Connection to the grid
Updated: 18.12.2018
Author: Tim Sternkopf
In Austria, the Federal Act is only a framework legislation, i.e. it does not provide detailed rules, except for community installations. Specific provisions are laid down in the legislation of the state governments. In general, the following rules apply: A plant operator is entitled against the grid operator to the conclusion of an agreement to connect a renewable energy plant to the grid (general obligation to connect, § 5 para. 1 no. 2 ElWOG). Specific conditions for connection are agreed upon with the grid operator in charge and laid down in a grid access agreement as defined in § 7 no. 55 ElWOG. A claim for connection to the grid arises on the date on which the grid access agreement is concluded. A grid operator is defined as an operator of a transmission or distribution grid that has a nominal frequency of 50 Hz (§ 7 no. 51 ElWOG). The detailed conditions for entitlement to connection are laid down in the implementing legislation of the state governments and in the terms and conditions of the grid operators.
Community installations
Individuals entitled to grid access are legally entitled to the connection of community installations. However, the free choice of the supplier must remain (§16a ElWOG). The joint electricity producing unit for private or commercial use has to be connected to the main electricity circuit system of the building. Connecting the community installation to installations of the grid operator or the transmission of self-generated electricity through facilities owned by the grid operator to other participants is forbidden (§16a subpara. 2 ElWOG).
Procedure
| Process flow | The stages of the connection process are not defined by law. The connection process usually consists of the following steps which have to be developed by the legislation of the state governments (§17 par. 2 ElWOG):
- Application. The plant operator applies to the grid operator for connection to the grid. The implementation laws of the state governments may provide simplified procedures for the connection of RES- or CHP-plants to the grid (§12 par. 2 ElWOG)
- Technical test. The grid operator assesses whether establishing a connection is technically feasible.
- Agreement. The plant operator and the grid operator conclude a connection agreement, which is required to complete the connection process.
- For a community installation, the participants and its operator (if the installation is not operated by the participants themselves) have to conclude a contract on construction and operation which has to include inter alia the following information (§16a subpar. 4 ElWOG):
- Description and functioning of the installation
- Installations of the participants and their counting point numbers
- The participants’ individual share of the jointly used installation and the generated electricity
- The person responsible for the operated installation
- Extension/reinforcement. If required, the grid is reinforced or extended.
- Connection. The plant is connected and may export electricity to the grid. In case of a community installation, the grid operator has to monitor the feed-in with a load profile meter or a smart meter. With some exceptions, the smart meter has to be installed within 6 months after connection (§16a subpar. 5 ElWOG)
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| Deadlines | Applications for connection of a plant to the grid and for access to the grid shall be answered within a period of 14 days (§ 17 par. 3 no. 12 ElWOG). |
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| Obligation to inform | In case of a community installation, the grid operator has to be notified about the designated operator (§16a subpar. 3 ElWOG). |
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Priority to renewable energy
- Priority to renewable energy
- Non-discrimination
All plant operators have the same right to the connection of their plants to the grid, irrespective of the energy source used (§§ 9, 40 no. 9, §§ 28 par. 8 no. 3 , 45 par. 20 ElWOG).
Capacity limits (quantitative criteria)
The contractual obligation to connect RES-E plants to the grid does not necessarily imply that grid operators also have to reinforce the grid, if this is necessary to practically allow new producers to connect to the grid. Such an obligation is not regulated in the federal and regional electricity laws. Therefore, plant operators have to conclude a contract with grid operators first, in order to claim the reinforcement.
Distribution of costs
| Plant operator | The costs of connection to the grid are borne by the grid users (§ 54 para. 1 ElWOG). A grid user shall be defined as every natural person, legal entity or purchasing company that exports electricity to or receives electricity from a grid (§ 7 Z. 49 ElWOG). Therefore, the connection costs are borne by the plant operator, who pays the so-called grid-access fee which is expense-based. However, the grid operator might foresee a flat rate for plants of the same grid level (§54 para. 2 ElWOG). In case a flat rate is deployed, the grid operator has to publish the amount in an appropriate way (e.g. via internet) (§ 12 para. 4 SNE-VO 2012 idF Novelle 2017). In addition, he has to pay fees for measurements that have to be taken during the construction, the operation and the gauging of metering devices and the collection of data which are exactly determined by regulation (§ 10 para. 1 SNE-VO 2012 idF Novelle 2017). |
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Austria