ALP-CONNEX – The Intelligent Platform for Grid Integration and Distributed Energy Resources

The European electricity market is evolving toward more dynamic, control-intensive structures. With the ACER Network Code for Demand Response, consumers, storage systems, electric vehicles, and distributed generators should be able to participate more easily in electricity markets. ALP-CONNEX provides the technical foundation: standardized, secure integration of distributed assets into higher-level control and market systems.

What is ALP-CONNEX?

ALP-CONNEX is an Intelligent Grid Integration Platform – a managed OT/DER integration platform that provides the technical foundation for three core application areas:

• Flexibility Markets & Demand Response – Connecting flexible consumers, storage systems, EV charging infrastructure, and distributed generators to control systems and market platforms.
• Low-Voltage Monitoring – Real-time acquisition and forwarding of measurement data from the distribution grid to higher-level systems.
• Control Center Integration – Protocol translation between IoT/OT devices and SCADA systems (PSIcontrol, Vivavis HIGHLEIT, Siemens, and others).

Architecture & Deployment

The platform follows a hub-and-spoke architecture with a central process image (in-memory data store), asynchronous data streams, and protocol-specific connectors. All components are fully containerized and run on ARM64 and AMD64 systems – from edge gateways and industrial PCs to cloud infrastructure.

The management platform (API, UI, database) is deployed centrally – on-premise or in the cloud. Connectors run independently on distributed edge devices. The only requirement: a TCP connection to the central data store.

Protocols & Connectors

ALP-CONNEX supports a wide range of industrial communication protocols:

• MQTT – Subscriber for IoT sensor data with dynamic JSON-to-IEC mapping
• IEC 60870-5-104 – Server and client for telecontrol connection to SCADA systems
• REST / Webhooks – HTTP server + webhook for API-based integration
• IEC 61850, OPC UA, OCPP – Additional protocols integrable as independent connector modules
• Modbus TCP/RTU – Planned

New protocols can be added as independent modules without impacting existing components.

Web-Based Management UI

All configuration and monitoring is done through a modern browser interface:

• Dashboard – Real-time metrics, live statistics via WebSocket (messages/sec, throughput, latency), license status, and recent activities
• Connector Management – Create, configure, and monitor all protocol adapters with IEC 104-specific parameters (T1, T2, T3, K, W)
• Mapping Engine – Dynamic JSON-to-IEC 104 mapping with JSONPath expressions, type mapping, and Cause of Transmission configuration
• Signal Management – IEC 104 address point management (CASDU + IOA) with real-time availability checking
• Workflow Visualization – Animated data flow display between MQTT inputs, mappings, and IEC 104 outputs
• Process Updates – Live stream of all processed data points with filtering and export
• Audit Logs – Complete change history with diff view, exportable for compliance

Security

Security is not an add-on but part of the architecture:

• OAuth 2.0 / OpenID Connect – Authentication via Microsoft Entra ID
• IEC 62351 – Security concept aligned with the energy industry standard
• TLS/mTLS – Encrypted communication at all levels
• AES-GCM – Encrypted credential storage
• PKI & Certificate Management – Integrated certificate management
• Automated CVE Scanning – Vulnerability detection for all container images

API-Driven Automation

The Management API is fully accessible via REST. External systems can automate connector configuration, mappings, and monitoring – ideal for integration into existing provisioning workflows or CI/CD pipelines.

Target Segments & Use Cases

• Industrial & Commercial Sites – PV, storage, flexible loads, grid connection management
• Energy Communities & Districts – Flexibility pooling, feed-in management, local optimization
• Wind/PV Parks with Storage – Feed-in management, setpoint control, redispatch capability
• Virtual Power Plants / Aggregators – Asset connectivity, prequalification data, controllability
• Utilities / Regional Energy Suppliers – Scalable integration of thousands of distributed assets into legacy control systems

Roadmap

ALP-CONNEX is continuously evolving. Planned features:

• Fleet Management – Centralized provisioning and monitoring of all edge devices
• Workflow Editor – No-code approach to visually orchestrate connectors
• Flexibility Engine – Aggregation, setpoint control, peak shaving, redispatch logic
• AI Interface – Local AI for forecasting, prevention, and recommendations
• Fallback / Local Autonomy – Local control logic on communication loss

Contact us for a demo or visit our technical documentation at docs.alpscale.io.