Solar export limiting, or 'export limiting', occurs most often when there is more power being pushed into the grid than it can handle. 240 At times MPPT1 is at 600 odd watts while MPPT2 is at 2500 odd watts. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. In writing I was advised: This certainly goes well beyond initial configuration and reporting. The installation of solar photovoltaic systems as well as the correct inverter settings are critical to ensuring customers get the most for their investment in this technology. 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). Australian Rooftop Solar Powers Rise Astounding, But.. Australias Emissions: Electricity Down, Transport Up, Compare Feed-In Tariffs And Electricity Plans, Victorias Powercor Lifts Its Solar Exports Game, 3029: Hoppers Crossing, Tarneit, Truganina, 3030: Cocoroc, Derrimut, Point Cook, Werribee, Werribee South, 3551: Ascot (Greater Bendigo), Axe Creek, Axedale, Bagshot, East Bendigo, Emu Creek, Eppalock, Epsom, 3337: Kurunjang, Melton, Melton West, Toolern Vale, 3340: Bacchus Marsh, Balliang, Coimadai, Darley, Hopetoun Park, Long Forest, Maddingley, Merrimu, 3352: Bonshaw, Bungaree, Bunkers Hill, Burrumbeet, Cambrian Hill, Cardigan, Cardigan Village, Clarendon, 3305: Bolwarra, Cape Bridgewater, Gorae West, Heathmere, Portland, Portland North, Portland West, 3444: Baynton, Kyneton, Lauriston, Lyal, Metcalfe, Redesdale, Tylden 3465 Alma, Bowenvale, Daisy Hill, Maryborough. Wyndham new Solar - powercor's zero export limit - Solar PV discussion Great article and content on this website Swearing revenge, he began his lifelong quest to reduce the harm the environment could cause. 11kW panels with 10kW 3-phase inverter (Fronius Symo + Fronius 3-phase meter). But there will often be times when the solar system will produce more power than can be exported, so some energy will be lost3. A man named Canute, proved that, centuries ago. Fronius Wattpilot: A Smart EV Charger With A Short Warranty, You Wont Believe How Dumb The NSW Governments New Battery Calculator Is. ACTs EvoEnergy Network Area: Covers most homes in the ACT, especially in built-up areas. Im on a swer line in rural south Australia. trailer 0000038830 00000 n Im in the Endeavour Energy area. But you may as well just get a standard inverter and send your excess electricity into the grid. 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. The infrastructure is not sufficiently flexible to deal with this. Still a very long payback period, but not as long. The ideal way to measure the power flow in and out of your house would be to ask your existing electricity meter. Assume positive intention.4. 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. 00@ Oo And, when battery powered road vehicles with adequate distance capacity (I have read that VW expects to release a battery powered station wagon, with range between charges, of 700km, in 2023 (although, unless Australia wakes up, such vehicles will be unlikely to come to this neolithic country) ) are available, and, even for the rare ones that apparently, already exist in Australia (having not yet seen a battery powered vehicle in Australia, I wonder whether they are simply an urban myth, as to their presence in this backward country), when would they get charged, if people would only charge them at home? 220 Im afraid in a typical situation the inverter wont show its potential output. you request 5kW and Powercor says you can only export 2.5kW) Set a 'zero export' limit - i.e. 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. Some households lose 20 per cent of their solar output from grid Queenslands Ergon network area: All of Queensland on the main grid outside of South East Queensland. 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). P/Prated (%) xref I think that the limiter can connect only to one inverter and not two at the same time. If you are in the solar industry - try to get to the truth, not the sale.5. Long term benefits would be a more energy efficient system. 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 MSO helps us manage and keep our network safe for solar customers. As a single example, the Renault Kangoo ZE van (I think that it is the only battery powered cargo van currently available in Australia) has a 33kWh battery, and, To go further, Kangoo Z.E boasts a Z.E 33 (33kWh) battery, 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. hb```f``sd`c`edd@ A >hp`86s8::\ MNmOe0pYuR`i g G7@ $n@]A#&S_2.dx f 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. I have an existing 3.5kW PV system with Solis inverter. 4. I have a 5kw solar system plus a Tesla powerwall 2 on my house . My AS4777.2:2015 profile allows voltages up to 265v (for short periods, and shuts down on 10 minute averages above 258v). 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. reliable export limit control function as per AS4777.2 to limit the export output where the . Thanks Steve 0418 815 193. Thanks Ron. In future, will powercor allow export limit if they upgrade transformer? 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. The Good: In these locations, properties can usually install up to 10 kilowatts of solar inverter capacity if they have single-phase power and up to 30 kilowatts with 3 phase power. This is assuming that my understanding of what I have read, is correct; that such a system would be permitted, in a single phase connection to the SWIS grid. Fronius Wattpilot: A Smart EV Charger With A Short Warranty, You Wont Believe How Dumb The NSW Governments New Battery Calculator Is. Its located in Ausnet Services' Distribution Area but Ausnet is not part of the CitiPower, Powercor and UnitedEnergy . I have a 10kw Solar Edge inverter limited to 5kw. We have had solar for 6 years and just recently moved homes. The standard relating to solar inverters is about to change. ( Assume positive intention.4. 0000001575 00000 n 0000022631 00000 n 0000004823 00000 n SAPN has told me I cant have more than a 5 kw inverter , but thats just not enough. 0% Website link shows system producing well over 10 kW. 0000039018 00000 n They hid the problem pretty well, because they do tend to reduce the amount of shutdowns. What is 'zero exports' or 'export limiting', why is it affecting 60% lagging ), 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. 306 0 obj <> endobj I suspect that it is likely, that that they are all signaled equally, not in truth I dont know for sure. Self confessed newbie to the mechanics of Solar so bear with me. 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. 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 do NOT have a device in my meter box that could tell the inverter anything about consumption and feed in energy. . 0000038296 00000 n 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. Because you dont see the rather obvious shutdowns (or see them less), you might not notice your solar might be throttled back on a regular basis. STCs can be received for panel capacity up to one-third greater than the inverter capacity. I was really keen for this system with a battery as most of my power is used at night and I like the idea of power during blackouts, which do happen quite a lot here. In my mind though the Smart meter at the box would adjust the export limit in line with what the house is consuming? 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. Below is the email response I received from Powercor. The loss figures above are for Sydney and are affected by the climate. Whats the logical and practical way forward? hbbf`b``3 I j 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. <]/Prev 115522/XRefStm 1575>> 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 you cant store the power (too expensive) and you cant export it, why the requirement (or desire) to put in large systems? I have just had a 6.6kw system installed with a Fronius 5kw inverter and am export limited to 3kw. Australian Rooftop Solar Powers Rise Astounding, But.. Australias Emissions: Electricity Down, Transport Up, Compare Feed-In Tariffs And Electricity Plans, Solar Export Limiting What It Is & Why Its Useful. 2. 220 What am I missing? amended or replaced from time to time. 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. 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: About 50%. Store it and use it later (this requires solar battery storage), or it disappears into thin air via a heat sink. 3. I have spoken to one installer , but he couldnt really help me . 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. Rubbing salt into the wound were situations where someone was zero export limited while their next door neighbour wasnt. And doing so potentially puts you running in a non compliant state. And also is it worth installing solar with 0 kWh limit with self consumption around 20-30%( payback 6-7 years). 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. So in effect I have two safety guards in place, 1. the 5kw limiter to the grit and 2. the extra Gateway . Theyd be higher for a sunnier location such as Perth and lower for cloudier places such as Melbourne or Hobart. 352 0 obj <>stream 0000038752 00000 n 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. 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. You could contact Powercor and explain your situation, but I suspect theyll say you need to be an installer to check if an increase in export capability is available. Its becoming common for solar inverters to be export limited, so the maximum amount of power they send into the grid is less than theyre capable of providing. 0000029403 00000 n I live in Warrnambool, Victoria. I am afraid Western Power is very strict. Select the AS/NZS 4777.2:2020 Australia A setting. These consumption spikes go past the Solar energy being limited suggesting were drawing from the grid! 0000017636 00000 n 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. 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. Powercor program works to increase solar export capacity for 50,000 PDF Powercor, CitiPower & United Energy 0000001757 00000 n Can I share my power excess with me neighbour? But still the solar companies keep trying to sell it to me.. The solar installer or customer must have sought and received pre-approval from us for the requested capacity of the generator. (Although they will also allow an additional 5 kilowatts of battery inverter capacity.) Exporting surplus solar power is good because it reduces fossil fuel generation and pays you a feed-in tariff that reduces electricity bills. I could easily share my excess power for the time I am not irrigating my crops. %PDF-1.4 % By the time he was eight, he was already focused on using the power of the sun to stop fossil fuel emissions destabilizing the climate. Normally single phase properties can have up to 5 kilowatts of solar inverter capacity and 3 phase properties can have 15 kilowatts. 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. The naming of zones may differ between manufacturers but may appear as: Australia A - applies to the configuration of inverter settings in Victoria and all Eastern . 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. Powercor is the Distributed Network Service Provider for central and western Victoria, as well as Melbournes western suburbs. To get your quotes, please enter your postcode: Flexible Solar Exports To Ramp Up In South Australia, Australian Solar Systems Interest Index: September 2021, 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. There are versions without this consumption monitoring (old Non -s version of Envoy and even the Envoy-S without consumption monitoring). 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. ARTICLE WRITES: Queenslands Energex area: South East Queensland. I think I was partially wrong about how my PV is connected to the home and the meter. The inverter reduces the amount of electrical energy supplied by the solar panels. 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. We installed solar power in November last year and were refused export (zero export). If you can export 3kva that means you can have a solar system with up to 4 kilowatts of panels. 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. You could have mentioned that SWER stands for Single Wire Earth Return and why that matters. Ill upgrade the Endeavour Energy area from Ugly to Bad, since things are clearly not all bad there. 0000007554 00000 n All I can really suggest is to try to shift power use to the middle of the day and hope mainly solar energy is consumed. 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. 1. 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. 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. Thanks for the information. It also allows you to focus on increasing your self consumption which in turn provides a better return on investment. What I find is installers dont seem to like it when I tell them my plan. 0000037686 00000 n If so, it would make replacing the whole system more viable which is exactly what I wanted to avoid (and such a waste!). Very true AL0126. Allows installation but has a zero export limit. Can you provide comment and evaluation of power tracing please. 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 . So really apart from the requirement that the initial startup can only happy on voltages below 253v, I have no throttling until at least 285v and probably even higher. It would definitely be better if we didnt need to limit the amount of power solar systems sent into the grid. Technically, what will happen is the inverter will reduce the solar systems output so the generation will be forgone, but I dont want to go into too much detail in this article. Victorias United Energy Network Area: A large chunk of Melbourne on the east side Port Phillip Bay and the Bayside Peninsula. It is possible to max out the 10 kW inverter capacity with my Tesla, house load and Heat Pump hot water. 2. You could buy a battery, charge it on the weekend and export during week nights. Quotes vary and the deal has to be value/advantage logical or whats the point. JackD 1 year ago. 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%. It does this by adjusting the MPPT but instead of working to maximize power from the panels it reduces it. 0000037952 00000 n Sorry Andrew: NQR. Allows installation but has an export limit. sonnenBatterie Evo. I cant justify the cost of adding additional solar if the max I can export with Essential energy is 3kwh. We respect your privacy and you can opt out from the newsletter at any 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. 0000008043 00000 n Some networks will allow larger sizes than those outlined below, pending specific approval from the network. South Australia Power Networks (SAPN) area: SAPN is the only distributor in South Australia. I am trying to get a system installed (6.5k smart hybrid inverter with a battery) and have been told by Western Power that I am limited to a 3.0 kva system. embedded generation system to the CitiPower and Powercor low voltage networks. I believe it must have been set up during installation, but the installer company claims that this is handled by Growatt themselves. Because people have been refused any STCs for being just a few watts over, no installer will go over the limit for a normal installation. Good question Tony. Thats a furphy from go to whoa. Victorias AusNet network area: The eastern third of Victoria, not including Melbourne or French Island.