I think it is illegal in WA to rewire your inverter or modify any parameters, as it may result in more than 5kW being sent to the grid, so I will just bite the bullet and see that I use as much solar as possible. And also is it worth installing solar with 0 kWh limit with self consumption around 20-30%( payback 6-7 years). Im on a swer line in rural south Australia. Even if I were exporting 100% of it, it still would only bring down my bills by a tiny amount per month. Have a good christmas. 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. So my understanding of the info above is that my inverter will increase production in unison with demand until it hits 5kw? All these profiles need to dance carefully around the problem. embedded generation system to the CitiPower and Powercor low voltage networks. And yes 5kW export limit applies May I suggest an extra fact check to polish the valuable story above? is it 10kW AC or DC?? 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. We installed solar power in November last year and were refused export (zero export). 0000029403 00000 n This profile also doesnt impose any export limits, because Endeavour Energy didnt require them of my installation (maximum is 30kW for a 3-phase installation, which my one is well under). Has the oppressive authority in WA ever given a reason for not allowing export limited inverters in WA? Sorry if dumb question. 5kW times the number of hours is the total production over that time. 0000037952 00000 n Larger inverters that are export limited are allowed on a case by case basis. I could easily share my excess power for the time I am not irrigating my crops. 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. This could be important, given that we have a state parliamentary election due in a couple of months. Self confessed newbie to the mechanics of Solar so bear with me. Once voltage thresholds etc are configure in the profile by the Envoy at install, each micro operates largely independently. 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. The infrastructure is not sufficiently flexible to deal with this. Im afraid in a typical situation the inverter wont show its potential output. 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! 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. 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. hbbf`b``3 I j Powercor program works to increase solar export capacity for 50,000 I wouldnt drive anything else. 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. Powercor says it has contacted all solar customers within the previously impacted areas to let them know about the companys progress and to encourage them to consider reapplying for exports. 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. Hi Everyone, If you are using Enphase microinverters which is extremely likely the whole system can be export limited using the Enphase Envoy gateway. Although my testing shows that the micros technically operate quite independently, it is important to understand, only the Envoy can provide some critical components to a properly working Enphase System. Means that it caps the amount you can reduce your bills for power used outside of daylight hours? But just note, not everyone Envoy has required bits to do export limiting. 0000029011 00000 n 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. If you can export 3kva that means you can have a solar system with up to 4 kilowatts of panels. I have divided Australias regions into three categories: The information below assumes the property is on the main grid. 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. 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%. The metered version comes with extra current clamps to hook up to the grid side so you can do consumption monitoring and export limiting. 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. 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? 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. Real names are preferred - you should be happy to put your name to your comments.2. What Happens to the Surplus Power That Can't Be Exported to the Grid? 10kW of inverters with 11.325kW of panels. Solar Export Limiting Explained -- What It Is & Why It's Useful Solar customers who currently have a limit on the amount they can export are invited to contact Powercor to reapply for an export agreement based on the greater capacity now available on the network. Powercor wrote back with the following response:"Due to the size of t . 0000037764 00000 n 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). 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. These consumption spikes go past the Solar energy being limited suggesting were drawing from the grid! Long term benefits would be a more energy efficient system. Will this mean any additional system would be limited to 0kW output?? A Decent Battery From sonnen. Normally it makes more sense to buy a second, separate system, than to expand an existing one. 306 47 Im glad to hear its flexible enough to do that. First read the section How Export Limiting Works at the top of this thread. NSWs Endeavour Energy area: Western Sydney. startxref So the solar inverter has to have its own energy meter installed in your switchboard one that talks to the inverter to tell it when power sent into the grid reaches the export limit. Ready for some quotes? 2. endstream endobj 351 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/Index[17 289]/Length 31/Size 306/Type/XRef/W[1 1 1]>>stream While I dont know where you are a 4 kilowatt solar system should produce an average of around 18 kilowatt-hours a day in WA. Thanks Ronald! Here at SolarQuotes, we had been hearing quite a few complaints about Powercors zero export limits. Solar system size limits explained by state | Solar Choice So in effect I have two safety guards in place, 1. the 5kw limiter to the grit and 2. the extra Gateway . In most cases, if you had your envoy shut off, the micros would start and work on their own and independently of the envoy, and in fact of each other. My solar installer applied to Powercor to install a 5.4kw system at my Point Cook address. Power failure: Homes hit by solar limits as distributors protect 0000037686 00000 n Solar Export Limiting: Why You Should Know About It 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. Worried the impact this will have currently when we charge an EV in the near term. 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. What inverter do you have? Fronius Wattpilot: A Smart EV Charger With A Short Warranty, You Wont Believe How Dumb The NSW Governments New Battery Calculator Is. Even if you have the Envoy-S, I believe at least on paper there was a Enphase Envoy-S 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. The solar installer or customer must have sought and received pre-approval from us for the requested capacity of the generator. Tasmania: Under 1% of Tasmanians are on SWER lines, so the generous export limit should often be available. given that we are working from home all the time these days. 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. Normally single phase properties can have up to 5 kilowatts of solar inverter capacity and 3 phase properties can have 15 kilowatts. Is this correct? A 5 kilowatt inverter will never supply more than 5 kilowatts of power no matter how many kilowatts of panels it has. I have noticed that one string seems to be performing well under the performance of the slightly smaller string. But your situation is complicated by already having a 3 kilowatt system. 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. Then the information that was left was cut to make the piece more introductory, but perhaps all these reductions made the article like my favorite World War II movie Abridged Too Far. endstream endobj 307 0 obj <>/Metadata 15 0 R/Pages 14 0 R/StructTreeRoot 17 0 R/Type/Catalog/ViewerPreferences<>>> endobj 308 0 obj <. The following is a list of the areas in case youve been missed. Now, that would help protect electricity grids, especially, the fragile, decrepit SWIS grid, for the present. Going solar even if Powercor says 'No' - MASH: Community Solar 0000000016 00000 n 253 it is, kind of, effectively export limiting. The ideal way to measure the power flow in and out of your house would be to ask your existing electricity meter. 0000028638 00000 n As a general rule, 5kW tends to be the upper system size limit for single-phase connections, but some networks allow up to 10kW. I can also see specific profiles for other grid networks, such as Ausgrid and Ergon, that likely have specific requirements of the inverters. We respect your privacy and you can opt out from the newsletter at any time. See image at http://www.johnrogers.com.au/battery_charging_noon.jpg. Shane, you appear to be mixing up kW and kWh easily done! Typically in the Powercor area, the export limit is 5kW of exports for each single-phase household solar PV system. Im in the same situation, except I have an existing 5kW system. AS4777.2:2015 has some rather low default recommendations, which can be tweaked up as no doubt my profile has allowed. 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. So yeah, the Envoy is essentially all you need to configure export limiting or anything else if you have an Enphase microinverter set-up. 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. I just dont understand it. 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 . While losses increase as the solar power system size goes up, even with 10 kilowatts of panels which is twice the export limit, only 13% of generation is lost. We do not prevent customers from installing solar for their own self-consumption. 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. In addition, all modern solar inverters must comply with AS4777.2015 at least. I am surprised to hear that Powercor has allowed you to increase your exports, but that is good to hear. Single-phase properties can have up to 5 kilowatts of inverter capacity, and 3 phase properties can have up to 30 kilowatts. Powercor households stand to save even more with solar We are on a zero limited export. (2nd one APPROVAL/SITE SPECIFIC CONDITION(s): Total Solar Export must be limited to 5kW). So it is unfortunate that it is necessary, but good that people can still install a larger system and generally have insignificant losses. The inverter reduces the amount of electrical energy supplied by the solar panels. Perhaps it is worth mentioning that the stricter export limitation becomes, it will make a stronger argument for batteries. 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. 240 Where do I find information on reapplying for export with Powercor? (Note: it is possible to install a larger system, say 10kW on a single phase property and meet the Powercor rules by export limiting the system . PDF Powercor, CitiPower & United Energy The 7kW charger achieves full charge in 6 hours, and one Even then, the losses from the limit are minor. No matter how badly you may want to export limit your solar system, it can only be done in locations where its permitted. Rooftop solar | CitiPower & Powercor 0000006578 00000 n If a home cant export any power at all then there is no financial reason to install a large solar system. 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. 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. Hi All. PDF Origin Energy Electricity Limited Origin Solar Boost (TOU 5 Day with Would the gateway signal the micro inverters to shut down one at a time, or to all reduce output equally? Swearing revenge, he began his lifelong quest to reduce the harm the environment could cause. Im trying to get some unbiased advice on whether or not we should add more solar. The Ugly: In these areas export limiting may not be allowed at all. 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. 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. Finally, there are profiles for other countries that run 220-240V networks, and its remarkable how many of them use the older AS4777.3:2005 standard in their countries, because for many of these countries, this is the only profile the Envoy offers. 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. Is there anything that can be done about it? I also dont know if my meter has limiting but suspect not as it is a pretty dumb device. Youre using a total of four kilowatts to cook your lunch, so your home is exporting 4 kilowatts, which is below the limit. Origin offers 8 cents per kWh until a daily export limit of 14 kWh is reached. What am I missing? 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. Solar and renewables for installers / RECs - Jemena The majority of customers are approved for the export level they request. Of more concern is occasional spikes in consumption which go past the 5kw limit. Victoria's "Hotest" Solar Postcode is 3977 at last look. But you will probably find that there is another setting that it will shutdown when 10 minute average voltage is a measly 255v. Note that connections off the main grid are usually far more restricted. 0000004823 00000 n If they want a big solar system with an inverter larger than 5 kW, they must export limit the inverter. 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. 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. 0% South Australia Power Networks (SAPN) area: SAPN is the only distributor in South Australia. I think of it like the rate at which water is flowing out of a hose. 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. 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. Solar export limiting, or 'export limiting', occurs most often when there is more power being pushed into the grid than it can handle. driving range of 200km depending on ambient temperature. Voltage (V) measured at inverter terminals Hello. 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? 44% leading So basically the whole local industry is going to be cactus until this is resolved. 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. No unfortunately. Or, if you want a lower cost method of dealing with blackouts, you can get yourself a small generator. Thus, the question arises; if a single phase domestic rooftop photovoltaic system, involving a Goodwe GW-5000-MS inverter, and, 10kW of solar panels generating capacity, is installed (across up to three MPPTs), would the federal solar panels rebate apply to all of the 10kW of solar panels, or, to only the first 6.66 (or whatever is the exact applicable quantity) of the solar panels generating capacity? Solar Export Limiting or Zero Export. What Does it Mean? 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. Real names are preferred - you should be happy to put your name to your comments.2. 1. They hid the problem pretty well, because they do tend to reduce the amount of shutdowns. 0000004622 00000 n Powercor is telling increasing numbers of households looking to install new systems in this area they will have a zero export limit. 0000008571 00000 n So having a powerwall is way less useful for helping with an export limit than you would think. 0000038562 00000 n 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. While there are some energy management measures that could help around the edges, I cant think of any good solutions for the typical business. Efficiency has and will improve further over time, but never to the point of perpetuity. just wondering if anybody can shed some light on the following, This certainly goes well beyond initial configuration and reporting. Hi Put down your weapons.3. Max. 0000037380 00000 n Wyndham new Solar - powercor's zero export limit - Solar PV discussion reliable export limit control function as per AS4777.2 to limit the export output where the . Sometimes Powercor can reduce that to a lower figure, or even set a zero-export limit. I have an existing 3.5kW PV system with Solis inverter. 306 0 obj <> endobj Solar export limits for Adelaide suburbs with most panels under SA 0000011077 00000 n Queenslands Ergon network area: All of Queensland on the main grid outside of South East Queensland. Surely the distributors capping what you can export to the grid is a bad thing? 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%. 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. PDF Installation and connection - Powercor 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. Some manufacturers may have this pre-selected. 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. Its also unusual for a large solar system to have all the panels facing the same direction. Please stay on topic. No active system controls whether you use inverter of imported power. Queenslands Energex area: South East Queensland. 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. Allows installation but has an export limit.

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