SII, the Integrated Information System: what it is and how to use its data in power and gas sales

The SII, the Integrated Information System, is the national platform that manages data flows between operators in the electricity and gas markets: supply point master data, supplier switches, contract transfers, metering and settlement data. It was set up at Acquirente Unico by Law 129 of 2010, operates under ARERA rules and has replaced many bilateral exchanges between distributors and retailers with a single point of reference.

Why the SII exists

Before the SII, each retailer exchanged data with dozens of distributors, each with its own formats and timing. A supplier switch or a meter reading could require different steps depending on the network, and errors were often discovered on the invoice. The SII centralises these flows: official data sits in one place and processes follow single rules, the same for every operator.

The Official Central Register

The core of the SII is the Official Central Register (RCU), the database containing the list of electricity withdrawal points, identified by the POD, and gas delivery points, identified by the PDR. For each point the RCU holds the data needed by the processes: the end customer, the retailer, the dispatching or distribution user, and the relevant technical and contractual characteristics.

Distributors and retailers are required to keep the RCU up to date according to the timing and rules set by ARERA. This is why SII master data is considered the official data against which to check the data in your own systems.

The processes managed by the SII

• Switching and pre-check. Supplier switches go through the SII, which checks the point and customer data in advance and notifies the outcome to the operators involved.
• Contract transfers. A change of contract holder without a change of supplier follows a dedicated process.
• Metering. Distributors provide metering data through the SII, which makes it available to retailers for the points they serve.
• Settlement. The SII is the official channel for the master data and aggregate data used to settle electricity and gas positions between operators.
• Other regulated processes. For example, managing the social bonus for eligible customers.

What data reaches a retailer

For a retailer, the SII is first of all a continuous source of files: master data for the points in the portfolio, electricity and gas metering data for the various flow types, outcomes of switching and transfer processes, settlement data. They are XML files, published at different intervals, which can be corrected over time.

The value of this data depends on what you do with it:

• Consumption monitoring. Metering data, stored at the finest granularity available, shows how each point and each customer consumes.
• Forecast. The same metering data is used to calculate consumption forecasts: long-term for offers and renewals, short-term for scheduling and reducing imbalances.
• Offers and margins. Actual consumption makes it possible to price the right profile and to check each customer's margin after the fact.
• Contracts and back office. Before a contract is activated, customer and point data must be checked against the official master data, to avoid rejections and delays in switching.

And in gas

In gas, the SII provides PDR master data and actual volumes, expressed in Smc, which wholesalers and distribution users need to rebuild the portfolio under each REMI and for settlement. Together with transporters' data, they are the basis of gas logistics, which we described in the guide to gas logistics for wholesalers.

The most common difficulties

Volume and variety of files. Many different flows, each with its own layout and timing: importing them by hand or with fragile procedures leads to gaps and duplicates.

Corrections. A meter reading can be replaced by a later version. You need to track which data is valid at any time, without losing the history.

Alignment with internal systems. CRM, offer management, billing and forecasting must work on the same master data. Differences from the SII must be found before they turn into invoice errors or process rejections.

How MAS does it

FAST, for consumption monitoring and forecasting, automatically imports, in the cloud, the files published on the SII: electricity and gas metering data for every flow type and the official master data of the points. The data is stored at the finest granularity and becomes monitoring and forecasts for offers, scheduling and bidding.

QUBO, the back office for energy contracts, validates data against the SII before creating the contract, while LAGO loads gas master data and volumes from the SII, SNAM and other transporters for logistics, settlement and invoicing to UdDs. To see them on your data, request a demo.