The challenge: investing despite unclear data
Grid operators face a daunting task: the distribution grid must be made fit for millions of new producers and consumers—photovoltaics, heat pumps, and charging infrastructure are rapidly changing load flows.
However, many decisions regarding grid expansion are still based on estimates or static models. The problem is clear: if you don’t know your grid in detail, it’s difficult to target your investments.
Although special measuring sensors are already in use for specific monitoring in the grid, the decisive difference lies not in the maximum accuracy of individual sensors, but in their widespread availability. This is because the low-voltage grid often lacks transparency data precisely where most bottlenecks occur today.
This is where the smart meter gateway becomes a game changer, because it is currently being rolled out in huge numbers throughout the grid as a standard component. This creates the basis for a realistic picture of the situation across a wide area for the first time.
The ramp-up of the smart meter rollout is creating a completely new digital infrastructure in the distribution grid. With the planned full rollout by 2032, intelligent metering systems (iMSys) will be available in their millions, right where the energy transition requires particular momentum: in the low-voltage grid.
The decisive step is then to use this infrastructure in a way that benefits the grid. With tariff application case (TAF) 10, a comprehensive picture of the situation across the electricity grid is being created for the first time. For grid operators, this means no more flying blind – and a reliable data basis for planning, operation, and investment.
TAF 10: When the gateway becomes a network sensor
This is where the TAF 10 really comes into its own. The TAF 10 is a function of the smart meter gateway that goes far beyond simple billing and makes the gateway a key component for transparency in the smart grid.
While billing-related TAFs such as TAF 1 or TAF 7 provide calibration-compliant consumption data for billing purposes, TAF 10 is aimed directly at grid operation. It turns the smart meter gateway into a standardized sensor in the distribution grid – not just in specific areas, but across the board.
The particular advantage is that it is not just about collecting measured values, but about direct usability in operation. Critical thresholds can be automatically detected by the SMGW and reported directly to the distribution network operator via the backend. This makes network management more proactive: bottlenecks become visible more quickly, situations can be assessed at an early stage, and control measures in accordance with Section 14a or Section 9 of the EEG can be initiated in good time.
For grid operators, this means greater transparency, faster response times, and significantly more informed decisions—both in day-to-day operations and in investment planning.
Proven standard: Experience since 2020
While some smart grid solutions are just getting started, the TAF 10 is already established in the field. In October 2020, PPC became the first manufacturer to receive BSI certification for tariff application case 10.
This provides security for grid operators: it is not a new concept or pilot project, but a certified technology that has been reliably in use for years. Especially in an increasingly complex energy world, this stability is a decisive factor for a secure rollout.
Conclusion: Why TAF 10 makes the difference
The TAF 10 makes the smart meter gateway the core of modern grid monitoring. Not because it is used as a targeted individual sensor in the grid, but because, as an infrastructure available in millions, it creates real transparency in low voltage for the first time.
This makes the smart meter rollout more than just a digital metering rollout. It creates an operational tool for simplified and clear grid operation. TAF 10 enables the transition from reactive grid management to active, data-based grid control – including automated notifications in critical situations.
In times when grid expansion must be faster, more efficient, and more targeted, TAF 10 is a decisive lever. With this technology, the smart meter gateway becomes the most important sensor in the grid—because it provides the basis for truly understanding and proactively controlling the power grid.
At PPC, we are consistently working on solutions that support grid operators in not only managing the energy transition, but also actively enabling it.
