From pv magazine Germany
SMA Solar Technology AG said its Sunny Central Storage battery inverter has become the first system in Germany to receive a unit certificate for grid-forming mode with instantaneous reserve. The certification applies to high- and extra-high-voltage connections and is based on standards VDE-AR-N 4120 and VDE-AR-N 4130.
With this approval, the inverter can be used in projects that aim to qualify for the new instantaneous reserve market, scheduled to open in early 2026 through a tender process. The Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) lifted an exemption from the tender requirement in September 2023. Clear technical standards for tenders are still being finalized.
The VDE FNN published an advisory paper in June that defines detailed requirements for grid-forming inverters, storage systems, and customer installations. These include specifications for overvoltage behavior and settling times.
SMA said the certification “enables the use of grid-forming capabilities already today,” while certification under the FNN advisory is still underway and expected to be completed before the market launch in 2026.
Instantaneous reserve describes the immediate response of generating plants to voltage or frequency fluctuations in the grid to stabilize the system at 50 hertz. Traditionally provided by fossil-fuel power plants, it is expected to come increasingly from renewable generators and battery storage.
“We are not waiting for new requirements; instead, we are already enabling our customers to deploy grid-forming technologies in the interconnected grid that not only meet existing requirements but can also provide advanced stability services such as instantaneous reserve that is immediately effective,” said Daniel Duckwitz, product manager grid stability at SMA.
The VDE FNN advisory also covers storage systems, controllable reference units, and customer installations, marking the final technical milestone before the new tenders begin.
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