By the end of 2025, the federal government of Germany had set the political course for bidirectional charging: The burden of double grid fees was to be eliminated, thereby making V2G economically viable. The industry celebrated. Subsequently, the Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) was to define, through the MiSpeL (“Market Integration of Storage Systems and Charging Points”), how electricity volumes at storage systems and charging points would be allocated under energy law in the future.
The deadline for the BNetzA was June 30 – which passed without action. In early August, the agency presented an updated progress report that caused quite a stir in the industry.
The progress report at that time proposed tracking electricity volumes either through a strict demarcation option (with a second meter) or a rigid flat-rate option. Specifically, the draft threatened to make bidirectional charging unattractive by imposing significant hurdles:
Just a few days before the planned final publication, fierce opposition arose precisely because of this. BMW, Ford, Elli, E.ON, Octopus Energy, The Mobility House, and Enpal sent an open letter to the Federal Network Agency, warning of a failure in the market ramp-up and a significant impairment of competitiveness. The newspaper Handelsblatt also reported on the status of the draft and the sharp criticism.
And that criticism had an effect. On October 1, the BNetzA presented a new draft – with a revised approach that addresses the key points. Marcus Fendt of The Mobility House summed it up in a LinkedIn post: While the MiSpeL had previously been criticized as “messed up,” there was now full recognition of the agency’s willingness to compromise. The BNetzA has made improvements in the three main areas of criticism:
An overview of the BNetzA’s two approaches
To accurately record electricity volumes and ensure legally compliant billing, the BNetzA offers market participants two approaches. The first approach is the settlement option, a precise formula-based method that maps all electricity flows using quarter-hourly measurements and specific sets of formulas (such as formula set A11, adapted for bidirectional charging points). It applies universally to systems of all types and sizes –from large grid-connected storage systems to prosumer households. Under this option, the EEG subsidy for solar power is retained, while corresponding surcharge and grid fee exemptions are applied when feeding grid power back into the grid.
As a second option, operators of smaller PV systems up to 30 kWp in residential or small commercial settings can choose the flat-rate option as a straightforward rule of thumb. A standard, quarter-hourly meter at the service entrance is sufficient for this, eliminating the need for costly modifications to the meter cabinet. Up to a flat-rate limit of 500 kWh/kWp, the feed-in is classified as eligible for subsidies on a flat-rate basis, accompanied by the indifference range, which has now been reduced from 0.5 to 0.2.
What does this mean in practice? Let’s calculate it using the example of a 30-kWp system: 30 kWp × 500 kWh/kWp × 0.2 = 3,000 kWh. To put this amount of energy into everyday terms: With a consumption rate of 20 kWh per 100 km, this corresponds to a driving range of 15,000 km in an electric car, for which compensation can be received.
To prevent abuse and misaligned incentives, the regulatory authority is setting clear boundaries: Privileges are forfeited for incorrect electricity feed-in despite negative market prices, and third-party charging electricity (externally charged electricity that is fed back into the grid at the charging point) does not receive EEG subsidies. Regular surcharges will also continue to apply to standard household or business electricity consumption from the grid.
With these refinements, the regulatory stalemate finds a truly happy ending for electric mobility. The Federal Network Agency has met a key demand from the market, and BNetzA President Klaus Müller is now calling on the industry to deliver—and the stakeholders are certainly ready to do so. Grid operators have one year (until September 30, 2027) to set up the necessary IT and billing processes, although the first proactive companies have already signaled their intention to move much faster. The race has already begun.