powercor solar export limit powercor solar export limit

What made the situation all the more frustrating is periods of high congestion which can threaten the stability of a local network can be quite brief. To add to this, in the installer section of the Envoys web server control panel, you can set the profile by which all microinverters operate. While the Envoy is an important part of the system, the micros largely operate independently of the Envoy, and in a lot of cases can work without the Envoy at all. NSWs Ausgrid Network Area: This covers East Sydney, Newcastle, and out to Merriwa. Hello. It is delivering 8 kilowatts of solar power. I have just had a 6.6kw system installed with a Fronius 5kw inverter and am export limited to 3kw. at night or not enough at day time ? I still dont know if they have programmed the inverter to reduce the overall output by a percentage or not. This 80% could translate to an estimated 50,000 current or potential solar customers able to export more solar to the grid. driving range of 200km depending on ambient temperature. Was sure if its been configured correctly or if this is just how it works? This is disappointing as this would be an easy option to implement. 0000038218 00000 n Many Australian homes are not allowed to export more than 5 kW to the grid. Makes sense but begs my next question (sorry). If you can go outside and scream at the top of your lungs with no chance your neighbours will hear you, then theres a good chance you are off the main grid and face much stricter limits on exports. That would provide both export limiting, and, the incorporation of a battery system (for my household, if we would have a 6.6 kW panels generating capacity system, rather than the 5kW one that we have, something like the BYD LVS 20 or 24kWh battery tower, would, I believe be appropriate), which would provide for energy arbitrage, smoothing both power exported to the grid, and, power imported from the grid, especially during peak demand periods. If so, it would make replacing the whole system more viable which is exactly what I wanted to avoid (and such a waste!). But given average voltages are probably well above what they should be in lots of places, and once you factor in your local voltage rise, and pretty low values under AS4777 etc, there is not much room to play with until the distributors get the act together and deliver us power that better matches the 230v standard they are required to deliver us. It clicked, not long after I wrote the comment, My 10 kW system will not go above 10 kW unless my house battery is charging and then it can go to 13.25 kW. Do you know the situation here? Im in regional WA with a rural 2 phase supply. (We are conected to a 25Kw transformer, with 5 consumers connected.). If you are using Enphase microinverters which is extremely likely the whole system can be export limited using the Enphase Envoy gateway. Allows installation but has an export limit. 0000001757 00000 n Victoria's "Hotest" Solar Postcode is 3977 at last look. I am on my second Tesla EV and the new one has a rage of 700km if youre not a lead foot. As your sister can presumably export as much power as her solar inverter can produce it wouldnt need this device. The percentage var/VA level leading is the inverter sourcing vars to the grid, whereas the percentage var/VA level lagging is the inverter sinking vars from the grid. Unfortunately, the meter companies and inverter manufacturers cant get their shit together, and the utility meters refuse to talk to the inverters. There are versions without this consumption monitoring (old Non -s version of Envoy and even the Envoy-S without consumption monitoring). is it 10kW AC or DC?? %PDF-1.4 % 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? Recent work by Victorian DNSP Powercor on some problematic parts of its network is enabling more solar power from rooftop panels to be exported to the grid. First read the section How Export Limiting Works at the top of this thread. Do the inverters prevent the production of energy by the solar panels when an export limit would otherwise be exceeded? But there is also the DNSP rules which need to be followed. Solar export limiting, or 'export limiting', occurs most often when there is more power being pushed into the grid than it can handle. Of course, if you are planning to get an electric car, that has the potential to make a huge difference to your self consumption of solar power. We want to add a battery and it seems logical to add more cells also to another inverter/battery setup. xref I have a new residential PV system in Perth WA, 6.6kW total panel capacity and a 5kW inverter (Growatt Min 5000TL-X). Can one have micro-inverter panels without a gateway, and how would that be limited? Contracts and resources for connection agreement, Vegetation clearing requirements for new powerlines, Registered Electrical Contractor resources, Rapid Earth Fault Current Limiters (REFCL), Endorsement for wholesale demand response. Youll also start receiving the SolarQuotes weekly newsletter, keeping you up to date on all the latest developments on Australias solar scene. In my mind though the Smart meter at the box would adjust the export limit in line with what the house is consuming? The new home didnt have solar. 20% 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. If you can export 3kva that means you can have a solar system with up to 4 kilowatts of panels. We installed 4.5kw with a 5kw inverter in 2014. 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. Limited export means more power for home If your system has a limit on how much it can export then it means more power will get used in your home instead. I have divided Australias regions into three categories: The information below assumes the property is on the main grid. The 7kW charger achieves full charge in 6 hours, and one I want about 10Kw of panels so I can run pumps etc. With permission export limiting can be used to install larger systems. Even then, the losses from the limit are minor. I am not sure whether it has been explicitly explained, but, what exactly, is the limit of panels generating capacity, that is covered by the federal solar panels rebate? Its the same with kW and hours of solar electricity production. Im surprised this hasnt hit the mainstream media yet. Export limiting generally isnt permitted. the system is set to export the maximum amount of power approved in our Solar Export Pre-Approval to you your obligations as the owner and operator of an 'embedded generator' exporting . 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. Up until quite recently, Powercor had been informing a large proportion of households looking to install new solar systems they will have to cop a zero export limit due to high congestion created by exports from existing systems. 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 Some say so you want to replace your system? I have spoken to one installer , but he couldnt really help me . 100 litres alone means little, but if there are 100 litres per hour, this means 100 litre hours of output. But youll need to be confident you wont be hit with high demand charges during the evening peak that will wipe out any advantage. 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. Your dedicated meter will inform the inverter, and it will immediately reduce the power, so it doesnt exceed 5 kilowatts1. This is because even if there is only a refrigerator running during the day it will reduce the losses from export limiting and if an effort is made to shift electricity consumption to the middle of the day then losses can be mostly or entirely eliminated. The current Envoy they will be selling is the Envoy-S. Before that was the straight Envoy which did not have the consumption monitoring / metering needed to do export limiting. Generation sources can be, but are not limited to solar, wind and batteries. 258 11kW panels with 10kW 3-phase inverter (Fronius Symo + Fronius 3-phase meter). Heres what that means. 2. It owns and operates the states largest electricity distribution network, and is responsible for more than half a million poles and over 88,000 kilometres of powerlines. According to NT Power and Water they will normally allow up to a 5 kilowatt inverter with single phase power and up to a 7 kilowatt inverter with 3 phase power. I think the installers like the Volt-watt modes, because if you dont know where to look they hid the problem at your expense anyway. Were seeing a real lift in the number of customers able to export excess solar back into the grid in these areas, which were among the most constrained in our network only a few months ago, said Powercor General Manager Electricity Networks, Mark Clarke. 0000038752 00000 n In contrast, most other network distributors set a strict upper limit on the size solar panel system you can install, typically 10kW for single-phase properties. hb```f``sd`c`edd@ A >hp`86s8::\ MNmOe0pYuR`i g G7@ $n@]A#&S_2.dx f Max. 0000028229 00000 n Though endless quibbling over unnecessary details might keep the presses churning, a FACT remains that Ive been using ever-more-cost-effective batteries since 1980. But it took him about another ten years to focus on it in a way that wasnt really stupid, Good Article. We respect your privacy and you can opt out from the newsletter at any time. Please make sure you engage early with our team through eConnect to check on network capacity for your customers. 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 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. But I can tell you a few things that might help with some of your pondering :- 1. So if your home isnt currently drawing power you wont know from looking at the display if its capable of producing the maximum 5 kilowatts or if it cant provide more than 3 kilowatts. Thanks Steve 0418 815 193. Just last week, Powercor (Western Victoria) advised that they now have more room in the grid for export. I installed 6.6kw solar panels and have Goodwe 5kw inverter and applied for export limit of 5kw. Hi i want to install solar with no power I cant justify the cost of adding additional solar if the max I can export with Essential energy is 3kwh. South Australia Power Networks (SAPN) area: SAPN is the only distributor in South Australia. ) 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? Origin offers 8 cents per kWh until a daily export limit of 14 kWh is reached. Please confirm the maximum export limit in the relevant section of this application.. 0000037380 00000 n So, the whole of the system of restrictions and available components, for domestic rooftop photovoltaic systems, needs to be reviewed, to provide for greater usage demands during peak demand hours, greater battery storage provisions (and financial assistance for householders to implement big behind the meter battery storage systems, and, regarding the fragile, decrepit SWIS grid, the allowance of large capacities of panel generation, limited export, inverters, such as the hybrid one that I proposed. All these profiles need to dance carefully around the problem. Its located in Ausnet Services' Distribution Area but Ausnet is not part of the CitiPower, Powercor and UnitedEnergy . 0000000016 00000 n Despite the low feed-in tariff you will receive it can still be worthwhile, especially if you can shift some electricity consumption to the middle of the day. Ronald Definitely, thats an inverter that is export limited to zero. Rubbing salt into the wound were situations where someone was zero export limited while their next door neighbour wasnt. Unfortunately, the inverters parameters such as Export Limitation are all password protected, and so far I have been unable to even determine who knows this password. Ready for some quotes? 0000037764 00000 n I think of it like the rate at which water is flowing out of a hose. 0000004736 00000 n 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. 0000001260 00000 n Even if I were exporting 100% of it, it still would only bring down my bills by a tiny amount per month. Tasmania: Under 1% of Tasmanians are on SWER lines, so the generous export limit should often be available. Off the main grid, rural properties can have 3 kilowatts of inverter capacity. 0000010603 00000 n 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. 0000038830 00000 n People have done it at fairly low cost with second hand panels and a DC pump.) They did say that with future upgrades we could reapply, but I cant find a way to do this. 0000006578 00000 n The ideal way to measure the power flow in and out of your house would be to ask your existing electricity meter. It is critical that you install an approved smart inverter and set it correctly. We have a 3kwh system and are really using as much during the day as we can. If your pumping needs are large enough this can pay for itself, but it will be expensive to set up. 100% Yes I do have Enphase micro-inverters and an Envoy gateway, though not enough sunny roof to exceed 5kW, so my interest is rather academic but real. (Or at least it will be expensive to set up well. It can also only provide this when it is running. But it seems the situation has been changing for the better in the last couple of months in a number of affected areas. 0000039284 00000 n 0 In looking to the future, regardless of whether we like it, in spite of, and, despite, the great efforts of the WA state government, and its parent, the Australian feral LNP/ALP government, battery powered road vehicles will come to Australia, and, displace ICE vehicles. Has the oppressive authority in WA ever given a reason for not allowing export limited inverters in WA? Some networks will allow larger sizes than those outlined below, pending specific approval from the network. Victorias CitiPower area: The Melbourne Central Business District. Actually I made a chart showing the percentage of electricity lines in each state that were SWER but I left it out for the sake of brevity. A man named Canute, proved that, centuries ago. SAPN has told me I cant have more than a 5 kw inverter , but thats just not enough. The uptake of solar has surprised the powers that be so they are basically wasting free energy and penalizing the producers in the process. No-one seems to have replied Dirk, so I will try. So far I have not seen much more than 5kW DC anyway, but in summer I would expect to see a curve thats flattened at the top during the high sun phase, as it is cut off by the inverter. <]/Prev 115522/XRefStm 1575>> Swearing revenge, he began his lifelong quest to reduce the harm the environment could cause. Some manufacturers may have this pre-selected. Many NSW rural situations are limited to 3Kw export, due to the length of the transmission lines. I wouldnt drive anything else. Enter your postcode now. 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. both said Most systems have mostly N facing panels, so really only generate peak power for a few hours a day (often 10am>2pm approx) I cant see any reference to the NT. Have I been conned into believing I could produce up to 6.6kW myself, but in fact the maximum my inverter will ever allow through to the meter (and to my house) is only 5kW? If your solar company provides you with the Solar pre-approval (SPA) number for your pre-approval, we can check specifically what was decided on with regards to exporting. you request 5kW and Powercor says you can only export 2.5kW) Set a 'zero export' limit - i.e. 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). Can you provide comment and evaluation of power tracing please. So having a powerwall is way less useful for helping with an export limit than you would think. Single-phase properties can have up to 5 kilowatts of inverter capacity, and 3 phase properties can have up to 30 kilowatts. I live in Warrnambool, Victoria. 306 47 And doing so potentially puts you running in a non compliant state. (2nd one APPROVAL/SITE SPECIFIC CONDITION(s): Total Solar Export must be limited to 5kW). I believe it must have been set up during installation, but the installer company claims that this is handled by Growatt themselves. 0000037686 00000 n I could not convince him that I knew what I was talking about! Typically in the Powercor area, the export limit is 5kW of exports for each single-phase household solar PV system. 0000038296 00000 n I think that the limiter can connect only to one inverter and not two at the same time. . There may well be a tipping point in battery prices where a drought of mid day solar will be followed by very little evening use and possibly large numbers of households abandoning the grid altogether. 0000004622 00000 n While export limiting is possible its not always approved. 2. 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; Im afraid in a typical situation the inverter wont show its potential output. An option is to take your pumps off-grid and run them independently off a separate off-grid solar system. And yes 5kW export limit applies May I suggest an extra fact check to polish the valuable story above? We do not prevent customers from installing solar for their own self-consumption. NSWs Essential Energy area: Regional NSW. reliable export limit control function as per AS4777.2 to limit the export output where the . If they face in two or more directions, it will further reduce the losses by reducing the peak solar output while stretching it out, so it lasts longer through the day. In an Enphase system, that is with the Envoy-S with consumption monitoring. Weve got a system that can be left alone in my opinion, so adding say 6.6kw and a 10kw battery makes good sense but what a task. Hi Everyone, What am I missing? 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. Whats the logical and practical way forward? "Some of these customers may have received approval to export since, due to network improvements made since their connection." 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. Im trying to get some unbiased advice on whether or not we should add more solar. I could easily share my excess power for the time I am not irrigating my crops. 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. Thanks. It would definitely be better if we didnt need to limit the amount of power solar systems sent into the grid. The metered version comes with extra current clamps to hook up to the grid side so you can do consumption monitoring and export limiting. Providing the export limiting is done on the meter current as described above ( not on the inverter output current), you can generate more than the export limit if you are consuming enough power to make up the difference between generation and export limit. Shane, you appear to be mixing up kW and kWh easily done! embedded generation system to the CitiPower and Powercor low voltage networks. Note that connections off the main grid are usually far more restricted. 240 3. Sorry if dumb question. Why on earth would I do that if I can help it. 0000007057 00000 n In a Enphase system, only the Envoy can provide this. Hi The data has 5KW flat lining confirming more is being generated. After a major works program involving more than 500 different network alterations and other activities across nine key regions among the most constrained parts of the network, Powercors new solar connections export approval rate of just over 60% at the start of the year has increased to above 90%. Only residential homes with inverters of 5 kilowatts or less can receive the states. 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! 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. In addition, all modern solar inverters must comply with AS4777.2015 at least. This means you tend to see panels at the end of strings shutdown soonest on voltage risk conditions, as they have the highest voltage rise being at the end of the string. Assume positive intention.4. 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. Normally single phase properties can have up to 5 kilowatts of solar inverter capacity and 3 phase properties can have 15 kilowatts. 0000009027 00000 n You can see from the profile name that it ensures the microinverters conform to the AS4777.2:2015 Australian standard that governs inverters, and it enables the advanced Volt-var and Volt-watt controls for adjusting export power when the grid voltage gets too high (as opposed to abruptly shutting off all export power when grid voltage is too high, which happens without Volt-var and Volt-watt). Regarding batteries, as we all know from our mobile phones, constantly being charged and discharged, will deteriorate much quicker than PV panels (and the same that goes for phones, laptops, and your electric toothbrush also goes for solar and electric vehicle batteries, unfortunately). 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! 0000093063 00000 n Thats a huge jump and even a smidge higher than the Powercor network wide average of 89%. 0000027818 00000 n P/Prated (%) But I will warn you, even with the high cost of grid electricity and the low solar feed-in tariff in Western Australia, batteries normally wont pay for themselves. It also allows you to focus on increasing your self consumption which in turn provides a better return on investment. Self confessed newbie to the mechanics of Solar so bear with me. This seems to be becoming a big problem at least locally. Activities part of Powercors Solar Hotspots program carried out over three months included upgrading infrastructure, adjusting tap settings on street-level transformers, balancing voltage levels on powerlines and various tweakery at zone substations. But this is at least partially because when you throttle back output, you also reduce the amount of voltage rise you are causing on your local connection to the point of interconnect which is probably contributing to the issue. 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. 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. Definition A low voltage embedded generation connection in CitiPower and Powercor is defined as "an LV EG system with a total system capacity greater than 30kVA for a three-phase IES or non-IES (excluding ESS) network connection that is: 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. So an Enphase setup, without a continuously operating Envoy with not be providing this functionality and likely to raise some concerns in the AS4777.2015 certification process if they did not take steps to make sure these functions are always guaranteed to be implemented. ACTs EvoEnergy Network Area: Covers most homes in the ACT, especially in built-up areas. About CitiPower and Powercor FACT SHEET: SOLAR EXPORT APPROVAL Set appliances to use your solar power Maintenance and safety checks are important While installing solar panels can still be worth it under these conditions, its a disincentive, increases payback time and is generally a pretty crappy state of affairs. 0000007554 00000 n Powercor's network solutions manager Claire Cass said of 32,580 customers connected to solar with Powercor in the last 18 months, only 2023 could not export power. But still the solar companies keep trying to sell it to me.. But there will often be times when the solar system will produce more power than can be exported, so some energy will be lost3. 0000038562 00000 n 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. The majority of customers are approved for the export level they request. Now, such a hybrid inverter, as I previously submitted as a post, as being needed, would have the capability of providing for up to 10kW of panels generating capacity, and, of power conversion of up to 10kW, to provide for up to 5kW to provide for charging a battery system, and, the other 5kW to provide for the household load and with surplus (to the household load, out of the 5kW provision) being exported to the grid. 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.. Economically this probably Is not viable, as our electricity bill is fairly low. Still a very long payback period, but not as long. My guess is that when the Envoy-S sees it needs to throttle due to export limits, it does this by sending the same instruction to all micros to throttle the same amount (but dont know for sure). I did get on the FiT in the early days for the 66cpkWh, but installed a separate system (which I have since incorporated into my stand-alone system. Generally however, I can advise that Powercor intends to upgrade the network over the next 5 years, starting in January, however, the specifics of where upgrades are happening and the order has not been decided. 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. hour of charging is enough to drive 35km.. This extra meter adds to the cost of a solar system. I am a bit confused about export. Is this correct? 0% And Set Power Limit to 100%. sonnenBatterie Evo. 0000001916 00000 n Plus a Tesla Powerwall 2. Queenslands Ergon network area: All of Queensland on the main grid outside of South East Queensland. If you cant store the power (too expensive) and you cant export it, why the requirement (or desire) to put in large systems?