Pioneering Grid-Forming Certification
SMA Solar Technology’s Sunny Central UP-S battery inverter platform has become the first to be certified for providing grid-stabilizing inertia to the German grid under the VDE FNN guideline Version 2.1. This certification unlocks access to Germany’s new 'Momentanreserve' (Instantaneous Reserve) market, which runs from January 2026 to January 2028. Under this market framework, transmission system operators (TSOs) sign 2- to 10-year contracts, paying up to €888.5/MWs for top-tier grid-forming BESS resources with over 90% availability. This creates a highly bankable, long-term revenue stream that is expected to accelerate large-scale BESS investments across the country.
First Large-Scale GFM BESS Inaugurated
Coinciding with this certification, a 21 MW / 55 MWh grid-forming BESS project utilizing SMA’s technology was inaugurated at the Trier Region Industrial Park in Föhren, Rhineland-Palatinate. This facility stands as Germany’s first large-scale grid-forming battery storage system, demonstrating the practical application of these advanced inverters.
Macroeconomic Impact of Doubling Storage
Simultaneously, a simulation by Fraunhofer ISE indicates that doubling Germany’s battery storage capacity could profoundly impact power markets. Adding 20 GW of 2-hour battery storage would cut hours with prices exceeding €200/MWh by 88% and reduce negative price hours by 53%. This would increase the solar market value by 35% and save approximately €1.2 billion annually in solar subsidies. Currently, Germany boasts over 21 GW of battery storage power output, predominantly from home batteries. However, the industry association bne is advocating for faster grid connections for large-scale batteries and accelerated smart meter rollouts to fully integrate home storage into the electricity market.
Source: Energy-Storage.news, Clean Energy Wire
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