register with the data in the DSO’s own system not only identifies deviations and enables effortless correction at the touch of a button, but also achieves other benefits,” summarises Jochen Schmidt, Product Owner at Soptim. “Sync-MaStR thus minimises manual effort and reduces potential errors in administration and follow-up processes.”

Sync-MaStR works in a similar way for balcony power plants. The software automatically retrieves all data from the market master data register. As the BNetzA assigns the installations in the market master data register to the grid operators by post, it is not uncommon in practice for them to include erroneous entries. One of Sync-MaStR’s tasks is therefore to check whether the balcony power plant can be assigned to its own grid. If this is not the case, the process can be delegated back to the market master data register via software.

Secondly, it is checked which voltage level is affected. If there is a match – minor name discrepancies are irrelevant in this context – the software transfers the information to the DSO’s master data management system. An interesting side feature of the data import: as the associated meter number is also stored in the market master data register, the grid operator can see whether an old Ferraris meter is still linked to the balcony power plant in the case in question, which could run backwards when feeding into the grid and should therefore be replaced with an electronic meter on an ad hoc basis.

“DSOs solve one of their most pressing problems”

“Thanks to Sync-MaStR, DSOs can easily solve one of their most pressing current problems and benefit in many ways,” says Jochen Schmidt. “Fully automated data synchronisation enables personnel cost savings and at the same time alleviates the shortage of skilled workers. The risk of incorrect entries is reduced as there is no need for manual data entry and checking. With plug-in solar systems, grid operators have an up-to-date overview of the otherwise often unclear feed-in situation. And last but not least: inspection deadlines are reliably adhered to and fines are avoided.”

Sync-MaStR runs at the Soptim partner AWS Amazon Web Services in a German data centre. The provider makes the software available via a browser and using a rental model. As personal data is processed, all data exchange processes are designed to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation.

by Gerhard Großjohann, owner, Eta Media agency, Steinhagen
published in: np Jg. 63 (2024), Issue 9