Room for big ideas: PPC builds new test and demo center
PPC is making targeted investments in the next level of technological infrastructure for interoperability and field testing: The new test and demo center has now been inaugurated at the Mannheim site.
Spanning more than 100 m², the center provides a modern environment for development and live demonstrations of the intelligent metering system, CLS components, communication technologies, and the Network Management System (NMS). With more than 1,000 test stations, the entire spectrum from interoperability to development support can be covered.
The short distances between the development and engineering team and the test and demo center at the Mannheim site ensure close, seamless integration between development and integration.
The goal is to be able to test new components, partner solutions, and system integrations more quickly and under realistic conditions—thereby sustainably strengthening the interaction within the overall system.
From Our Proven Demo Center to the Next Level of Interoperability and Real-World Testing
Our existing demo center has reliably supported the numerous innovations of recent years. However, as our product portfolio expands, the number of connected components increases, and our customers’ rollouts scale up, the need for more test stations is growing—not only in terms of overall capacity but also in terms of the need to replicate our customers’ and partners’ system landscapes as comprehensively as possible. More than 130 partners, recognized as part of our “PPC connect” initiative, and the steadily growing interoperability lists clearly demonstrate this rising demand.
Thanks to the growing need for flexibility and as a foundation for many new business models, an increasing number of users and technology providers are turning to smart metering systems. Beyond meter connectivity, numerous controllable consumers and generators from the PV, heating, and e-mobility sectors will be connected to smart meter gateways and CLS components in the future for control system rollouts. WAN communication solutions, such as broadband powerline, will also be tested in the new demo center in the future. Furthermore, integration into the Network Management System (NMS) and corresponding feature enhancements can now be tested on an even larger scale. In addition, there are system and software providers who wish to integrate their solutions into the smart grid ecosystem.
A new test and demo center was therefore the next logical step: moving away from ad-hoc structures toward a scalable, standardized test architecture.
Over 1,000 test benches – structure, reproducibility, and scalability
With a total of over 1,000 structured test stations, we are significantly increasing our capacity while simultaneously creating an opportunity—unique in Germany—to map and further develop the complete infrastructure for smart metering systems and the control rollout.
What previously required a high level of manual effort will now take place in a standardized and reproducible high-end test environment. Different test stations are clearly defined and documented for each test setup and can be run in parallel.
In this way, PPC is laying the foundation for quality assurance that can meet the upcoming requirements of the digitalized energy transition: Systems must function stably over the long term, not just in isolation in the lab, but under real-world conditions in the field and within the entire digital ecosystem.
Among other things, the new infrastructure enables
• clearly defined, reproducible, and standardized test procedures
• parallel validation across the entire system landscape
• accelerated development and validation cycles
• robust, long-term quality verification
• tangible interoperability and demo setups conducted jointly with partners on-site
Interoperability as a Commitment to Quality
We place a special focus on complex interoperability testing with partner and third-party systems as part of the PPC connect initiative. In an increasingly interconnected smart grid ecosystem, seamless integration is key to ensuring stability and reliability in the field.
The Bottom line: Quantity and Quality
Our new test and demo center is not merely a capacity expansion, but the next logical step toward efficiently mapping functions within an overall system—a goal to which we at PPC aim to contribute.
With approximately 100 m² of structured test environment and over 1,000 defined test stations, an infrastructure is emerging that systematically scales quality. It combines technological depth with industrial process reliability and lays the foundation for confidently meeting scaling market demands.
In doing so, PPC is consistently expanding its existing strengths and aligning its development and testing landscape in a targeted and holistic manner with the future requirements of the digital energy system.
