A good site assessment depends on good input data. The more clearly the situation at the site is described, the better it can be judged whether a HASHLYNK system can make sense and which design comes into question at all. That is exactly why the assessment form is not a formal intermediate step but the basis for a robust initial assessment.
This article explains which information should ideally be clarified before the site assessment. This covers not only system data but also feed-in logic, the heat side and practical requirements for later implementation.
What you will learn in this article
- which details in the assessment form are particularly important for the initial assessment
- which economic questions you should clarify in advance
- which technical requirements become relevant later for implementation
- why good preparation makes the site assessment much more precise
Key insight
A site assessment does not become good through as much data as possible, but through the right data. Above all, energy flow, feed-in logic, technical integration and, where applicable, heat use are decisive.
Who is this relevant for?
For operators who are filling in the assessment form or want to gather information on a site internally in advance and prepare it properly for a HASHLYNK evaluation.
1. The most important basic data on the system
The first foundation is the hard key data of the generation system. This includes in particular:
- type of system, for example photovoltaics, hydropower, wind power or biogas
- installed capacity
- annual electricity generation
- annual feed-in volume
- existing battery storage
This information helps to classify the site in energy terms in the first place. Without it, it remains unclear how large the real potential for surplus utilisation is.
What helps us most is not just rough annual figures but actual generation and consumption data from real operation, for example as a CSV export from the inverter, energy management system or an existing monitoring solution. Such time series are the best basis for analysing the site precisely and evaluating surplus patterns realistically.
2. Understanding the economic starting position
For the initial assessment, it is important not only how much electricity is generated but what happens to that electricity today. That is exactly why these questions should also be clarified in advance:
- How high is the current feed-in tariff in €/kWh?
- Is it a fixed or variable feed-in tariff?
- Are there any restrictions on feed-in?
- Are there situations with curtailment or zero export?
The feed-in tariff in particular is a key point. If you can still market your surplus well today, you are in a different starting position from a site with a weak tariff, grid limitation or surplus windows that are increasingly worthless.
3. Considering heat use early
If use of waste heat is conceivable in principle, it should be considered in the early phase. The following are particularly helpful:
- whether heat use is planned or possible in principle
- type of building
- current heating system
- annual heat demand
- annual heating costs
- additional information on building services, for example buffer tank, heating circuit, hot water or surface heating
These points are important because heat use can create an additional economic lever. It is not necessary in every project, but it can significantly improve the overall logic.
Good to know
Even if heat use is not planned at the site, the analysis is often still worthwhile. For the evaluation, however, it is important to be clear early on whether heat can be a real part of the project or not.
4. Metering, automation and interfaces
Another important point is how well the site can be metered and controlled. Even before the actual site assessment, it helps to clarify the following topics:
- Is there an existing energy management or automation system?
- Is there an API on the inverter or EMS?
- Are there suitable metering points at the grid connection point?
- Can a toroidal current transformer or energy meter be integrated sensibly?
This information in particular helps to judge early on how complex the later integration will be and which metering logic is realistic at the site.
5. Practical requirements for later implementation
Not everything has to be planned down to the last detail in advance. However, some practical topics should be considered as early as possible because they make later implementation much easier. Above all, these include a suitable power connection, a realistic installation location, clean metering and network connections and – if heat use is planned – a hydraulic integration that can be clarified in principle.
Questions about accessibility, cable routes and contacts on site also often seem secondary at first glance. In practice, however, it is precisely these points that often decide how smoothly a project can later be implemented.
A short preliminary checklist
Before you submit the assessment form, these questions help:
- Do you know the installed capacity of your system?
- Do you know your electricity generation and feed-in volume roughly or from reports?
- Do you know which feed-in tariff you currently receive?
- Is it clear whether heat use is possible in principle?
- Is there a realistic installation location on site?
- Do you roughly know how metering and the grid connection point can be captured?
If not everything is available, that does not rule you out. But the more of it is clarified, the more precise the initial assessment becomes.
Conclusion: good preparation makes the site assessment better, not more complicated
A site assessment does not have to start with perfect completeness. But it becomes much better when the most important economic, energy and technical key points are clarified in advance. That is exactly why the assessment form asks not only about capacity and electricity generation but also about the feed-in tariff, storage, heat use and the technical environment.
If you first want to understand whether your own site basically fits the typical pattern, the article Which sites are particularly suitable for HASHLYNK systems gives you the right orientation.
