A new global standard for low-voltage generating sets is currently being discussed by the International Electrotechnical Commission. IEC is an international standards organization that prepares and publishes international standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies. So they are also in charge of what a plug does and for what you can use a plug. So far there is no prohibiton onto using plug to feed in electricity into the grid in your house. The technical standrd is simply mute and thus does neither allow nor prohibit it.
The current discussion concerns section 751.550.101.1, which states:
„A generating set shall not be connected to a final circuit.“
This wording would mean that plug-in solar devices (which do exactly that: Connect to an existing final circuit) would no longer be permitted.
The supplementary paragraph 751.550.101.2 is also cause for concern. It states:
„The connection of the generating set to the electrical installation shall be made by one of the following methods: […] a dedicated coupling system which is not compatible with any configurations belonging to national systems based on IEC 60884-1 […]“ This wording directly targets the exclusion of Schuko-compatible plugs and, as I understand it, other plugs that could easily be used.
On the one hand, this would mean that the simplifications we have achieved in Germany with the current standardization – a preliminary standard that is supposed to allow Schuko plugs will probably be published this month – would be canceled again at the international level.
The draft is currently at the CDV stage (Committee Draft for Vote), with a voting period from April 11 to July 4, 2025. The planned stability date for the standard is set until 2029
This is simply bizzare. Currently we have 964.308 (2nd of June 2025) of plug in pv systems registered in Germany, the wast majority of them works via plug in pv and that without any problem. That number means we have something between 2 and 3 Mio. (!) symstems operational right now, most of them connected via shuko plug without any problems.
Any such attempt would grossly underminde the encouragement given to member states in the EU Electricity Market Directive 2024/1711 to allow or promote plug-in solar technology.
The comment period ends on June 16th, and not just any citizen is allowed to comment, but only the experts from the national committees.
If this becomes a reality, plug-in solar will be a thing of the past for the next few years.
A possible soution would be to include the text: „a dedicated coupling system which is compatible with configurations belonging to national systems, if a national standard includes technical provisions for the safe implementation of such a connection„
We could also add: „As defined in VDE V 0126-95 other options beneath mechanical isolation like in the example include preemptive disconnection by electromagnetic means in the plug or the cable as well as a defined system of shutdown, disconnection and capacitator discharge in the inverter.„
This would carry the solution we achieved in the VDE discussion into the international norm.
Normal citizens can not simply submit any commenty, but the delegates in the IEC Comitee can. This is the group of people that can submit comments,
