If you dont get under the covers and look carefully at the logs you might miss this, or think it is a cloud coming over, rather than voltage triggered throttling. Still, few people will want more than the 13.33 kilowatts of panel capacity single phase homes can generally install: The Bad: Homes with single-phase power on the main grid can have up to 5 kilowatts of inverter capacity but can usually get around this limit by installing an export limited solar inverter of up to 10 kilowatts. Please make sure you engage early with our team through eConnect to check on network capacity for your customers. Real names are preferred - you should be happy to put your name to your comments.2. Only residential homes with inverters of 5 kilowatts or less can receive the states. I have a new residential PV system in Perth WA, 6.6kW total panel capacity and a 5kW inverter (Growatt Min 5000TL-X). That said, provided the Installer included your details and phone number in the customer section when the SPA was lodged, the solar team intends to follow up with customers if capacity becomes available to export into the grid through upgrades to the network.. . The fact that export limiting is necessary is not a good thing. At the moment a battery system is unlikely to pay for itself, but you could install a system that is larger than what makes financial sense for your current situation and hope home batteries will fall in price over the next few years. Were continually investing in our networks and aim to keep customers informed if additional export capacity becomes available in their area. Powercor is the Distributed Network Service Provider for central and western Victoria, as well as Melbournes western suburbs. I could easily share my excess power for the time I am not irrigating my crops. Im trying to get some unbiased advice on whether or not we should add more solar. Allows installation but has a zero export limit. Major upgrades supporting more solar exports for homes in Victoria's If you cant store the power (too expensive) and you cant export it, why the requirement (or desire) to put in large systems? Your meter is on the connection between the mains network on one side and the combination of your inverter and your loads on the other side. There are profiles that still conform the microinverters to AS4777.2:2015, but can disable Volt-Var/Volt-Watt, change the power factor to 0.9 (some grid operators require this), turn off export altogether or set specific maximum export levels like 1kW, 3kW etc., or configure to satisfy specific grid network requirements. Solar export limits for Adelaide suburbs with most panels under SA You could approach SAPN and ask for special permission to install more solar capacity on an SWER but I would not be optimistic about that. 100% you aren't allowed to export any power from your solar system to the grid. Does anyone know how the limiter works in this scenario with 2 inverters? I want about 10Kw of panels so I can run pumps etc. Here at SolarQuotes, we had been hearing quite a few complaints about Powercors zero export limits. Since in WA you cant have more than a 5kW inverter on a private residence, I believe there isnt actually export limiting in play, and the inverter itself clips the output AC regardless how much the panels are generating, sadly. I also dont know if my meter has limiting but suspect not as it is a pretty dumb device. is there a inverter that stops power going back I realise that all the political parties in the the WA state parliament and especially, the Synergy/Western Power conglomerate, that controls approvals of domestic rooftop photovoltaic systems connected to the SWIS grid, are opposed to domestic rooftop photovoltaic systems (even though we stabilise and sustain the grid), but, I am wondering whether any reason has ever been given by the oppressive authorities, for banning export limited inverters in WA. Finally! I just dont understand it. Also, given that export limited inverters (supposedly) work the same, regardless of the grid to which they are connected, why is it so, that states have different rules whereby some allow export limited inverters, and, some do not? I am not even sure the inverter would support that, but I fear that sadly up to 25% of the PV energy might be going to waste! The solar PV system is connected to the network via an inverter. 0000006578 00000 n The new inverter standard AS/NZS 4777.2:2020 has new inclusions to address grid stability issues - a new feature that is necessary to further enhance the hosting capacity to accommodate more solar and renewable energy systems. How do I get around this with SAPN , am I allowed to export limit on a swer line in Sth Aust. We are on a zero limited export. If thats not a good option, you can consider getting a demand tariff and doing pumping outside the peak period when the cost of grid electricity will be relatively low. Worried the impact this will have currently when we charge an EV in the near term. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Download the first chapter of The Good Solar Guide, authored by SolarQuotes founder Finn Peacock, FREE! Powercor will respond in one of three ways: Approve the size system you've requested Limit the amount of power you can export to the grid (e.g. I have seen my panels producing over 13 kW of power when the battery is drawing 3 kW DC power and the battery, house and car 10 kW of AC power. So while the article suggests 10kW inverter ( 13.33kW DC) in fact the limit seemed to be 10kW DC ( hmmm what does 10kW generation mean exactly ?.) That can raise the voltage to a level dangerous to appliances. The installer has been able to get the system through WP in the past as the inverter can limit the export to grid to 3kva. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Similarly, which would be more detrimental to a fragile electricity grid, through power exporting; a 5kW inverter with no export limiting, or, a 10kW inverter, with export limiting set to 1kW? Youll also start receiving the SolarQuotes weekly newsletter, keeping you up to date on all the latest developments on Australias solar scene. Aside from that, when you have high resistance lines, there is a voltage drop over their length. If you can export 3kva that means you can have a solar system with up to 4 kilowatts of panels. 0000005986 00000 n 0000005359 00000 n If the transformer capacity is limited, you could install solar initially with a low export limit (eg 1 kW) and then have your export limit increased when the transformer was . Rooftop solar | CitiPower & Powercor Victorias Jemena network area: A small but crowded chunk of North and Western Melbourne. I suspect that it is likely, that that they are all signaled equally, not in truth I dont know for sure. Still a very long payback period, but not as long. Power failure: Homes hit by solar limits as distributors protect Households and small businesses that generate electricity using solar panels, wind turbines, or other small-scale generators, can feed back any unused electricity into the electricity grid for other customers to use. I am a total newbie to this but I am unclear why export limiting is good? Our Solar & Battery Calculator can give an idea of if its likely to pay: https://www.solarquotes.com.au/solar-calculator/. What I find is installers dont seem to like it when I tell them my plan. Victoria network plans upgrade to allow for more rooftop solar exports When an inverter is export limited, it has to know how much solar energy is being sent into the grid so it can immediately reduce output if its about to go over the limit. This is often referred to as 'network constraints'. When a home is exported limited, all the power the solar inverter can produce is available for the home to use. Ill upgrade the Endeavour Energy area from Ugly to Bad, since things are clearly not all bad there. But just note, not everyone Envoy has required bits to do export limiting. xref 0000039284 00000 n Quotes vary and the deal has to be value/advantage logical or whats the point. It is critical that you install an approved smart inverter and set it correctly. Whilst this may not be technically defined as export limiting, as the inverter specifications, specify that the inverter, whilst allowing up to an overload factor of 2, will only generate up to 5kW of A/C power PDF Origin Energy Electricity Limited Origin Solar Boost (TOU 5 Day with 00@ Oo We want to add a battery and it seems logical to add more cells also to another inverter/battery setup. I guess it would be technically possible to have a solar system with a battery but still be connected to the grid as backup. House batteries should have the capability of being set to turn off when they are fully charged and then on towards the middle of the day. But whether or not extra solar capacity will pay for itself is another matter. 0000038484 00000 n While this is fine during the week when we are open, it seems a huge waste of electricity on the weekends when we are closed. The MSO helps us manage and keep our network safe for solar customers. 0% Can you provide comment and evaluation of power tracing please. The solar PV system is connected to the network via an inverter. Efficiency has and will improve further over time, but never to the point of perpetuity. 0000001260 00000 n 0000010080 00000 n Typically in the Powercor area, the export limit is 5kW of exports for each single-phase household solar PV system. 0000037952 00000 n Upgrading the local electricity network so more businesses and households can export excess solar to share. Or is there a build up of voltage in the system? If you use a pre AS4777.3:2005 the limits are probably even higher, but you loose some other features (like frequency ramping which is probably very sensible to have if you want to be a good grid citizen), and you probably are not supposed to run those unless it is a pre 2016 install. Victoria's Powercor Lifts Its Solar Exports Game Good question Tony. My question is should that then eliminate the 5 kw inverter of the powerwall wich Energex claims is part of the 10kw allowance on a single phase? And for this reasons, I have increasingly seen that it is more challenging to run micros without the envoy which would no doubt be extra code required in later versions of the envoy to enforce implementation of various AS4777 and export limiting requirements that cant be done in the micros alone. You could buy a battery, charge it on the weekend and export during week nights. What am I missing? Going solar even if Powercor says 'No' - MASH: Community Solar I have 13.25 kW of panels with a 9.8 kW LG Chem battery and a 10 kW inverter export limited to 5 kW. 0000027818 00000 n Note that connections off the main grid are usually far more restricted. 0000001575 00000 n Hi i want to install solar with no power I dont quite understand how the DC energy from the inverter can go to my home circuits first, before any excess current is fed into the grid. Its the same with kW and hours of solar electricity production. Voltage (V) measured at inverter terminals 220 5kW times the number of hours is the total production over that time. This is done for three main reasons: In this article, Ill give a broad outline of how export limiting works and why it can be a good idea. 0000008571 00000 n 0000007554 00000 n In writing I was advised: Just last week, Powercor (Western Victoria) advised that they now have more room in the grid for export. 0000004823 00000 n To get your quotes, please enter your postcode: AEMC: Electricity Prices To Continue To Fall, http://www.johnrogers.com.au/battery_charging_noon.jpg, http://www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/kw-and-kwh-what-is-the-difference/, Why Australian Solar Installers Love Austrian Fronius Inverters, Tesla Powerwall Price Takes A Tumble In Australia, "Snail Mail" Home Battery Offers: Be Wary, New Minimum VIC Solar Feed-In Tariffs Locked In, Glenrowan Solar Farm Construction Gets Cranking. It is possible to max out the 10 kW inverter capacity with my Tesla, house load and Heat Pump hot water. Now, that would help protect electricity grids, especially, the fragile, decrepit SWIS grid, for the present. My solar installer applied to Powercor to install a 5.4kw system at my Point Cook address. We just had a 30kW inverter solar install for our business and it has been limited to 1.8kW export. Thanks so much, David. Theyd be higher for a sunnier location such as Perth and lower for cloudier places such as Melbourne or Hobart. It seems so strange that it is clear government policy to get more solar going and yet the network operators are effectively blocking it now. Perhaps it is worth mentioning that the stricter export limitation becomes, it will make a stronger argument for batteries. Is this default, or would it be programmed in if the distributor required it? Reminder: In Australia, you are allowed to install 33% more panel capacity than the inverter capacity for example, a 10 kW inverter can have up to 13.33 kW of panels attached. These consumption spikes go past the Solar energy being limited suggesting were drawing from the grid! 0000029011 00000 n 207 But, now, Goodwe have the GW5000-MS inverter, which, from what I have read, is apparently allowed in WA, for a single phase SWIS grid connection, and, that inverter is a 5kW inverter, that has a maximum panels generating capacity; The inverter reduces the amount of electrical energy supplied by the solar panels. My assumption is (and I may be wrong after all) that the idea of using my own energy first before buying from the grid is an illusion, and in fact it only appears like that because all the energy from the inverter (up to 5kW) is measured as exported, all energy required by the house is actually imported from the grid (as if there was no solar system at all), and it is just because the exports are offset against the imports for billing, why it appears that my PV system is reducing the imports. Powercor's technical assessment aims for these works to enable at least 80% of new solar applications to export 5 kW. So basically the whole local industry is going to be cactus until this is resolved. Installers must also follow the recommendations of the inverter manufacturer and they may say the limit for panel capacity is less than one-third more than the panels capacity. But a sub optimally configured grid sometimes forces installers into implementing setting that are probably less than ideal if the high voltage events in the grid were just occasions where there is too much generation and they do want have all generators throttle back to allow some time for rebalancing supply and demand. Of course the manufacturers dont want this to be public knowledge and pretend that once you paid for a system you are set for life (yours, not that of the system). The infrastructure is not sufficiently flexible to deal with this. Or is the energy produced by the panels but dissipated somehow? Where do I find information on reapplying for export with Powercor? If a home cant export any power at all then there is no financial reason to install a large solar system. South Australian solar panel owners can currently export 5 kilowatts of electricity to the grid but under Flexible Exports, they could export double that amount 10kW. So having a powerwall is way less useful for helping with an export limit than you would think. In a Enphase system, only the Envoy can provide this. As such, unless the investment pays for itself within at most 5-6 years, IMHO it is not a good investment/waste of money and natural resources. 0000037686 00000 n After (almost) three months with no reply, has any reason been given, as to why export limited inverters are not allowed for single phase grid connections to the SWIS grid in WA? A man named Canute, proved that, centuries ago. Victorias AusNet network area: The eastern third of Victoria, not including Melbourne or French Island. And doing so potentially puts you running in a non compliant state. PDF Powercor, CitiPower & United Energy amended or replaced from time to time. If that is the case it seems counter intuitive to me as I dont know if demand will outstrip production until I actually turn the appliance (eg A/C) on and check the display. at night or not enough at day time ? Hello. The reason for this query, is that, in the past, my understanding has been that, in WA, where export limiting is apparently, banned by the gratuitously oppressive state parliament, and, where a limit of a 5kW output inverter, is allowed, for a single phase grid connection on the SWIS grid, a limit of 6.66 kW of panels generating capacity, is imposed for single phase connections to the SWIS grid, and, thence, the limit of panels generating capacity, to which the federal solar panels rebate applies, for such a connection, has been the 6.66kW. Thats a huge jump and even a smidge higher than the Powercor network wide average of 89%. My sister has the same type of inverter (Goodwe) but she lives in the Estern suburbs of Victoria and she has been exporting but her Power Limit was set OFF. Seem most solar places, even the ones the go on about how good they are, arent that good when presented with this, what seems to be a conundrum for them. 258 In future, will powercor allow export limit if they upgrade transformer? Store it and use it later (this requires solar battery storage), or it disappears into thin air via a heat sink. Are Tesla Powerwall smart enough to let majority of power export to grid and only start charging battery as inverter approaches its export limit? Three-phase homes can install up to 15 kilowatts of inverter capacity or 30 kilowatts with export limiting, except in South East Queensland where special permission is required from Energex to install an export limited inverter over 15 kilowatts. But if you suddenly switch off everything, there is more surplus solar power than youre allowed to export. This gives the advantage of having a new system covered by a new set of warranties. Generation sources can be, but are not limited to solar, wind and batteries. So you may decide adding a second system is worthwhile, or you may want to put it off until your current system develops problems and replace it with one large new system. Its also worth taking a look in case you shied away from installing solar panels in the past because of the situation now might be the time to revisit the idea. 3. Energex doesnt automatically allow inverters over 5 kilowatts to be installed with export limiting, but currently regularly grants permission for single-phase homes on the main grid to install up to 10 kilowatts of inverter capacity with export limiting. An option is to take your pumps off-grid and run them independently off a separate off-grid solar system. All is explained here: http://www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/kw-and-kwh-what-is-the-difference/, ( 5kW per hour is a non-sensical unit unless you want to describe an acceleration of energy! But still the solar companies keep trying to sell it to me.. See image at http://www.johnrogers.com.au/battery_charging_noon.jpg, CORRECTION: My 13.25 kW system will not go above the 10 kW inverter limit unless my house battery is charging and then it can go to 13.25 kW. So my understanding of the info above is that my inverter will increase production in unison with demand until it hits 5kw? endstream endobj 351 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/Index[17 289]/Length 31/Size 306/Type/XRef/W[1 1 1]>>stream &K?BK:T$A1Cn Will this mean any additional system would be limited to 0kW output?? Weve seen a rapid growth in rooftop solar systems.With each installation, were facilitating rapid growth in the amount of solar capacity on our network. When it comes to the limiting imposed by the electricity companies feed-in regulations, it means that, at any one time, not more than 5kW (100L) maybe be output to the grid (hose), it has nothing to do with the total over a certain period of time. Its moderately cheaper and the solar feed-in tariff youll receive will lower your electricity bills and increase the amount of clean energy available for others to use. Whats the logical and practical way forward? I have a 14kW solar array running Enphase IQ7+ microinverters (43 of them) hooked up to the grid in a 3-phase configuration in the Endeavour Energy area in NSW, and they currently have the profile AU default AS4777.2:2015 30kVa, Vv, Vw set. I cant see any reference to the NT. But you probably would not recover the cost of the battery within its lifetime. Enter your postcode now. I can also see specific profiles for other grid networks, such as Ausgrid and Ergon, that likely have specific requirements of the inverters. SAPN has told me I cant have more than a 5 kw inverter , but thats just not enough. More information about the program and how customers can get the most out of their rooftop solar is available at www.powercor.com.au/solar-energy So if an inverter that is export limited to 5 kilowatts is providing 8 kilowatts of power, none of it will go to waste provided the home is consuming at least 3 kilowatts at the time. I had applications rejected, and when I asked there was NO course for negotiation or discussion its the RULES is s synopsis of the responses. It is delivering 8 kilowatts of solar power. Would the gateway signal the micro inverters to shut down one at a time, or to all reduce output equally? I think I was partially wrong about how my PV is connected to the home and the meter. What inverter do you have? Was sure if its been configured correctly or if this is just how it works? Put down your weapons.3. So, if a contractor or tradesman, using one of these during the day, or, another type of worker, gets home after work, and, plugs one of these in to charge, an immediate drain of 7 kW (I believe that it is actually 7.4 kW), and immediate significant drain is imposed on the grid, for several hours, during peak demand. On a related note, we mentioned yesterday that over the border in South Australia, SA Power Networks is readying to ramp up flexible solar exports in an effort to support more solar installations and its pretty clever stuff. As your sister can presumably export as much power as her solar inverter can produce it wouldnt need this device. And, no matter how powerful, the members of the legislatures imagine themselves to be, and, no matter how trump-like, they are, they can not stop the future. As has been explained (and COSTED) on previous occasions batteries are VERY cost-effective.IF you stay away from the hi-tech/overpriced/dependence-creating/unproven battery-systems advocated by commercially self-interested parties. 0000038296 00000 n Exporting surplus solar power is good because it reduces fossil fuel generation and pays you a feed-in tariff that reduces electricity bills. If we consider a home in Sydney where no electricity is used during the day, and all the solar panels face directly north, then the percentage of output that will be lost due to a 5 kilowatt export limit would be: So even in a worst-case situation for Sydney, an 8 kilowatt solar system that is exported limited to 5 kilowatts will only lose 4% of generation. 0000038030 00000 n Below is the email response I received from Powercor. ), converting to up to 10kW of AC power, and, the GW5048D-ES provides for up to 6.65kW of panels generating capacity, converting to up to 4.95 kW of AC power, and, acting as a battery management system and UPS, when a battery system (of up to two approved, low voltage, batteries) is connected. He first became interested in environmental matters when he was four years old after the environment tried to kill him by smashing fist sized hailstones through the roof of his parents Toowoomba home. Unfortunately, the meter companies and inverter manufacturers cant get their shit together, and the utility meters refuse to talk to the inverters. Self confessed newbie to the mechanics of Solar so bear with me. And, if a street full of these, plugs their cars into the grid, for recharging, starting the recharging between 1700 and 1800, lots of entertaining fireworks, along the street powerlines exploding.