Plant Certification - Process

The certification process for energy generation systems includes two steps: plant certification and declaration of conformity. Plant certification includes evaluating the required documents for the planned generation system and concludes with creating the plant certificate.

After receiving the plant certificate, you can request provisional commissioning approval from the grid operator. After commissioning the generation system, the declaration of conformity procedure begins.

This procedure involves verifying that the installed system conforms to the data in the plant certificate. It concludes with the issuance of a declaration of conformity. After completing the certification process, the generation system can be put into operation.

We promise to process your order within eight weeks of receiving all the required documents. For exceptions, see "In which cases are there delays?" Depending on the order situation, however, we often process applications more quickly. Thanks to our customer portal and automated internal processes, we can issue a plant certificate in just a few days in individual cases, provided that all the necessary documents are submitted promptly and correctly and that grid connection rule compliance is fully proven. Unfortunately, these conditions are not often met, which results in documents being submitted later and checked again. This leads to an average processing time of two to four weeks.

The processing time depends on how quickly you can provide the required documents. We also ask that you pay our invoices immediately.

A negative evaluation of the documents you submitted is not a problem, as an additional review or correction loop is included in the offer. Additional review or correction loops are possible by agreement and will be invoiced after appropriate advance notice, in accordance with our offer and terms and conditions.

If documents are still missing or incorrect after all agreed-upon deadlines and review loops, a final technical report is prepared. This means that no plant certificate can be issued as part of the regular project process. The final technical report summarizes the missing and/or incorrect documents.

You may resubmit the missing or incorrect documents, but you must obtain a new offer to do so.

Pay close attention to the deadlines for submitting the required documents. If you experience delays in obtaining the required documents, ask for deadline extensions. Arrange for additional checking or correction loops if the documents are incorrect (additional fees will apply).

As a certification body, we treat all customers equally. Therefore, we ask for your understanding that express surcharges or similar options are not available.

However, you can speed up the process by promptly obtaining all the necessary documents and responding immediately to error messages. If necessary, you should also ask other project participants (station builders, suppliers) for assistance early in the project.

We also ask that you pay our invoices immediately.

In most cases, delays occur because not all the necessary documents are available, or because the documents are incorrect or inconsistent with each other.

In rare cases, unforeseen problems arise during the evaluation process, such as implausible behaviour of the generation unit models. This may require us to request additional documents or contact individual suppliers. However, we will promptly and transparently inform you (usually via our customer portal) about such events.

Delays may also result from coordination with the grid operator and other project participants.

After submitting a request via our customer portal, you will receive a free quote. The quote requires a few details and documents.

To prepare the offer, we need the following information from you:

• Information on the generating units to be certified: Manufacturer, Type, Nominal output, Completed or planned commissioning
• Applicable standards and normative requirements;
• The name, address, and contact details of the customer
• The name, address, and contact details of the certificate holder
• Information on the grid operator
• Physical location of the system
• Voltage level of the grid connection
• Self-consumption power input

Please only use the customer portal to request and submit the required information. This is the only way we can guarantee a prompt quotation.

We will send you an offer within four working days at most. In most cases, this process is quicker. However, delays may occur if we need additional information from you to prepare a quote.

We start the plant certification process when the following requirements are met:

- Signature of the declaration of acceptance from the offer;

- dispatch by email of the order confirmation from us;

- payment of the down payment or advance payment.

Please pay the invoice you receive. You will then receive an account in the customer portal. Then, start collecting the required documents and submit them via the portal. You will see a clear overview of what you need to deliver.

If you have any questions, your personal project manager will provide competent support.

Please only use our customer portal. This gives you and us an overview. This is the only way we can guarantee fast processing.

The following documents are important for preparing the plant certificate (not complete, but intended as an initial guide):

• Unit and component certificates (including validated simulation models), or
• Prototype confirmations.
• Grid operator questionnaire in accordance with VDE-AR-N 4110, Annex E.9 or VDE-AR-N 4120, Annex E.7;
• Operator questionnaire in accordance with VDE-AR-N 4110, Annex E.8, or VDE-AR-N 4120, Annex E.6;
• An overview plan (single-line diagram) of the generation system, including all relevant equipment, such as cables (including types and length), transformers (including tap changer position), switchgear, and switching devices.
• Data sheets of the installed transformers, switchgear, and switching devices;
• Information on distance, overcurrent, short-circuit, earth fault, system, and decoupling protection, as well as system controllers and their uninterruptible power supply, if required.
• Detailed information on the protection, control, and measurement concept (data sheets of the planned current and voltage transformers for metering, measurement, and protection purposes).

The detailed list of required documents will be released via our customer portal immediately after payment of the down payment invoice. Further information on the required documents can be found here. Link

The following documents are important for preparing the plant certificate type B (this is an initial guide and is not complete):

• Unit and component certificates or prototype confirmations;
• Grid operator questionnaire in accordance with VDE AR-N 4110, Annex E.9;
• Operator questionnaire in accordance with VDE AR-N 4110 Annex E.8;
• An overview plan (single-line diagram) of the generation system including all relevant equipment (cables, including types and length; transformers, including tap changer position; switchgear; and switching devices);
• Data sheets of the installed transformers, switchgear, and switching devices;
• Information on distance, overcurrent, short-circuit, earth fault, system, and decoupling protection (if required) and system controllers and their uninterruptible power supply.
• Detailed information on the protection, control, and measurement concept, including data sheets of the planned current and voltage transformers for metering, measurement, and protection purposes.

The detailed list of required documents will be released via our customer portal immediately after payment of the down payment invoice. Further information on the required documents can be found here. Link

For plant certification type B with conditions, we require the same documents as for plant certification type B without conditions.

Once your account has been activated, you will find a wealth of information, examples, and explanations in the customer portal.

You may also contact your assigned contact person through the portal.

Please note that, as an accredited certification body, we are not permitted to offer consulting services.

We have created our checklist in the customer portal so that the most important documents are at the top.

We recommend that you work through the documents from top to bottom.

Please submit the documents via our customer portal. This allows for encrypted data communication and provides a structured way to submit documents, enabling us to process your project efficiently. As a general rule, we prefer to receive all documents as high-resolution PDF files (>150 dpi).

The best way to contact your project manager is to use the chat function on our portal.

This allows us to communicate clearly and document the agreed-upon arrangements.

You will only receive the attachment certificate digitally in the form of a signed PDF file. The data transfer is encrypted.