Solutions & Use Cases
Power Limitation
Power limits at the grid connection point (GCP) keep consumption and feed-in within what the local grid can carry. EEBUS defines how these limits are transmitted, distributed across devices and monitored.
What is Power Limitation
A power limit is not a shutdown. Devices behind the grid connection point continue to operate within the limit set by the distribution system operator (DSO). This keeps room for energy services and manufacturer-specific business models, while the grid situation stays under control.
The limit arrives at the energy management system (EMS) – in EEBUS terms, a device that implements the Customer Energy Management (CEM) role. It distributes the available power across the connected devices, following the cost and comfort preferences set by the end user. Where no EMS is present, a single device receives the limit and reacts to it directly.
Communication is secured end-to-end: EEBUS combines TLS-encrypted transport with the national requirements for the gateway at the grid connection point. Data protection and IT security are part of the standard, not an add-on.
Four Use Cases at the grid connection point
Limiting and monitoring belong together: measured values make the effect of a limit visible and verifiable.
LPC Limitation of Power Consumption
Transmits the maximum power the installation may draw from the grid, to the EMS or directly to a single device. A failsafe value applies if communication is interrupted.
LPP Limitation of Power Production
The same principle as for LPC, but for feed-in power (e.g. from a PV system or a battery storage).
MPC Monitoring of Power Consumption
Reports the actual consumption of a device or installation, which makes compliance with the limit verifiable.
MGCP Monitoring of Grid Connection Point
Provides the measured values at the grid connection point: the total consumption and feed-in of the building.
How it works
The limit travels from the grid to every controllable device – through the gateway at the grid connection point and, where present, the energy management system.
Meter
The meter provides the total consumption and feed-in of the building to the EMS and to the DSO. In Germany, the MGCP measured values can be provided through the Smart Meter Gateway (SMGW) – depending on the equipment installed.
Gateway
Connects the DSO and external market participants with the EMS – within the security and functional requirements that apply in each country.
Energy management system
Receives the power limit from the DSO via the gateway and dispatches the available power to the connected devices, according to the cost and comfort preferences set by the end user.
Controllable devices
Heat pumps, EV chargers, battery storage, PV inverters and home appliances connect either to an EMS or, where only one device is controllable, directly to the gateway. They continue to operate within the limits set by the DSO and in line with end-user preferences. If communication is interrupted, they fall back to a defined failsafe limit.
The system follows country-specific requirements. In Germany, the intelligent metering system (iMSys) combines the Smart Meter Gateway with a smart meter and meets the requirements of the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI TR-03109). Depending on the equipment, the MGCP values are provided by the SMGW or by the EMS. An FNN control box, for example, does not support MGCP itself and relies on an EMS to supply the value.
Why it matters in Germany?
Section 14a of the German Energy Industry Act (EnWG) requires distribution system operators to connect controllable consumer devices – heat pumps, EV chargers, air conditioning and battery storage – and allows them to reduce their power in case of grid congestion. A defined minimum power remains available at all times. LPC is the EEBUS Use Case that carries this grid-oriented control from the grid down to the individual device.
For generation systems such as PV installations, Section 9 of the German Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) requires technical equipment that allows the grid operator to reduce the feed-in power remotely. LPP is the EEBUS Use Case for this direction.
Next Step
Implementing Power Limitation?
From the first prototype to the certified product: the EEBUS Specifications, the EEBUS Tester and EEBUS Certification take you through every step.
