The German medium-voltage grid (10-30 kV) spans 530,000 kilometers and plays a crucial role in the deployment of photovoltaic and storage systems, as it is often the most cost-efficient grid connection option. Despite this central importance, geodata on grid infrastructure in Germany is largely unavailable. Inquiries to grid operators are typically denied, citing the special protection of "critical infrastructure" (§ 8 - 1 Geodata Access Act).
This lack of transparency means that project developers cannot consider the distance and cost to possible grid connection points in site evaluation, or can only do so with considerable research effort. The often-consulted OpenStreetMap data (e.g., with the help of the Geoviewer flosm.org) is largely incomplete and even partially incorrect. This is also because a large portion of the medium-voltage grid is underground and therefore not visible to the public. The data intransparency due to special protection status is even more frustrating when you find high-resolution and detailed grid maps in many neighboring countries, such as in France (RTE) and Poland (PSE).
To accelerate the further expansion of solar systems and storage in Germany despite the high data intransparency, dvlp.energy has developed an innovative, software-based approach for site-specific digitization of grid data from various textual publications by grid operators (e.g., grid expansion plans). For users of the platform, this means that they receive a complete map of the high voltage grids as well as a detailed overview of the underground and overhead sections of the medium-voltage grid in over 80% of the federal territory. This comprehensive access to grid data represents a decisive advantage for the planning and implementation of renewable energy projects.
