Germany’s grid connection landscape is changing. Following the introduction of the Reifegradverfahren at transmission level, distribution grid operators are adopting criteria-based procedures to allocate increasingly scarce grid connection capacity.
With E.ON’s new 110 kV Zuteilungsverfahren now open, BESS developers face an increasingly important question: Which substations should they target for their next projects?
Available grid capacity alone doesn’t provide the answer. Grid congestion, curtailment exposure, planned network reinforcements and connection timelines can significantly influence a project’s development potential and long-term performance.
To help developers navigate these challenges, Revolt is expanding GridScore™ — its substation scoring and ranking platform — from Germany’s 380 kV transmission network into the 110 kV distribution grid.
E.ON’s Zuteilungsverfahren: What Developers Need to Know
On 12 October 2026, Bayernwerk Netz, E.DIS Netz and Schleswig-Holstein Netz opened their first application window under a new criteria-based grid connection allocation procedure.
The pilot generally covers relevant larger electricity consumers above 1 MW and battery storage projects above 300 kW, subject to the operators’ specific requirements and exceptions.
Rather than allocating capacity solely according to application order, the new procedure evaluates competing projects against published criteria.
Key dates:
- 12 October 2026: Application window opened
- 23 November 2026: Application deadline
- 15 March 2027: Scheduled allocation feedback
For BESS developers, this creates a dual challenge: preparing competitive applications while identifying which substations offer the most promising connection opportunities.
GridScore: Know Which Substations to Target Before You Apply
Identifying potential connection points is only the first step. Understanding which substations offer the best development opportunities — and which carry significant grid-related risks — is considerably more challenging.
Developers must evaluate multiple factors across numerous locations, often relying on fragmented datasets published by different network operators.
GridScore addresses this challenge by scoring and ranking substations according to their congestion exposure and grid suitability.
The platform combines key grid intelligence indicators, including:
- Grid connection capacity and suitability: Available network information, connection strength indicators and infrastructure characteristics.
- Congestion and curtailment exposure: Historical redispatch and curtailment patterns that may affect a BESS project’s commercial performance.
- Grid expansion plans: Planned network reinforcements and infrastructure development, including relevant Network Development Plan (NEP) measures.
- Connection timelines: Network development milestones and information relevant to planning grid connection applications.
By bringing these indicators together into comparative substation rankings, GridScore helps BESS developers and investors:
- Identify which substations to target for new grid connection applications.
- Prioritise development sites based on congestion exposure and grid suitability.
- Understand grid-related risks before committing substantial resources to project development.
- Compare connection opportunities across substations using a consistent analytical framework.
- Make more informed investment decisions when screening and evaluating BESS portfolios.
Instead of analysing each connection point independently, developers can use GridScore to focus their development resources on the most promising opportunities.
Expanding GridScore from 380 kV to 110 kV
GridScore’s existing 380 kV module provides substation-level intelligence and rankings across Germany’s transmission network.
We are now extending GridScore’s scoring and ranking capabilities to the 110 kV distribution grid, starting with selected network operators participating in E.ON’s Zuteilungsverfahren.
This expansion will help developers compare substations and assess grid-related risks at distribution level, where grid information is often less standardised and more fragmented.
Not all distribution network operators publish the same information. The availability and precision of individual scoring indicators therefore depend on the data provided by each operator.
GridScore supports early-stage site screening and prioritisation. It complements, rather than replaces, formal grid connection applications, binding capacity confirmations and detailed technical due diligence.
Why This Matters for BESS Development
As firm grid connection capacity becomes increasingly difficult to obtain, grid connection strategy is becoming a determining factor in the success of BESS projects.
Two substations may appear similarly attractive based on their location or published capacity, yet differ significantly in congestion exposure, planned reinforcements, connection timelines and longer-term grid risks.
Choosing where to apply is therefore as important as preparing the application itself.
In an increasingly competitive allocation environment, understanding these differences early can help developers focus on stronger opportunities, avoid unnecessary development expenditure and improve project prioritisation.
Explore GridScore in Revolt’s Grid Workspace
Revolt’s Grid Workspace brings together infrastructure mapping, GridScore substation rankings, grid risk indicators and project pipeline management in a single platform.
Whether you’re screening new locations, preparing for E.ON’s Zuteilungsverfahren or evaluating an existing BESS development portfolio, GridScore helps you make more informed decisions about where to develop.
For projects requiring deeper analysis, Revolt also provides independent grid risk assessments, technical due diligence and specialist grid advisory services.
Find better grid connection opportunities. Faster.