Elering set to again make connecting to the electricity transmission network easier

Starting 1 July of this year, updated standardized conditions for connecting to the electricity transmission network will come into effect, the most significant changes to which will make the process of grid connection more flexible for customers.

The changes were spurred by the entry into force of the Regulation no. 2016/631 of the European Commission (RfG) and the network code on the functioning of the electricity system on 27 April of this year, which Elering harmonized its connection conditions with.

As the most significant new feature, customers now have the opportunity to order a preliminary study from Elering already before the submission application is submitted and to arrange for procurement documents to be drafted for constructing the connection point and, if necessary, network reinforcements.

The other major change is the adoption of the term "mixed customer site" and setting forth the corresponding regulations on connecting to the network. A mixed customer site is an electrical installation intended for consumption and generation of electricity, where the connection point between the customer and TSO serves as the boundary for the purpose of verification of the conformity and compliance with the conditions set forth in the grid connection conditions. The connection conditions set forth the requirements for establishing the mixed customer site's control system such that the Elering control centre would be able to control the power-generating module that is part of the mixed customer site separately from the consumption related to it.

As a completely new addition, customers can enter into a connection agreement so that it does not specify the make and model of the power-generating module, but rather the maximum apparent power in the generation direction and the active and reactive capacity guaranteed at the connection point by the power-generating module to be installed. This means that, upon submission of the connection application, data sheets do not have to be forwarded to Elering regarding the power-generating module’s units, including the make or model. These data will have to be submitted thereafter in a technical project prior to synchronization of the power-generating module.

These updates are just a small portion of the changes to the standardized conditions. The updated standardized conditions along with additional explanations about the changes are available on Elering’s website https://elering.ee/en/conditions-connecting-grid.