Over the past few months, the issue of remote disconnection has gone from being a technical topic for specialists to a concrete problem for thousands of companies.
More and more operators of renewable energy generation plants are receiving communications from distribution system operators: requests for compliance, deadlines, requirements to be met. And in many cases, the time available is much shorter than you might think.
The reason is simple: the electricity grid is changing. As distributed generation grows, so do the situations in which the energy produced exceeds demand. When this happens, the grid must be able to intervene quickly and in a coordinated manner.
This is where remote disconnection comes into play.
Regulations, deadlines, risks and the first concrete steps: here is what you need to know to avoid exposure to penalties and operational shutdowns.
What is remote disconnection and why does it concern your generation plant
Remote disconnection allows the electricity grid operator to reduce or interrupt the production of a plant connected to the grid remotely. It is a safety measure provided for by regulations to ensure the balance between energy production and consumption.
What does it really mean to “disconnect” a plant from the grid
Here is how it works: a photovoltaic (or wind) plant produces energy and feeds it into the grid. As long as demand is sufficient to absorb it, there are no problems. But at certain times—typically during the middle hours of the day, when sunlight is strong and consumption is low—the grid has to manage more energy than is needed. This phenomenon is called overgeneration, and it is one of the main challenges associated with the growth of distributed generation.
When excess production occurs, the grid operator needs to be able to intervene quickly. Remote disconnection is the tool that makes this possible: by sending a remote signal, the production of the plants involved can be reduced or interrupted rapidly and in a coordinated manner, without the need for physical intervention on site.
For this reason, all plants above a certain size—as we will see—are required to be technically prepared to receive this command. It is not a choice, but a regulatory requirement that must be met.
Resolution 421 compliance and remote disconnection: what are the deadlines
The regulatory framework governing remote disconnection has evolved over time, but the turning point is ARERA Resolution 421/2014, more recently updated by Resolution 385/2025/R/EEL. In summary: all photovoltaic and wind generation plants with a rated power of 100 kW or more, connected to medium voltage, must be equipped with a certified remote-disconnection system.
This is not merely a technical provision for future implementation, but a function that must be active, testable and compliant with the required standards.
In other words, the plant must be capable of actually being controlled by the grid operator when necessary.
The Central Plant Controller (CCI): what it is in simple terms
The device required by the regulations is called the Central Plant Controller (CCI). It is equipment installed at the plant that establishes direct communication with the grid operator—in Italy, primarily E-Distribuzione and Terna. When the command arrives, the CCI receives and executes it automatically, quickly and in a traceable manner.
The CCI is currently the standard required by regulations for remote disconnection of medium-voltage plants.
Compliance deadlines
Resolution 385/2025/R/EEL establishes precise deadlines, differentiated by power range:
>= 1 MW: compliance by December 31, 2026
>= 500 kW and < 1 MW: compliance by December 31, 2027
>= 100 kW and < 500 kW: compliance by March 31, 2028
Even if some deadlines may seem far away, it is important to consider that compliance takes time: technical analysis, design, installation and commissioning.
What you risk if you do not comply
The consequences of failing to install the CCI are serious:
suspension of incentives
loss of revenue related to the energy produced
possible penalties
In addition to the economic impact, there is an operational aspect: a non-compliant plant is an exposed plant, difficult to manage and potentially subject to shutdown.
The tightening of compliance requirements
Although the regulations have existed for years, many plants still do not meet the required requirements. The cause is often a combination of factors: fragmented information, bureaucratic complexity, costs and installation times that discourage operators.
However, the crackdown has already begun: E-Distribuzione is sending formal letters to plant operators throughout Italy. Those who have already received them know that the room for postponement is shrinking. Those who have not yet received them should not consider themselves safe.
Installing a CCI takes time
The Central Plant Controller is not a device that can simply be ordered and installed within a week. The process involves a technical assessment of the existing plant, system design, approval by the grid operator, physical installation and final commissioning. In practice, this means weeks, if not months.
This means that even those who decide to comply today may find themselves in an uncovered time window—the period between the decision and actual compliance—during which they remain exposed.
What you can do now
Waiting is not a strategy. But starting immediately with a CCI is not always possible either. There are intermediate solutions which, while they do not replace the CCI, can at least reduce immediate risk, provide the plant with an immediately operational remote-disconnection capability and demonstrate that the compliance process has been concretely initiated.
And this is exactly where devices such as remote-disconnection modems come in.
GSM016 remote-disconnection modem: the first concrete step toward compliance
At a stage when many companies still find themselves in an intermediate situation—between the obligation to comply with Resolution 421 and the technical time required to install a CCI—immediately operational solutions are needed. This is an issue affecting thousands of distributed-generation plants throughout Italy.
Geca's GSM016 remote-disconnection modem is a device designed to manage the remote disconnection of energy-generation plants—photovoltaic and wind—via the GSM network. It complies with CEI 0-16 Annex M, the technical reference standard for remote-disconnection systems for generation plants connected to medium voltage.
It is an operational device that can be installed quickly, helping to reduce immediate risk and giving the plant a real remote-disconnection capability while waiting to complete the final compliance upgrade.
How it works
The GSM016 receives disconnection commands via SMS or through the dedicated GecApp app, activates the relay and manages plant disconnection without manual intervention. The system updates every 24 hours, automatically reactivating the plant.
The device houses a standard SIM card, supplied by the electricity grid operator, and has a relay output and a clean-contact alarm input for monitoring the plant status. The internal backup battery ensures operation even in the event of an external power failure, for approximately 30 minutes.
Simple to install, simple to use
One of the practical advantages of the GSM016 is its simplicity. Programming is carried out through GecApp, Geca's application for smartphones and tablets, available on the App Store and Google Play: the interface guides the user step by step in managing the device.
It is possible to manage up to 3 MASTER numbers—typically the installer and the plant owner—and an unlimited number of users authorized for remote disconnection, with optional password management.
GSM016 is not the CCI, but it prevents you from remaining uncovered
It is important to be clear: the GSM016 remote-disconnection and remote-management modem does not replace the Central Plant Controller.
The CCI is a more complex system, with advanced monitoring, regulation and two-way communication functions with the grid operator. It is what the regulations require as the definitive solution, and sooner or later you will have to install it.
But between today and the time when the CCI is installed, there is a critical point that should not be underestimated: time.
Time during which:
compliance requests are arriving
checks are intensifying
the plant remains exposed
In this scenario, the GSM016 represents a concrete solution for avoiding inaction. It is not the final destination, but an operational step that puts you in a much stronger position. It gives you time to start the technical assessment, identify the right installer and plan the CCI project.
Don't wait for penalties: start complying with the remote-disconnection requirements now
Remote disconnection is no longer a technical issue to be postponed. It is a regulatory requirement that has already begun to have concrete effects: deadlines have been defined and communications are being sent.
If you want to understand how to intervene on your plant and evaluate an immediate solution, you can learn more about how the GSM016 remote-disconnection modem works or contact the Geca team for a technical discussion.
Discover the GSM016
