SWITCH

The digital platform used by E.ON Energidistribution for flexibility market operation and Villkorade Avtal integration. Originally built in-house by E.ON during the CoordiNet demonstration (2019–2022), it has continued as E.ON’s live platform for distribution-level Flexibility Market operation.

Origins

SWITCH was designed and built by an in-house team at E.ON Energidistribution, with requirements jointly defined by E.ON, Vattenfall Eldistribution, and GEAB (Gotland Energi AB). It was the core digital infrastructure for the Swedish CoordiNet demonstration across all four demonstration areas — Skåne, Uppland (Vattenfall using the same platform), Gotland, and Västernorrland/Jämtland. (Source - CoordiNet D4.7.2 Swedish Demonstration (2022))

Architecture

The platform has four components, designed to be modular:

1. Market tool

• Receives and stores flexibility bids from FSPs (sell orders)
• Applies impact factors (påverkansfaktorer / Power Transfer Distribution Factors, PTDF) to each bid: divides the bid price by the factor, giving cost per MW of congestion relief at the constrained substation. Empirical data from Södra Skåne indicates typical factors of ~0.6–0.68, meaning FSP bids are scaled up by ~1.5× in the merit order. Reported prices and volumes in markets using impact factors must be interpreted accordingly: the portal’s “requested” volumes are grid-side (after factor); “allocated” volumes are FSP-side (before factor)
• Supports continuous trading with configurable market windows (day-ahead, intraday, weekly contracts)
• mFRR forwarding was implemented as a limited demo during CoordiNet via SWITCH API to Svk SFTP transfer. Svk provided minimal development support, extending timelines and forcing a sub-par implementation; the functionality was scrapped when CoordiNet closed and is not part of current SWITCH deployments
• Enables extraction of settlement data for invoicing

2. Flex tool (DSO operator interface)

• Visualizes actual and forecasted power flows at constrained substations (24–48 hours ahead)
• Shows subscription limit as a reference line; flags forecasted violations
• Counter shows number of forecasted overruns within the next 48 hours
• Provides recommended flexibility purchase (volume, location, timing) based on ML load forecast + impact factors + DSO-configurable margin and maximum price
• Integrates with Svenska kraftnät‘s SUSIE system: allows DSO operators to request temporary subscription increases directly from the platform
• Operators can override recommendations, remove individual bids from the purchase set, and send direct messages to FSPs

DSO data responsibility: SWITCH does not generate forecasts or collect metering data internally — the DSO must push both to the SWITCH API as a prerequisite for using the platform. Three data categories are required: (1) actuals measurements at the constrained point (current, voltage, power); (2) load forecasts as time series with future timestamps; (3) operating limits. Forecast horizons vary by product: months ahead for ST, 3–7 days for TO, 36–60 hours for DO, 1–12 hours for villkorade avtal. The DSO “can either generate forecasts internally or purchase the service from a forecast provider” — third-party forecast providers therefore serve as an integration layer between DSO grid data and the SWITCH platform. (Source - SWITCH DSO Onboarding Guide (user.switchmarket.se, 2026))

Note on DSO data access: The historical and real-time power measurements required for short-term load forecasting are component-specific, DSO-owned, and treated as critical infrastructure. There is no public dataset suitable for training substation-level load forecasts. The high sensitivity (attack risk from foreign actors) means DSOs have a strong preference for keeping forecast capability in-house. Third-party forecast providers therefore require a high-trust integration relationship with each DSO — this is not a generic SaaS problem.

E.ON’s in-house implementation: During 2023, E.ON replaced its earlier GRU-based RNN with a Temporal Fusion Transformer (TFT) forecasting engine — their own solution to the above DSO-side data requirement. TFT combines RNN local temporal encoding, transformer-based self-attention for long-range dependencies, and variable selection networks. Trained on years of historical meter readings + weather data; runs inference hourly producing a 48-hour load forecast per grid point plus a weekly forecast for prioritized points; hosted on Azure ML. When combined with SWITCH’s market tool, the pipeline can be fully automated: forecast → congestion quantification → buy order creation → market clearing → delivery validation → settlement. (Source - BeFlexible D5.1 Demo Planning and Deployment (2024))

3. FSP interface

• FSPs submit sell orders specifying MW, time windows, price, and duration
• Supports: single-hour orders, weekly recurring schedules, grouped orders (e.g., a battery that can deliver any 2 consecutive hours — matching one order automatically cancels the rest in the group)
• API integration for automated order submission, meter value upload, and baseline delivery
• Dashboard shows current and historical meter readings, matched orders, and delivery history

Data integrity note: During V2022/23, a risk was identified of FSPs manipulating their resource data by altering register configurations. The fix moved resource control to the DSO: FSPs submit qualification requests; DSO approves and thereafter owns the resource record (FSP can view but not edit). A separate baseline upload endpoint was also added with stricter validation — baseline values cannot be uploaded or changed after a flexibility trade has occurred on the market. (Source - BeFlexible D5.1 Demo Planning and Deployment (2024))

4. Peer-to-peer platform (removed in v2, 2021)

Originally included in v1 to enable producers to trade capacity rights during maintenance-induced grid bottlenecks, with blockchain recording of transactions and metering values for settlement validation. This component was removed in the v2 rework (2021) and is no longer part of the platform.

Platform modularity in practice

The architecture separates the market tool (bid management and clearing) from the flex tool (grid state awareness and decision support). This modularity proved reusable:

• CoordiNet Uppland: Vattenfall used the same platform as E.ON’s Skåne market, configured for their TSO connection points
• sthlmflex (Stockholm flexibility market, Svk + Vattenfall + Ellevio + E.ON from S3): uses the flex tool from CoordiNet as the DSO operator interface, but replaces the market tool with the NODES platform (NODES AS). In sthlmflex the flex tool was called “flexverktyget” and additionally handled subscription applications (tillfälligt abonnemang och dispens), abonnemangsnivå (subscription level), and uttagstak (capacity cap) — functions specific to sthlmflex’s TSO-subscription-based architecture. (Source - sthlmflex säsong 3 (2022-2023))
• UppFlex (V2023/24): Vattenfall extended its CoordiNet Uppland infrastructure into a pilot season as UppFlex. The pilot was closed after one season. Vattenfall Eldistribution‘s DNDP (December 2024) confirms the closure: “Med nya förutsättningar har Vattenfall Eldistribution beslutat att avveckla detta pilotprojekt.” Vattenfall simultaneously declared it sees no conditions for market-based flexibility anywhere in its network. (Source - Vattenfall Eldistribution Nätutvecklingsplan 2025-2034)
• SWITCH (post-CoordiNet, E.ON): the full platform continued for E.ON’s live flexibility markets

SWITCH and NODES are the only two active flexibility market platforms in Sweden. Effekthandel Väst (Göteborg/Mölndal) uses NODES; all E.ON markets use SWITCH. The two platforms have converged on similar product families, creating an informal Swedish industry standard. (Source - Sweco Kartläggning av lokala flexibilitetsmarknader (Ei, 2025))

TSO integrations

• SUSIE (Svenska kraftnät): subscription request system; integrated for DSO operator to request temporary subscription raises directly
• mFRR market: attempted during CoordiNet as a limited demo (SWITCH API → Svk SFTP transfer); minimal Svk support extended development timelines and forced a sub-par implementation. Scrapped after CoordiNet closed — not a current feature. NODES attempted equivalent mFRR forwarding; also scrapped for similar reasons.

Products

SWITCH supports three market products plus non-market villkorade avtal. The products have official Swedish names used throughout the platform (Source - SWITCH User Documentation (2026)):

The LFM column shows the correspondence to the Ei-approved standardized product names (December 2025, case 2025-102414). LFM-h/p/e are the industry-standard names developed by Energiföretagen Sverige and approved by Ei under §10 Förordning (2022:585); SWITCH’s internal ST/TO/DO names predate the standardization. (Source - Energiföretagen Förteckning Standardiserade Marknadsprodukter (2025), Source - Ei Godkänner Marknadsprodukter Flexibilitetstjänster (2026))

DO has two sub-variants: DA (day-ahead, clearing D-1 morning) and ID (intraday, clearing H-3, activation H-2).

Trading time windows

Times may vary per market based on DSO configuration.

Compensation model

Delivery threshold: 75% delivery required for any payment. Below 75%: no payment. At or above 75%: proportional payment equal to delivery percentage. (Note: sthlmflex/NODES used an 80% threshold with linear reduction to 40% — SWITCH’s threshold is simpler but less granular.)

Availability compensation formula: ME = availability rate (SEK/MW) × resource size (MW) × påverkansfaktor × Df

• Påverkansfaktor: impact factor (0–1) applied in meshed networks; 1.0 in radial networks
• Df (endurance adjustment): Df = 0.5 + (RU/U) × 0.5, where RU = resource endurance, U = requested endurance. A resource that can only sustain 1 hour when the DSO needs 4 receives Df = 0.5 + (1/4) × 0.5 = 0.625
• ST penalty: >5 failed activations triggers deductions proportional to excess failures

Activation compensation: FSP-set price; lowest wins; bidding is blind (DSO and other FSPs cannot see competing bids); pay-as-bid.

Baseline (referensplan) methods

Three approved methods:

1. Egen referensplan — FSP uploads own plan (UI or API); deadline 09:30 D-1 for DA, H-4 for ID
2. Noll-referens (zero baseline) — used for production resources, particularly batteries providing upward flexibility via increased injection. Zero baseline is preferred over MBMA here because MBMA creates an integrity risk: a battery operator could switch from charging to discharging just before the pre-activation meter reading, inflating the apparent baseline and therefore the measured delivery. Zero baseline eliminates this gaming incentive.
3. MBMA (meter before, meter after) — SWITCH calculates automatically from resource metering data; used for consumption-side resources (loads, heat pumps, EV chargers providing demand reduction)

Method selection: MBMA is the appropriate default for consumption-side resources providing load reduction, where the pre-activation consumption reading is a stable reference. Zero baseline is used for batteries and other resources providing upward flexibility via production. (Source - Lind et al Baseline Methods (2023))

HighXofY — undocumented fourth algorithm: The SWITCH API v3.13 spec defines a BaselineAlgorithmType enum with three values: Default (1), HighXofY (2), and MBMA (3). HighXofY computes the historical average of the X highest-demand days in the past Y days — equivalent to the Mean X-in-Y baseline method used in British flexibility markets and identified in academic literature as the standard UK approach (Lind et al., 2023; Sassone et al., 2025). It is not described in the SWITCH user documentation, suggesting the platform has more baseline flexibility than publicly documented. (Source - SWITCH API Swagger v3.13 (2026))

Capacity products and energy delivery: TO and DO products clear on a capacity basis (MW bids), but FSPs are still expected to deliver the energy volume awarded. A baseline is therefore required for post-activation energy validation even in capacity-cleared markets — capacity clearing and energy settlement are separable steps.

Procurement: DIS

E.ON uses DIS (Dynamiskt inköpssystem — dynamic procurement system) to continuously recruit FSPs while complying with LUF (public procurement law). SWITCH is adapted to the DIS workflow. Alternative: direct procurement or bilateral agreements.

Market time coordination

SWITCH is designed around the existing market time structure, with the ST/TO products clearing before NordPool day-ahead:

1. ST/TO clearing (D-2 or D-1): 09:30–10:30
2. Local DSO market closes 10:00 (day-ahead)
3. Regional DSO market closes 10:30
4. NordPool day-ahead 12:00
5. FCR-D auction ~15:00
6. Intraday market / DO ID: D-1 15:00 onward; activation H-2

DSO roles

The user documentation defines five recommended DSO roles for flexibility operations (Source - SWITCH User Documentation (2026)):

• Flexanalytiker — maps grid capacity challenges and identifies suitable flex points; may also profile large consumers/producers
• Marknadsansvarig — primary FSP contact; manages order volumes, activation/availability thresholds, forecast selection, resource qualification
• Driftrepresentant — operations liaison; coordinates with Marknadsansvarig; provides manual activation instructions
• Controller — settlement monitoring and FSP billing
• Superanvändare SWITCH — trains staff and FSPs; creates and configures stations and markets

One person may hold multiple roles.

Villkorade avtal integration

E.ON’s model uses SWITCH as the platform where Flexibility Market procurement happens first; Villkorade Avtal (conditional connection agreements) are activated as a backstop only if market-based flexibility is insufficient for a given congestion event. The platform’s “no need” function allows operators to indicate that cleared flexibility is no longer required and notify FSPs directly. (Source - E.ON Guide villkorade avtal (2025))

SWITCH automates villkorade avtal using OpenADR: SWITCH acts as a VTN (Virtual Top Node), publishing control signals when a grid threshold is exceeded. Customers implement VEN (Virtual End Node) clients that receive signals via webhooks or polling. Delivery periods are 15 minutes. SWITCH supports dynamic load-splitting: the power reduction can be distributed across multiple customer installations, curtailing only as much as needed at each. Default curtailment order: LIFO (last connected = first curtailed). (Source - SWITCH User Documentation (2026))

Three villkorade avtal fields on the API’s Resource object are notable (Source - SWITCH API Swagger v3.13 (2026)):

• conditionalDeliveryLimit (kW): the static power limit applied during curtailment
• conditionalUseDynamicDeliveryLimit (boolean): if true, the curtailment limit is delivered in real-time via OpenADR SETPOINT rather than a fixed static value — confirming that SWITCH supports dynamic per-dispatch setpoints as well as fixed limits
• conditionalAutomaticAcknowledgement (boolean): whether the customer’s installation auto-acknowledges curtailment signals without an operator confirmation step

OpenADR evolution in SWITCH

When SWITCH was first developed for villkorade avtal in early 2022, no industry standard yet existed — proprietary API endpoints were created for customers to poll for activation requests. OpenADR was then added as a standardized communication layer alongside the proprietary API.

Scope note: The OpenADR integration covers the Villkorade Avtal communication layer only (approximately 2 months of development). The broader SWITCH market API (bid submission, metering, settlement) remains a proprietary REST stack — this is a deliberate choice reflecting the absence of agreed joint data standards for flexibility markets at EU or Swedish level. No such standard had been decided as of 2026.

2.0b PoC (2022–2023): As part of Energiföretagen’s industry recommendation process, E.ON used SWITCH as the VTN and Vattenfall R&D implemented the VEN using the OpenLEADR Python library. The PoC validated the full E.ON activation flow:

• Signal name: LOAD_DISPATCH; signal type: SETPOINT; 15-minute delivery periods
• Physical test at a CTEK 22 kW charger in Älvkarleby (near Uppsala)
• 4 events over 1 hour; EV charging reduced from ~8–9 kW to 5 kW limit via OCPP 1.6
• All events received; acknowledgements sent; compliance verified via proprietary SWITCH metering API

Proprietary API removal: The 2023 industry recommendation document states the proprietary SWITCH API endpoints for conditional connections were scheduled for removal by end of Q2 2024, after which only OpenADR integrations would be supported. This removal was a deliberate adoption driver.

3.0 production (current): SWITCH now implements OpenADR 3 as its VTN. E.ON’s variant uses CONSUMPTION_POWER_LIMIT / PRODUCTION_POWER_LIMIT payload types with KW values and real-time metering requirements — a direct evolution of the SETPOINT-based 2.0b design, retaining the 15-minute delivery period established in 2022. (Source - Energiföretagen Branschrekommendation Conditional Grid Connections (2023), Source - SWITCH User Documentation (2026))

CIM / data standards

During CoordiNet (2019–2022), a national standardization project mapped SWITCH’s information exchange to IEC 62325 CIM (the EU-mandated data standard for electricity market messaging, M490). NODES and E.ON both contributed to defining the CIM message format for Swedish flexibility markets. First draft delivered 2022.

During sthlmflex, the project commissioned DNV to continue this work — standardizing the information exchange interface using IEC CIM. Both E.ON Energidistribution and NODES AS contributed as IT platform providers. The work mapped the highest-frequency digital message types to CIM ontology, defined actors/roles per the harmonized electricity market role model, and drafted business use cases and sequence diagrams. (Source - sthlmflex säsong 3 (2022-2023))

BeFlexible project and public procurement compliance

E.ON’s three BeFlexible markets (Hässleholm, Södra Skåne, Stor-Stockholm sub-areas) were EU-funded under the BeFlexible project. As of V2024/25, the product design was revised to comply with Swedish public procurement rules (LOU/LUF):

• Fria bud (direktordrar): previously providers submitted bids before the DSO published its need (“blind bidding”). This was found non-compliant with LOU. Revised: the DSO now publishes the flex need before any bids are accepted. A UI for the published need was integrated at the start of V2024/25.
• Availability orders (Tillgänglighetsordrar): previously awarded on “first-come-first-served” basis. This was also found non-compliant. Revised to “lowest-bid-wins” auction.
• Seasonal availability: seeking to reduce the uthållighet (endurance) requirement, which at the time was reported to lock up batteries for 4-hour blocks, preventing FCR-D participation. Note: as of API v3.13, endurance is configurable per-market via minEndurance/maxEndurance fields supporting a stepped 1–4 hour range with proportional remuneration penalties for lower commitments. The 4-hour block was the upper bound, not a fixed requirement. (Source - SWITCH API Swagger v3.13 (2026))

(Source - Sweco Kartläggning av lokala flexibilitetsmarknader (Ei, 2025))

Production-side flexibility: Projekt Halland (summer 2025)

Summer 2025, SWITCH was deployed for E.ON’s first production-focused flexibility market — a pilot in Halland (SW Sweden). All 11 existing active markets address consumption congestion; this is the first use of SWITCH for production-side overloading. The auction mechanism and 0.1 MWh/h minimum are the same; the new element is that providers bid to reduce production (downward regulation) or increase consumption to relieve production-peak overloads. (Source - E.ON Projekt Halland (web, 2025))

Active markets (December 2025)

E.ON runs flexibility markets via SWITCH in 12 areas (as of V2025/2026): Bromölla-Sölvesborg, Bålsta, Enköping, Hässleholm, Kallhäll, Kungsängen, Nordöstra Skåne (lokal), Nordöstra Skåne (regional), Norra Örebro, Södra Skåne, Vaxholm, Älmhult-Osby. Public market data available at https://info.switchmarket.se/. (Source - E.ON Flexibilitet i elnätet (web, 2025))

Resource types active on SWITCH markets (reported from season 2023/24): heat pumps (large individual installations and small units via aggregator), backup/reserve generators, batteries, and clusters of commercial EV chargers. Both downward regulation of consumption and upward injection of production/generation occurred. (Source - E.ON Nätutvecklingsplan 2025-2034)

Market outcomes

Season-level statistics for all SWITCH markets from V2023/24 onward are publicly available at info.switchmarket.se. Full data and analysis — including the V2025/26 11-market table, price trends, activation clustering, and comparison with TSO balancing market prices — are at Flexibility Market › Live production markets (2023–present). (Source - SWITCH Marknadsdata (info.switchmarket.se, 2026))

Key V2025/26 pattern: 6 of 11 markets showed zero clearing despite listed FSP supply — the sällanköpsmarknad problem at scale. The often-cited “3,000–3,500 SEK” uniformity across 10 of 11 markets is the LFM-h hourly availability rate (Tillgänglighetspris) — a DSO-set Model A fixed price (Bålsta 3,000; the rest 3,500; Södra Skåne 5,800), not a competitive clearing price and not the activation price. Activation (energy) prices are separate, higher and more dispersed: ~4,600–6,500 SEK/MWh in most markets, with Hässleholm a structural outlier at ~16,000; the volume-weighted all-market activation average for V2025/26 was ~5,757 SEK/MWh (~4,100 excluding Hässleholm) on ~1,400 MWh activated. Södra Skåne’s seasonal availability rate (377,600 SEK/MW) remains ~60% above all other markets, primarily explained by impact factors of ~0.56–0.68 requiring proportionally higher FSP compensation per MW of grid relief. (Source - SWITCH CSV Exports V2025-26 (2026))

Södra Skåne — cross-season trend (dominant SWITCH market):

Declining fill rate despite rising prices reflects grid relief from the October 2024 400 kV Söderåsen–Barsebäck upgrade (+600 MW). The seasonal availability allocated volume exceeding requested volume (2,525 MWh allocated vs 1,416 MWh requested) reflects the impact-factor arithmetic: allocated is FSP-side (before factor); requested is grid-side (after factor); implied factor ≈ 0.56.

Recent feature additions (2025/2026 season)

• Smart meter integration: SWITCH can now fetch metering data directly from the site’s smart electricity meter, removing the previous requirement for a sub-meter integration. FSPs can still use sub-meters if preferred.
• Automatic baseline method: SWITCH provides an automated baseline calculation option (in testing for 2025/2026). Alternatives: FSP-provided baseline or zero-reference.
• Email notifications: FSPs receive avrop (dispatch call) notifications by email. SMS notifications were a feature from the first version (2019) but were removed in late 2025 for GDPR reasons.

(Source - E.ON Flexibilitet i elnätet (web, 2025))

Platform development 2025 (BeFlexible D5.2)

Four further development streams documented in Source - BeFlexible D5.2 Demo Planning and Deployment 2 (2025):

Dremio data lake integration: E.ON’s internal Dremio data lake is integrated with SWITCH for automated meter data fetching. A 24-hour post-delivery delay is defined before final settlement validation. Only applicable to FSPs on E.ON’s own grid. Reduces the manual meter submission requirement that is a major FSP onboarding barrier.

Downregulation support (4 modes): New resource configuration option enabling FSPs to specify whether their resource provides up- or downregulation:

1. Reduced consumption → upregulation (standard winter market)
2. Increased consumption → downregulation (summer: charge battery / increase load)
3. Reduced production → downregulation (summer: curtail solar/wind)
4. Increased production → upregulation (standard) Modes 2 and 3 are used for the Halland summer market. SWITCH previously only supported modes 1 and 4.

Congestion forecast evaluation tool: New page in SWITCH tracking forecast performance per congestion event — comparing forecast values to real-time metering and activation limits, showing which overruns were accurately predicted. Per-event history (order creation, activations) presented with chart visualization. Allows DSOs to identify which forecast model best suits each substation or grid component.

Seasonal availability fully in-platform: Complete DIS-compatible workflow for seasonal availability (Säsongstillgänglighet) procurement — previously managed via bilateral agreements outside SWITCH. DSO creates a tender; FSPs bid; clearing uses lowest-price-per-MWh logic (visualized in platform); schedules automatically generated for awarded FSPs. Features:

• Endurance preview: FSP sees expected remuneration at different endurance levels before submitting
• Shared orders: scheduled orders can span multiple substations; purchasing coordinated across DSO needs
• Planned procurement periods: 1–3 months; target all suitable markets in 2025/26

Regulatory basis

§10 of Förordningen (2022:585) om elnätsverksamhet requires grid companies engaged in market-based flexibility procurement to develop standardized market products and submit them to Ei for approval. In December 2025, Ei approved the LFM-h/p/e product set (case 2025-102414, seven nätföretag) — the first formal use of this §10 authority. SWITCH’s ST/TO/DO products map directly to these approved products. (Source - SWITCH User Documentation (2026), Source - Ei Godkänner Marknadsprodukter Flexibilitetstjänster (2026))

External API

SWITCH exposes a REST API (OpenAPI 3.0.4, version 3.13.0.0, staging server https://qa-api.switchmarket.se) with 25 endpoints across seven tag groups: Identity, Meter, Product, Reading, Resource, User, Zone. Authentication is OAuth2 client credentials. (Source - SWITCH API Swagger v3.13 (2026))

Licensing to other DSOs

E.ON explicitly licenses SWITCH to other actors needing a flexibility market management tool. The DNDP states: “E.ON tillhandahåller även SWITCH för andra aktörer som är i behov av ett verktyg för hantering av flexibilitetsmarknader.” (Source - E.ON Nätutvecklingsplan 2025-2034) No specific licensees named; commercial terms are not public.

E.ON licenses SWITCH as a modular product — a DSO running a market, an FSP integrating via API, and analytics users are all separable licensees.

Related pages

• CoordiNet — the project that produced SWITCH
• E.ON Energidistribution — developer and operator
• Flexibility Market — what SWITCH operationalizes
• Congestion Management — primary use case
• Balancing Markets — mFRR forwarding integration
• Villkorade Avtal — backstop mechanism integrated with SWITCH
• NODES — the competing platform

Data gaps

• Integration with elmarknadshubb (if/when implemented)
• SWITCH licensing commercial terms and list of licensees
• Whether Vattenfall could use SWITCH for future flex markets if its position changes (it had full operational experience with SWITCH during CoordiNet and UppFlex)
• Halland summer market results: activation volumes, prices, whether concept will be permanent — BeFlexible D5.4 will not be publicly released; no public source available
• Reason for Bålsta’s high V2025/26 fill rate (22.7%, 658 MWh) — what is the specific congestion driver in this commuter-belt area north of Stockholm?