EIC Issuing Office (12)
Swissgrid acts as the Swiss EIC Issuing Office. Alongside electrical energy, it assumes responsibility for other sources of energy such as gas.
Clear rules and coordinated terms are required to ensure uniform electronic data exchange between among the various parties involved. To guarantee this, ETSO has developed the uniform Energy Identification Code (EIC) system. This coding system is used for:
- schedule management based on the ETSO Scheduling System (ESS)
- data exchange (metering data and change processes) according to SDAT-CH
On the website of the Association of Swiss Electricity Companies (Verband Schweizerischer Elektrizitätsunternehmen, VSE) you will find the document (in German) on standardised data exchange for the Swiss electricity market. It states that all players involved in data exchange must be clearly identified by means of a code. The EIC is used for this purpose.
A distinction is made between various code types in the EIC:
| A-Code (substation) | Substations or topological nodes. |
| T-Code (line) | Connecting objects such as interconnection lines, lines, busbar couplers, transformers, etc. |
| V-Code (location) | A physical or logical place where a Party could be located. An IT system that may be operated by one or more parties. One of the parties must be indicated as the responsible for the code. A location has necessarily an EIC responsible party associated with it. V-Codes are issued in particular during registration for communication via ECP (Energy Communication Platform) to identify IT systems. |
| W-Code (resource object) | Objects to be used for production, consumption or storage of energy. Examples are: generation unit, production unit, LNG terminals, gas storages etc. Excluded are the passive elements in the grid, e.g. lines or transformers. |
| X-Code (party) | A Party or Parties (if allowed by local tax regulation). A party must be understood as a legal entity having a VAT identification number or a unique identification code (like Legal Entity Identifier or Company Registration number). The role of grid operator has been defined as a special case in SDAT-CH. A separate EIC must be used for this role. |
| Y-Code (area) | A domain which can be considered as a delimited area that is uniquely identified for a specific purpose and where energy consumption, production or trade may be determined. It can be a geographical or market area, such as control areas, balance groups, bidding zones, balancing areas, etc. Only system operators, grid operators (distribution operators), market operators, imbalance settlement responsible parties, balance responsible parties, and regulators are allowed to request new EIC area identification codes. |
| Z-Code (measurement point) | A physical or logical point that is used to identify an object where the measurement of energy is measured or calculated. |
Additional documentation on possible types and their application can be found in the EIC documentation from ENTSO-E.
EIC application
If you wish to create a new code or modify the information of an existing code, please register on the EIC portal using the «Energy Identification Code (EIC)» application. Each company can register up to two accounts. Once you have logged on to the EIC portal, you will have access to the list of codes for your company. You will find instructions on how to use the EIC tool on the portal home page.
Swissgrid does not currently process EIC applications from private individuals. Currently, only accesses for companies can be created via the EIC portal. We are working on a solution to make codes available to people without a company. Our website will be updated as soon as this solution is available. Please note that requests for access to the portal for private individuals are currently not being considered.
Links to other EIC Issuing Offices
Disclaimers
- Only EIC codes published in the CIO or LIO website are to be considered as valid EIC codes.
- The Local Issuing Office assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy and the completeness of the information provided by an entity requesting an EIC code. In no event shall a Local Issuing Office be liable for any damages of any kind, including, but not limited to, direct, indirect, general, special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of any inaccuracy or incompleteness of the information provided by an entity requesting an EIC code.