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SMA Solar Technology AG announced that it has received the first certification under Germany’s VDE FNN guideline, which sets out technical requirements for grid-forming capabilities and the provision of inertia. The certification opens the way for utility-scale battery storage systems to earn additional revenue by providing stability services in grids with a growing share of renewables.
Which product the certificate covers
According to the statement of 28 September 2026, the certificate was issued for SMA’s Sunny Central Storage UP-S battery inverter platform and confirms compliance with the requirements of VDE FNN Guideline Version 2.1. The guideline sets a standard framework for the testing, verification and certification of grid-forming units and plants that will take part in Germany’s emerging inertia market.
The company notes that transmission system operators are introducing new market-based mechanisms to maintain stability in grids where inverter-based generation is replacing conventional synchronous power plants, and that Germany’s framework for inertia services is one example.
Field references at Blackhillock, Kilmarnock and Föhren
In 2025 SMA received the industry’s first unit certificate for grid-forming battery inverters under VDE-AR-N requirements. The company’s technology is used in the Blackhillock and Kilmarnock battery storage projects in the UK and the Föhren project in Germany.
SMA Chief Operating Officer Olaf Heyden said the energy transition has entered a new phase in which battery systems are playing an ever larger role in grid stability, and that the certification is an important prerequisite for the wider rollout of these technologies. Daniel Duckwitz, the company’s Grid Stability Specialist, said projects in the field are already demonstrating the value of stability services provided by battery systems.
What it means for solar and storage investors
According to the statement, certified grid-forming storage gives project developers and independent power producers access to new revenue streams from inertia and other stability services, helps utilities managing renewable portfolios future-proof their storage investments, and offers system operators a scalable path to stability in low-inertia grids.
Sources
- SMA Solar Technology AG press release, “SMA achieves first certification under Germany’s new framework for the inertia market”, 28.09.2026 – sma.de
Image: SMA Solar Technology AG
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