What Happens to the Surplus Power That Can't Be Exported to the Grid? ARTICLE WRITES: Queenslands Energex area: South East Queensland. Even if I were exporting 100% of it, it still would only bring down my bills by a tiny amount per month. (2nd one APPROVAL/SITE SPECIFIC CONDITION(s): Total Solar Export must be limited to 5kW). Solar and renewables for installers / RECs - Jemena Is this perhaps one of the well-kept secrets about the reality of residential solar production in Western Australia, one that neither the solar installers or inverter manufacturers, let alone Synergy or Western Power want to be publicly known? 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. Single-phase properties can have up to 5 kilowatts of inverter capacity, and 3 phase properties can have up to 30 kilowatts. 0000001757 00000 n Efficiency has and will improve further over time, but never to the point of perpetuity. 306 47 The power is first used to meet household consumption, with any surplus exported to the grid for other people to use. Can you provide comment and evaluation of power tracing please. Talking of which, the fact often gets dropped under the table that neither batteries nor panels and inverters (being mechano-electronic devices) have a limited life span, and their efficiency deteriorates gradually after only a few years. Powercor claims 30% increase in rooftop solar export approvals As a side issue for you, if you (like lots of people) have high voltages issue causing shutdown / throttling, I am not a big fan of the Volt-watt modes, as often these modes will also lower the voltages at which the throttling kicks in. Power failure: Homes hit by solar limits as distributors protect ), 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? Australian network service providers (including CitiPower) use solar export limits to keep voltage levels in transmission lines operating within safe . 0000038562 00000 n 352 0 obj <>stream 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. A condition of this basic connection offer is that all inverter energy systems must have the volt-watt and volt-var response modes enabled with the following settings: But you will probably find that there is another setting that it will shutdown when 10 minute average voltage is a measly 255v. 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? March 2022 6 Powercor means Powercor Australia Limited, ABN 89 064 651 109. portal means the eConnect portal for CitiPower and . 306 0 obj <> endobj 100% 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 . Even then, the losses from the limit are minor. 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). %PDF-1.4 % 0000039018 00000 n Now, that would help protect electricity grids, especially, the fragile, decrepit SWIS grid, for the present. A man named Canute, proved that, centuries ago. The good news is, if you had a total of 6.6 kilowatts of solar youd probably loose very little due to export limiting if you consume half the output of a 3 kilowatt system and can export 3 kilowatts. The fact that export limiting is necessary is not a good thing. What am I missing? Thanks Ronald! Victoria's Powercor Lifts Its Solar Exports Game 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. Powercor claims 30% increase in rooftop solar export approvals Victorian network service provider Powercor claims a major works program designed to alleviate grid congestion in areas of high rooftop solar PV penetration has boosted the approval rate for new solar connections to export excess energy to the grid by an impressive 30%. But depending on our network capacity, export constraints may influence the size of the unit they install. 0000018244 00000 n I am on my second Tesla EV and the new one has a rage of 700km if youre not a lead foot. 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. 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 yeah, the Envoy is essentially all you need to configure export limiting or anything else if you have an Enphase microinverter set-up. 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%. Now, there are quite a few profiles on offer that can be programmed into the microinverters. 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. Sorry if dumb question. But I suspect for a lot of people, the vast majority of these over voltage events are simply because the networks are running out of spec voltages. Under another option to . 0000037497 00000 n 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. I have previously posted (or, submitted for posting), the proposition that what is needed, is a hybrid (not meaning in this instance, a hybrid inverter as is commonly used) inverter that is like a cross/combination, of the Goodwe GW5000-MS inverter (or, kind of, the GW10K-MS, in terms of power conversion), and the Goodwe GW5048D-ES; three GW5000-MS provides for up to 10kW of panels generating capacity, across three MPPTs (strings? both said 0000017636 00000 n They did say that with future upgrades we could reapply, but I cant find a way to do this. 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. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. At the time of the powerwall install I also had the Gateway installed at an extra cost so I could keep using the generated power from the powerwall and during solar production when the powergrit fell out without danger for the grit workers because the Gateway instantly falls and prevent power to the grit. While there are some energy management measures that could help around the edges, I cant think of any good solutions for the typical business. PDF Installation and connection - Powercor That is correct. 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. Powercor households stand to save even more with solar Finally! 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). But I can tell you a few things that might help with some of your pondering :- 1. We installed 4.5kw with a 5kw inverter in 2014. 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. If you are in the solar industry - try to get to the truth, not the sale.5. Am planning to install solar 6.6 kWh system and upon checking with powercor they are giving export limit as 0 kWh. I was told that as there is an export limit of 5kW and I already have 3.5kW system, my new system will be export limited to 1.5kW. AC Output Data To give you example, you will probably find the profile you mention is probably throttling from a very low 250v and will ramp down to 20% at 265v. Rooftop solar works by turning sunlight into electric power. 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. Enter your postcode now. 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.. Here at SolarQuotes, we had been hearing quite a few complaints about Powercors zero export limits. Has the oppressive authority in WA ever given a reason for not allowing export limited inverters in WA? 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. Victorias CitiPower area: The Melbourne Central Business District. I have not been able to get an answer from Growatt Australia yet, it seems there is a bit of a cover-up going on. Thank you. Depending on their location, some may be constrained to a lesser export level or even no exports at all. 0000004823 00000 n After all, Im a big picture kind of guy. 0000008043 00000 n Only residential homes with inverters of 5 kilowatts or less can receive the states. 0000008571 00000 n But it took him about another ten years to focus on it in a way that wasnt really stupid, Good Article. 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. Thanks Ron. Anyway you are probably not supposed to be messing around with the profiles without agreement of your DNSP. 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. The distributor deals with that by putting the voltage slightly up at the sending end. 0000037952 00000 n 0000038218 00000 n Victorias Jemena network area: A small but crowded chunk of North and Western Melbourne. But, if you are living in an area where it is required to install a large solar system a situation around half of Australians are in then export limiting can allow a larger system with normally very minor losses of clean solar generation. Thats a furphy from go to whoa. 0000022631 00000 n Many NSW rural situations are limited to 3Kw export, due to the length of the transmission lines. Very true AL0126. 0000038752 00000 n . People have done it at fairly low cost with second hand panels and a DC pump.) NSWs Endeavour Energy area: Western Sydney. Solar system size limits explained by state | Solar Choice This is disappointing as this would be an easy option to implement. Unfortunately, SAPN wont allow more than 5 kilowatts of inverter capacity on an SWER line. Phone, email, give us feedback or make a claim. What inverter do you have? I am afraid Western Power is very strict. 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. ), 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. It appears the wire from the inverter is directly connected to my main fuse for the house circuits. Queenslands Ergon network area: All of Queensland on the main grid outside of South East Queensland. We do not prevent customers from installing solar for their own self-consumption. 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. Hi All, So having a powerwall is way less useful for helping with an export limit than you would think. We want to add a battery and it seems logical to add more cells also to another inverter/battery setup. I was told to set Power Limit to ON. 258 I think that the limiter can connect only to one inverter and not two at the same time. That can raise the voltage to a level dangerous to appliances. 0000038296 00000 n 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. 0000004059 00000 n Victorias Powercor area: Western Victoria, including a large portion of West Melbourne. And also is it worth installing solar with 0 kWh limit with self consumption around 20-30%( payback 6-7 years). Our Solar & Battery Calculator can give an idea of if its likely to pay: https://www.solarquotes.com.au/solar-calculator/. A small solar system can be financially viable. He's been reporting on Australian and international solar energy news ever since. The reason why your sisters inverter is different from yours is your Goodwe would be because yours has a current transformer device that lets it limit the amount of power it exports to the grid. I am surprised to hear that Powercor has allowed you to increase your exports, but that is good to hear. Im in the same situation, except I have an existing 5kW 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. This gives the advantage of having a new system covered by a new set of warranties. Im glad to hear its flexible enough to do that. 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. 0000009027 00000 n NSWs Ausgrid Network Area: This covers East Sydney, Newcastle, and out to Merriwa. xref In reality, the losses will be considerably less. Upgrading the local electricity network so more businesses and households can export excess solar to share. For example, I can see several Energex profiles that do things like limit export to differing amounts, turns on Volt-var without Volt-watt, or sets the power factor to 0.9. 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. Any ideas of how I can get a system that is actually going to generate enough power to charge a battery? Youll also start receiving the SolarQuotes weekly newsletter, keeping you up to date on all the latest developments on Australias solar scene. 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 . In future, will powercor allow export limit if they upgrade transformer? 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. The solar installer or customer must have sought and received pre-approval from us for the requested capacity of the generator. 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. 0000007057 00000 n 0000004622 00000 n Off the main grid, rural properties can have 3 kilowatts of inverter capacity. I have a 5kw solar system plus a Tesla powerwall 2 on my house . it is, kind of, effectively export limiting. The loss figures above are for Sydney and are affected by the climate. driving range of 200km depending on ambient temperature. As far as I know, only solar installers can apply for export capacity in the Powercor area. First read the section How Export Limiting Works at the top of this thread. Victoria network plans upgrade to allow for more rooftop solar exports ( I am a bit confused about export. But it seems the situation has been changing for the better in the last couple of months in a number of affected areas. The good news is, even in a worst-case situation, the amount will be fairly minor. But just note, not everyone Envoy has required bits to do export limiting.

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