0000039096 00000 n Youll also start receiving the SolarQuotes weekly newsletter, keeping you up to date on all the latest developments on Australias solar scene. Generation sources can be, but are not limited to solar, wind and batteries. 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. 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. But you will probably find that there is another setting that it will shutdown when 10 minute average voltage is a measly 255v. 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. Victoria network plans upgrade to allow for more rooftop solar exports 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%. Can one have micro-inverter panels without a gateway, and how would that be limited? We do not prevent customers from installing solar for their own self-consumption. 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. (Or at least it will be expensive to set up well. 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. The new home didnt have solar. amended or replaced from time to time. We just had a 30kW inverter solar install for our business and it has been limited to 1.8kW export. But depending on our network capacity, export constraints may influence the size of the unit they install. 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. Thanks for the information. As the LG Chem battery charges using DC current from the panels it is possible to go over the 10 kW inverter limit by charging the LG Chem battery in the middle of the day. 0000011077 00000 n ) Please make sure you engage early with our team through eConnect to check on network capacity for your customers. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 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. No matter how badly you may want to export limit your solar system, it can only be done in locations where its permitted. Please stay on topic. 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. 0000004736 00000 n Rooftop solar | CitiPower & Powercor 240 So basically the whole local industry is going to be cactus until this is resolved. 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. 0000039018 00000 n Thus if my system is at maximum output, and I am using 2kW, only 3 kW is being exported to the grid. There are exceptions for off-grid installations and systems that are installed with a battery. 0000017636 00000 n 44% leading Worried the impact this will have currently when we charge an EV in the near term. Interesting article. 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. Okay, so that heading may be a bit of an exaggeration, but improvements the company has carried out appear to have made quite a difference. 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? What is the go generally with adding an additional solar system to your home? Real names are preferred - you should be happy to put your name to your comments.2. 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. I got a question about export limiter that I hope to get some answers from the community. 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. Amongst other things, AS4777.2015 has some requirements to shutdown on phase imbalance in a 3 phase setup. Its also unusual for a large solar system to have all the panels facing the same direction. On the main grid, single-phase properties can have 5 kilowatts of solar inverter capacity, and three-phase properties can have 15 kilowatts. Rubbing salt into the wound were situations where someone was zero export limited while their next door neighbour wasnt. I do NOT have a device in my meter box that could tell the inverter anything about consumption and feed in energy. 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. 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? So the size of the system becomes irrelevant if you can only export 3kwh (we are Regional NSW Essential Energy). I realise that Australian legislatures do not care about the future, but, the future is coming, whether the legislatures like it or not. 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. 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 . 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. 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). Im in regional WA with a rural 2 phase supply. Some manufacturers may have this pre-selected. Theyd be higher for a sunnier location such as Perth and lower for cloudier places such as Melbourne or Hobart. I just dont understand it. Enter your postcode now. The Ugly: In these areas export limiting may not be allowed at all. 0000001757 00000 n All these profiles need to dance carefully around the problem. I have a 5kw solar system plus a Tesla powerwall 2 on my house . 260 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. My question is should that then eliminate the 5 kw inverter of the powerwall wich Energex claims is part of the 10kw allowance on a single phase? 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. Have a good christmas. Powercor households stand to save even more with solar 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. I am looking at adding a second system (6.2kW) with GoodWe inverter. 306 47 Its the same with kW and hours of solar electricity production. So my understanding of the info above is that my inverter will increase production in unison with demand until it hits 5kw? 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. In exchange, the customer receives a small rebate on their bill for every kilowatt-hour (kWh) they export. 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. Why my Power Limit is set to ON with the % whereas her Power Limit is set to OFF and she has been exporting. 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. If a home cant export any power at all then there is no financial reason to install a large solar system. It is just the placement of the meter and the current sensor that controls the limiting. It appears the wire from the inverter is directly connected to my main fuse for the house circuits. Thanks Ronald! I cant justify the cost of adding additional solar if the max I can export with Essential energy is 3kwh. Real names are preferred - you should be happy to put your name to your comments.2. it is, kind of, effectively export limiting. 0000000016 00000 n Put down your weapons.3. March 2022 6 Powercor means Powercor Australia Limited, ABN 89 064 651 109. portal means the eConnect portal for CitiPower and . 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. endstream endobj 307 0 obj <>/Metadata 15 0 R/Pages 14 0 R/StructTreeRoot 17 0 R/Type/Catalog/ViewerPreferences<>>> endobj 308 0 obj <. I have just had a 6.6kw system installed with a Fronius 5kw inverter and am export limited to 3kw. 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! Aside from that, when you have high resistance lines, there is a voltage drop over their length. 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. Economically this probably Is not viable, as our electricity bill is fairly low. 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. 0000038296 00000 n 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. 2. Only residential homes with inverters of 5 kilowatts or less can receive the states. The battery is charging from the DC current which is before the inverter. Export limiting does limit the inverter output, but only as needed to keep the export power below the limit. Its also worth taking a look in case you shied away from installing solar panels in the past because of the situation now might be the time to revisit the idea. Youre using a total of four kilowatts to cook your lunch, so your home is exporting 4 kilowatts, which is below the limit. 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. The power is first used to meet household consumption, with any surplus exported to the grid for other people to use. Im in the Endeavour Energy area. <]/Prev 115522/XRefStm 1575>> If you are in the solar industry - try to get to the truth, not the sale.5. 0000038484 00000 n So it is unfortunate that it is necessary, but good that people can still install a larger system and generally have insignificant losses. A rooftop solar system's grid export limit is determined by the local electricity network operator - sometimes on a case-by-case basis, sometimes according to an across-the-board standard, and . 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. Im trying to get some unbiased advice on whether or not we should add more solar. I suspect that it is likely, that that they are all signaled equally, not in truth I dont know for sure. Thanks. 0000028638 00000 n Select your country/region. Put down your weapons.3. Efficiency has and will improve further over time, but never to the point of perpetuity. 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. Is there anything that can be done about it? 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). Im in the same situation, except I have an existing 5kW system. It also allows you to focus on increasing your self consumption which in turn provides a better return on investment. 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 still the solar companies keep trying to sell it to me.. But if you suddenly switch off everything, there is more surplus solar power than youre allowed to export. I want about 10Kw of panels so I can run pumps etc. Finally! It seems so strange that it is clear government policy to get more solar going and yet the network operators are effectively blocking it now. Some networks will allow larger sizes than those outlined below, pending specific approval from the network. Im glad to hear its flexible enough to do that. But I can tell you a few things that might help with some of your pondering :- 1. But it seems the situation has been changing for the better in the last couple of months in a number of affected areas. In addition, all modern solar inverters must comply with AS4777.2015 at least. 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. 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. Solar Analytics confirms in this scenario its only exporting up to the limit; 3kw. 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. I still dont know if they have programmed the inverter to reduce the overall output by a percentage or not. 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. 0000039284 00000 n 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. AC Output Data I cant see any reference to the NT. In a Enphase system, only the Envoy can provide this. I have divided Australias regions into three categories: The information below assumes the property is on the main grid. And doing so potentially puts you running in a non compliant state. 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. 100 litres alone means little, but if there are 100 litres per hour, this means 100 litre hours of output. 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? Any ideas of how I can get a system that is actually going to generate enough power to charge a battery? STCs can be received for panel capacity up to one-third greater than the inverter capacity. 0000010603 00000 n How to correctly configure inverter settings. Nobody wants to see solar energy . 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. Below is the email response I received from Powercor. So in effect I have two safety guards in place, 1. the 5kw limiter to the grit and 2. the extra Gateway . 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. 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: 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. The distributor deals with that by putting the voltage slightly up at the sending end. If you are using Enphase microinverters which is extremely likely the whole system can be export limited using the Enphase Envoy gateway. The solar PV system is connected to the network via an inverter. The 7kW charger achieves full charge in 6 hours, and one Solar Export Limiting Explained -- What It Is & Why It's Useful sonnenBatterie Evo. No unfortunately. Please keep the SolarQuotes blog constructive and useful with these 5 rules: 1. 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. 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. A Decent Battery From sonnen. 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. 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. Please keep the SolarQuotes blog constructive and useful with these 5 rules: 1. Does anyone have similar experience with powercor? 0000037497 00000 n Can you provide comment and evaluation of power tracing please. There are lots of variations to this theme, however. Victorias AusNet network area: The eastern third of Victoria, not including Melbourne or French Island. 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. 0000027818 00000 n 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. (2nd one APPROVAL/SITE SPECIFIC CONDITION(s): Total Solar Export must be limited to 5kW). Unfortunately, SAPN wont allow more than 5 kilowatts of inverter capacity on an SWER line. Heres what that means. 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 This extra meter adds to the cost of a solar system. PDF Origin Energy Electricity Limited Origin Solar Boost (TOU 5 Day with For any amount above the daily export, you will receive our standard retailer feed-in tariff of 5 . 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. Or, if you want a lower cost method of dealing with blackouts, you can get yourself a small generator. Metered and a non metered version. 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. These consumption spikes go past the Solar energy being limited suggesting were drawing from the grid! 4. First read the section How Export Limiting Works at the top of this thread. going back into the grid with no batteries. (We are conected to a 25Kw transformer, with 5 consumers connected.). you request 5kW and Powercor says you can only export 2.5kW) Set a 'zero export' limit - i.e. embedded generation system to the CitiPower and Powercor low voltage networks. For example, our Solar Enablement program is intended to allow more customers to connect a 5kVa solar PV system with export capacity. 0% Would the gateway signal the micro inverters to shut down one at a time, or to all reduce output equally? So yeah, the Envoy is essentially all you need to configure export limiting or anything else if you have an Enphase microinverter set-up. 0000008571 00000 n Point Cook Solar limit export to zero by Powercor - Solar PV discussion This seems technically impossible, because theres only a wire going from the inverter to the meter (the export or feed in to the grid) and a wire going from the meter to my homes main fuse. Michael caught the solar power bug after purchasing components to cobble together a small off-grid PV system in 2008.