Glossary

Ancillary services:

The auxiliary services necessary for reliable operation of the grids. In particular, they comprise system coordination, balance management, primary regulation, the cold start and stand-alone capability of generators, voltage switching (including a proportion of reactive power), operational measurements and the compensation of effective losses.

Distribution grid:

Electricity grid of high, intermediate or low voltage for the purpose of supplying end consumers or electric utilities.

Electricity grid:

System consisting of numerous lines and the necessary auxiliary systems for the transmission and distribution of electricity. Electrical lines with a small area of coverage for fine distribution, such as on industrial sites or within buildings, are not considered to be electricity grids.

End consumers:

Customers who purchase electricity for their own needs. The use of electricity for a power plant's own requirements as well as to drive the pumps in a pumped storage power plant is excluded from this.

Grid access:

Right to use a grid in order to purchase electricity from a freely chosen supplier or to feed electricity into a grid.

Regulated supply:

Amount of electricity that is available automatically or on demand from power plants in order to maintain the planned power exchange and to guarantee secure grid operation.

Regulated supply zone:

Territory in which the national grid company is responsible for regulating the grid. The regulated supply zone is defined physically by measurement points.

Renewable energies:

Hydropower, solar energy, geothermal energy, ambient heat, wind energy and energy from biomass as well as biomass wastes.

Transmission grid:

Electricity grid which serves to transmit electricity across longer distances within the country and to connect up with foreign grids; it is operated as a rule on the 220/380 kV voltage level.