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. The Solar installer is telling me that they just started getting 0kW approvals back for about 9 out of 10 requests and so they dont believe they will be able to do many installs at all going forward. %PDF-1.4 % 10kW of inverters with 11.325kW of panels. No matter how badly you may want to export limit your solar system, it can only be done in locations where its permitted. The whole system of domestic rooftop photovoltaic systems, needs to be reviewed; by both the legislatures and regulators, and, by the components (especially the inverters) manufacturers. NSWs Endeavour Energy area: Western Sydney. ), converting to a maximum of 5kW of AC power, whilst the GW10K-MS provides for up to 13.5kW of panels generating capacity, across three MPPTs (strings? People have done it at fairly low cost with second hand panels and a DC pump.) I could not convince him that I knew what I was talking about! To me it does not quite make sense as no system can produce 100% of its capacity meaning my existing 3.5kW will never produce full 3.5kW (on a good day, I am lucky to get 2.5kW). 0000009027 00000 n 100% 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. So, I am pretty much left in the dark about whether all the energy my panels are theoretically producing is being utilised, or (which is my fearful assumption) up to 1.6kW are wasted whenever the panels produce more than 5kW AC. How do I get around this with SAPN , am I allowed to export limit on a swer line in Sth Aust. Thanks so much, David. One thing I find is that Voltage control works well: instead of the inverter resetting if the voltage gets too high, my inverters roll back output, so it actually helps my neighbors too because their inverters reset less often. Please confirm the maximum export limit in the relevant section of this application.. This could be important, given that we have a state parliamentary election due in a couple of months. If a home cant export any power at all then there is no financial reason to install a large solar system. amended or replaced from time to time. 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. As batteries currently operate they charge from power in the morning that could otherwise be sold rather than from power that may not be able to be sold in the middle of the day. 2. The infrastructure is not sufficiently flexible to deal with this. 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. 0000038296 00000 n 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). Worried the impact this will have currently when we charge an EV in the near term. Its also unusual for a large solar system to have all the panels facing the same direction. They did say that with future upgrades we could reapply, but I cant find a way to do this. Quotes vary and the deal has to be value/advantage logical or whats the point. Normally single phase properties can have up to 5 kilowatts of solar inverter capacity and 3 phase properties can have 15 kilowatts. South Australia Power Networks (SAPN) area: SAPN is the only distributor in South Australia. We are in an area where only about 20% of the homes have solar. 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. There is not likely to be an Enphase system without a gateway (called the Envoy with in the Enphase system), because this is needed to setup the system, configure its profiles and report production and other important functions of the system. Victorias United Energy Network Area: A large chunk of Melbourne on the east side Port Phillip Bay and the Bayside Peninsula. Sometimes Powercor can reduce that to a lower figure, or even set a zero-export limit. We are on a zero limited export. Here at SolarQuotes, we had been hearing quite a few complaints about Powercors zero export limits. 0000027818 00000 n at night or not enough at day time ? A small solar system can be financially viable. Or is there a build up of voltage in the system? But you will probably find that there is another setting that it will shutdown when 10 minute average voltage is a measly 255v. 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. 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). This extra meter adds to the cost of a solar system. Select the AS/NZS 4777.2:2020 Australia A setting. 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. 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. I have solar on my house and having it installed at an investment property, but not sure what to do now as there will be no benefit of feed in tariff. ) Will this mean any additional system would be limited to 0kW output?? 60% lagging So yeah, the Envoy is essentially all you need to configure export limiting or anything else if you have an Enphase microinverter set-up. Also note that for new installations in WA, only residences with inverters of 5 kilowatts or less can receive the states, Western Australias Western Power area: Perth and South West WA. I also dont know if my meter has limiting but suspect not as it is a pretty dumb device. 20% We installed solar power in November last year and were refused export (zero export). I can also see specific profiles for other grid networks, such as Ausgrid and Ergon, that likely have specific requirements of the inverters. 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. Ready for some quotes? Is it the 6.66 kW, as the 1.3 overload factor of a 5kW inverter, or, is it the maximum allowed (by the manufacturer) panels generating capacity, for an inverter that is allowed by a state/territory government? 0000004059 00000 n 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. 0% It is critical that you install an approved smart inverter and set it correctly. 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. trailer 100% We might still be willing to do this all the same, from an environmental viewpoint. In writing I was advised: This applies to both single-phase and three-phase properties. 0 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. However they have been advised that this wont be allowed anymore. Many Australian homes are not allowed to export more than 5 kW to the grid. This is disappointing as this would be an easy option to implement. The inverter reduces the amount of electrical energy supplied by the solar panels. The fact that export limiting is necessary is not a good thing. The daily export limit is averaged across your billing period (calculated by multiplying the number of days in your billing period by your daily export limit of 14 kWh). Powercor says the Solar Hotspots initiative is the first stage of a five-year Future Networks program to support customer investment in solar power systems, electric vehicles and battery storage. I cant justify the cost of adding additional solar if the max I can export with Essential energy is 3kwh. 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. Victorias AusNet network area: The eastern third of Victoria, not including Melbourne or French Island. So basically the whole local industry is going to be cactus until this is resolved. Makes sense but begs my next question (sorry). 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. 352 0 obj <>stream 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. On the main grid, single-phase properties can have 5 kilowatts of solar inverter capacity, and three-phase properties can have 15 kilowatts. Thus if my system is at maximum output, and I am using 2kW, only 3 kW is being exported to the grid. If you are using Enphase microinverters which is extremely likely the whole system can be export limited using the Enphase Envoy gateway. 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. No unfortunately. Im in the Endeavour Energy area. I think is is utter madness that the VIC government is handing out generous rebates of $1850.00 and 4 year interest free loans of up to $1850.00 and Powercor has zero feed in capacity for excess solar power. It can also only provide this when it is running. The solar installer or customer must have sought and received pre-approval from us for the requested capacity of the generator. 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. Heres the Fronius Smart Meter that you need if you want to export limit a Fronius inverter it will add about $500 to the cost of the system: An example of how export limiting works You have an inverter thats exported limited to 5 kilowatts. Powercor is the Distributed Network Service Provider for central and western Victoria, as well as Melbournes western suburbs. Thanks Ron. 220 Hi All, Some battery powered cars can not be programmed to only recharge at particular times of the day, and, so, if someone drives one to work (that is, if and when battery powered cars become affordable to the working class) and home after work, then puts the car on the charger, the drain to the grid, that would consequently occur, during peak demand hours, needs to be covered. 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.. Enter your postcode now. 5 kilowatt inverter + 6.6 kilowatts of solar panels (no export limiting): 0%, 6 kilowatt inverter + 8 kilowatts of solar panels: 4% loss, 7 kilowatt inverter + 9 kilowatts of solar panels: 8% loss, 8 kilowatt inverter + 10 kilowatts of solar panels: 13% loss, So, on the one hand, the Victorian Government is. ARTICLE WRITES: Queenslands Energex area: South East Queensland. 0000008571 00000 n It also allows you to focus on increasing your self consumption which in turn provides a better return on investment. I was always of the belief that a 5kW inverter limited the total output/ production from my 6.5kW solar system to 5 kW, irrespective of what is being used in the house. But, if you are really keen, I suppose you could use a site such as PV Institutes Live PV Map to see how other solar systems in your general area are performing: Note that patchy cloud can produce a lot of variation in output. NSWs Essential Energy area: Regional NSW. 44% leading But if people send a lot of power into the line then the voltage at the far end, instead of being lower than at the sending end, becomes higher. What am I missing? 0000011077 00000 n But there is also the DNSP rules which need to be followed. Interesting article. I realise that Australian legislatures do not care about the future, but, the future is coming, whether the legislatures like it or not. But just note, not everyone Envoy has required bits to do export limiting. 240 Assume positive intention.4. The solar PV system is connected to the network via an inverter. Theres more good news, with further improvements to come. Hi All. 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. Your dedicated meter will inform the inverter, and it will immediately reduce the power, so it doesnt exceed 5 kilowatts1. 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. 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 Our Solar & Battery Calculator can give an idea of if its likely to pay: https://www.solarquotes.com.au/solar-calculator/. While export limiting is possible its not always approved. 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. See image at http://www.johnrogers.com.au/battery_charging_noon.jpg. given that we are working from home all the time these days. 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. 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. Theyd be higher for a sunnier location such as Perth and lower for cloudier places such as Melbourne or Hobart. 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. I still dont know if they have programmed the inverter to reduce the overall output by a percentage or not. But there will often be times when the solar system will produce more power than can be exported, so some energy will be lost3. Means that it caps the amount you can reduce your bills for power used outside of daylight hours? We do not prevent customers from installing solar for their own self-consumption. 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. I havent made any applications yet, but Ill certainly be asking this question when I get quotes!. you request 5kW and Powercor says you can only export 2.5kW) Set a 'zero export' limit - i.e. I think I was partially wrong about how my PV is connected to the home and the meter. %%EOF 0000038830 00000 n 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, Powercor's new solar connections export approval rate of just over 60% at the start of the year has increased to above 90%. 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. 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. In my case, I have N & W facing panels, My inverters clip to 5Kw for a few hours, but I can still export a reasonable amount. 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. Single-phase properties can have up to 5 kilowatts of inverter capacity, and 3 phase properties can have up to 30 kilowatts. What I find is installers dont seem to like it when I tell them my plan. It is possible to max out the 10 kW inverter capacity with my Tesla, house load and Heat Pump hot water. It appears the wire from the inverter is directly connected to my main fuse for the house circuits. 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). (Image from Finns Tesla App). 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. 0000008043 00000 n This is sufficient to charge a battery, although larger solar systems generally improve the return from batteries. Thats a furphy from go to whoa. 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! Furthermore, the sustained overvoltage inverter protection set point shall be set to 258V. so if I was correctly explained to, then I am limited to export less than 5kW (because my existing system will never produce 3.5kW), No installer (or their salepeople) is able to explain to me how the limiter is connected/set up in the scenario where I have 2 inverters. If that doesnt worry you then you can get a battery and just hope it mostly pays for itself. 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. 0000010603 00000 n The earth is used as one conductor which has a higher resistance than a copper wire. Single-phase properties can install inverter capacity up to 5 kilowatts while 3 phase properties can install up to 30 kilowatts. 0000038752 00000 n You could buy a battery, charge it on the weekend and export during week nights.
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