Plant Certificate - Dates, Prices and Types

A plant certificate issued by an accredited certification body in accordance with DIN EN ISO/IEC 17056:2013 proves that the communicated planning status of the generation plant meets all requirements of the underlying grid connection rules. After commissioning, the certified planning status is compared to the actual generation plant as part of the declaration of conformity. Thus, the plant certificate constitutes the first step in the verification process for grid connection approval of your generation plant.

We recommend ordering the plant certificate at least seven months before the planned commissioning date.

We recommend submitting the plant certificate to your responsible grid operator for review at least two months before the planned commissioning date.

According to VDE-AR-N 4110 (TAR Medium Voltage), the following types of plant certificates exist:

• Plant Certificate A: "Standard Plant Certificate" with PA_(max) > 950 kW;
• Plant Certificate B: "Simplified Plant Certificate" for medium-voltage grids with 135 kW ≤ PA_(max) ≤ 950 kW;
• Plant Certificate C is a plant certificate for individual verifications (generation units without unit certificates).

VDE-AR-N 4120 (TAR High Voltage) distinguishes only between plant certificates and individual verification procedures. No further gradations exist.

Plant certificate B is also known as the "Simplified Plant Certificate." It confirms that the planned generation plant complies with applicable grid connection rules (VDE-AR-N 4110) and requires an evaluation according to FGW TR8. A certification body accredited according to DIN EN ISO/IEC 17065:2013 issues this certificate, which must be submitted to the grid operator prior to commissioning/connection. If your system's total active power is between 135 kW and 950 kW (AC power, PA_(max)), you will need a plant certificate B.

To provide short-term relief in the certification process, the legal basis for certification — the "Ordinance on the Verification of Electrotechnical Properties of Energy Systems" (NELEV) — was amended in July 2022. During the transition period ending December 31, 2025, plant certificates B can be issued under certain conditions.

To do so, the plant operator or electrical planner must inform the certification body that they are requesting the "plant certificate (B) subject to conditions" procedure in accordance with Section 2(2b) of the NELEV as of July 30, 2022, or Supplement 2 to the FGW TR8 Rev. 09 as of August 24, 2022. All remaining open verification points must be verified within 18 months of commissioning the first generation unit as part of preparing the declaration of conformity (proof of full compliance with VDE-AR-N 4110 requirements).

We will send you the offer free of charge.

We offer the Type A plant certificate at a starting price of €10,000. Higher costs may apply if multiple generation units are installed or if the plant is connected to the high- or extra-high-voltage grid.

We offer the Type B plant certificate starting at €5,000. Higher costs may apply if multiple generation units are installed.

No, the price is the same for a plant certificate Type B with conditions as it is for a regular plant certificate Type B without conditions.

We can prepare the declaration of conformity based on the declaration of commissioning you submit, starting at €3,500. Higher costs may also be incurred in the case of several installed generation units and grid connection to the high and extra-high voltage grid.