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As renewable generation, battery energy storage systems (BESS) and inverter-based resources increase, power systems need faster and more precise ways to maintain grid frequency. Frequency ancillary services require generators, batteries and controllable loads to change active power in response to frequency deviations — often within seconds or fractions of a second.
The SATEC PRO Series — PM335 PRO and EM235 PRO — provides the measurement, communication and recording layer required by fast frequency-response applications. With frequency resolution up to 0.0001 Hz, real-time Modbus RTU/TCP data at 20 ms, open utility protocols and configurable pre/post-event recording, the PRO Series can integrate with BESS controllers, Power Plant Controllers (PPC), EMS and SCADA platforms.
Fast Frequency Response (FFR) is the rapid adjustment of active power following a grid-frequency deviation. When generation suddenly falls below demand, frequency drops and a participating resource may inject additional power or reduce consumption. During over-frequency conditions, the response may operate in the opposite direction.
Although the market rules differ by country, a complete frequency-response installation generally needs four functions:
SATEC’s role: Measure fast → communicate fast → record the response. The PRO meter supplies high-resolution electrical data to the control system; it does not replace the BESS/PPC control algorithm.
Frequency-control services serve the same overall objective — keeping the power system stable — but their names, activation thresholds, response times and verification rules are defined independently by each system operator. The page should use regional terminology for discoverability without implying that the services are technically identical.
| Market | Service terminology | Responsible system / market body | How to describe it on this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Israel | FFR | NOGA (system operator / procuring body); Israel Electricity Authority (regulatory framework) | Fast under- and over-frequency response; NOGA is developing/procuring FFR ancillary-service capability. |
| Great Britain | DC / DM / DR | NESO (system operator / procuring body); Ofgem (regulatory oversight) | Dynamic Containment, Dynamic Moderation and Dynamic Regulation; DC is the post-fault fast-response service. |
| Australia – NEM | FCAS | AEMO (market & system operator); AEMC / AER (rules & regulatory oversight) | Very Fast, Fast, Slow, Delayed and Regulation Frequency Control Ancillary Services. |
| Taiwan | AFC / dReg / sReg / E-dReg | Taipower Energy Trading Platform / Taipower (market operator); MOEA energy-policy framework | Automatic Frequency Control and energy-storage regulation products on Taipower’s energy trading platform. |
| Continental Europe | FCR / aFRR / mFRR | National TSOs under ENTSO-E framework; ACER and national regulators oversee EU / national rules | FCR contains the frequency deviation; aFRR and mFRR restore system frequency and balance. |
| Nordic countries | FFR / FCR-N / FCR-D | Fingrid, Statnett, Svenska kraftnät and Energinet (national TSOs / reserve procurement) | Dedicated Fast Frequency Reserve plus normal and disturbance Frequency Containment Reserves. |
| Ireland & N. Ireland | FFR / POR | EirGrid and SONI (TSOs); SEM Committee provides regulatory oversight | Fast Frequency Response and operating-reserve services within the all-island system-services framework. |
| United States | FFR / PFR / Regulation | ISO/RTO or regional operator (e.g., ERCOT, PJM); regulator varies by market (FERC / state bodies) | Terminology varies by ISO/RTO; ERCOT explicitly uses Fast Frequency Response and Primary Frequency Response concepts. |
| New Zealand | Instantaneous Reserve / Frequency Keeping | Transpower System Operator (procurement / operation); Electricity Authority (market regulation) | Separate contingency-response and continuous frequency-keeping services; Fast Instantaneous Reserve is part of IR. |
Note: Frequency ancillary services are typically defined, procured or administered by the system / market operator, while regulatory approval or oversight may sit with a separate national regulator. The column above names both where useful.
PM335 PRO and EM235 PRO provide frequency resolution up to 0.0001 Hz (four decimal places). This high resolution helps control systems evaluate small deviations from nominal frequency and accurately determine where the measured value sits relative to deadbands and response curves defined by the applicable ancillary-service specification.
For fast frequency-response applications, the PRO Series can provide real-time data over Modbus RTU/TCP at 20 ms intervals. This gives BESS controllers, PPCs and other automation systems rapid access to frequency and electrical measurements for continuous response calculations.
The same meter provides the electrical values needed to understand both the grid event and the asset response, including frequency, active power, voltage, current, reactive power, apparent power, power factor and energy. This avoids separating the frequency signal from the measurement of the delivered MW response.
Depending on the required architecture, PRO Series meters support communication including:
Dual Ethernet ports are available, helping the same meter platform integrate into industrial, renewable-energy and utility automation environments with different protocol requirements.
Fast control is only one part of an ancillary-service project. During commissioning, testing or a real frequency event, engineers may also need evidence of the asset’s behavior before, during and after the disturbance. PM335 PRO and EM235 PRO provide configurable data and event recording so frequency, active power and other electrical parameters can be captured around the trigger point.
For example, SATEC’s Australian FCAS configuration supports:
The recorded data can support:
Typical architecture: Grid / Point of Connection → PM335 PRO or EM235 PRO → BESS / PPC / EMS controller → PCS / inverter → battery, generator or flexible load
The SATEC meter continuously measures system frequency and active power at the required electrical point. Measurements are communicated to the site controller using the selected protocol. The controller applies the market-specific response logic and commands the asset, while the meter can simultaneously provide telemetry to SCADA/EMS and record the actual response for later analysis.
| Product | Mounting | Typical role |
|---|---|---|
| PM335 PRO | Panel mount | BESS/PPC panels, substations and grid-connection points requiring fast frequency and power measurement. |
| EM235 PRO | DIN rail | Compact renewable-energy, BESS and industrial installations requiring the same core PRO Series measurement and communication platform. |
SATEC PRO Series meters have been applied in frequency-control and ancillary-service projects in markets including Israel, Great Britain, Taiwan and Australia. The service names and qualification rules differ, but the core metering challenge is consistent: precise frequency measurement, fast access to active-power data, reliable communications and high-resolution event recording.
In Taiwan, PM335 PRO has been used as part of a Taipower AFC/BESS architecture with 20 ms frequency sampling and IEC 61850 integration. In Australia, SATEC’s FCAS solution supports real-time 20 ms Modbus data and dedicated internal recording configurations for Very Fast, Fast, Slow and Delayed services.
PM335 PRO and EM235 PRO combine the functions needed at the measurement layer of a modern frequency-response system:
Planning an FFR, FCAS, Dynamic Containment, AFC, FCR or other frequency ancillary-service project? Talk to a SATEC engineer about the required frequency measurement, communication architecture and recording configuration for your application.
Ancillary services are grid-support services used by system operators to maintain the security, reliability and quality of the power system. They can include frequency response and operating reserves, voltage and reactive-power support, black-start capability and other services needed to keep the grid stable. This page focuses specifically on frequency-related ancillary services such as FFR, FCAS, Dynamic Containment, AFC and FCR.
Fast Frequency Response is the rapid change in active power from a generator, battery or controllable load following a system-frequency deviation. Exact activation thresholds, response times and duration are defined by the local system operator.
Frequency-response services can use narrow deadbands and precisely defined response curves. High-resolution measurement helps the control system determine small frequency deviations accurately and apply the required response characteristic.
They are frequency-service terms used in different electricity markets. Australia uses FCAS, Great Britain procures Dynamic Response services such as Dynamic Containment, continental Europe uses FCR and restoration reserves, while Israel and the Nordic region use FFR terminology for specific fast-response services. Their technical requirements are not identical.
Yes. PM335 PRO and EM235 PRO can provide real-time Modbus RTU/TCP data at 20 ms intervals for fast integration with compatible controllers. The final end-to-end response time also depends on the controller, network, inverter and overall system architecture.
Yes. The PRO Series supports configurable pre-trigger and post-event recording. Recording windows can be tailored to the application; the SATEC Australian FCAS configuration, for example, records Fast and Very Fast FCAS data at 20 ms with 5 seconds before FDT and 60 seconds after FDT.
The SATEC meter primarily provides high-speed frequency, power and electrical measurements to the BESS controller, PPC or EMS. The controller normally determines the required active-power response and commands the inverter.
They use the same core PRO Series platform and differ mainly in mechanical format: PM335 PRO is panel mounted, while EM235 PRO is DIN-rail mounted. Selection therefore depends largely on the panel and installation architecture.
