0000028229 00000 n Ill upgrade the Endeavour Energy area from Ugly to Bad, since things are clearly not all bad there. 0000004059 00000 n 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. As far as I know, only solar installers can apply for export capacity in the Powercor area. Hi I havent made any applications yet, but Ill certainly be asking this question when I get quotes!. Self confessed newbie to the mechanics of Solar so bear with me. The inverter reduces the amount of electrical energy supplied by the solar panels. They did say that with future upgrades we could reapply, but I cant find a way to do this. I do NOT have a device in my meter box that could tell the inverter anything about consumption and feed in energy. It is delivering 8 kilowatts of solar power. 0000038752 00000 n 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. Also, if you are on the main grid the amount of power you are allowed to export can still be below the limits given or even zero, depending on how much additional solar capacity the local grid can handle at your location. No active system controls whether you use inverter of imported power. For any amount above the daily export, you will receive our standard retailer feed-in tariff of 5 . Amongst other things, AS4777.2015 has some requirements to shutdown on phase imbalance in a 3 phase setup. The solar installer or customer must have sought and received pre-approval from us for the requested capacity of the generator. 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). 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. 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. Providing the export limiting is done on the meter current as described above ( not on the inverter output current), you can generate more than the export limit if you are consuming enough power to make up the difference between generation and export limit. 0000001575 00000 n <]/Prev 115522/XRefStm 1575>> I guess it would be technically possible to have a solar system with a battery but still be connected to the grid as backup. But just note, not everyone Envoy has required bits to do export limiting. Definitely, thats an inverter that is export limited to zero. 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). With permission export limiting can be used to install larger systems. If they want a big solar system with an inverter larger than 5 kW, they must export limit the inverter. We just applied for pre-approval from Powercor and were given a 0kW export approval which is going to make almost anything we choose uneconomical. The current Envoy they will be selling is the Envoy-S. Before that was the straight Envoy which did not have the consumption monitoring / metering needed to do export limiting. I am not even sure the inverter would support that, but I fear that sadly up to 25% of the PV energy might be going to waste! I know in the movie the Bad was worse than the Ugly, but thats not the way Im doing it. 0000005986 00000 n I also dont know if my meter has limiting but suspect not as it is a pretty dumb device. You could have mentioned that SWER stands for Single Wire Earth Return and why that matters. Can I share my power excess with me neighbour? 0000007057 00000 n Only residential homes with inverters of 5 kilowatts or less can receive the states. Select your country/region. NSWs Essential Energy area: Regional NSW. Origin offers 8 cents per kWh until a daily export limit of 14 kWh is reached. 4. 00@ Oo Where do I find information on reapplying for export with Powercor? I am afraid Western Power is very strict. both said 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. Youre using a total of four kilowatts to cook your lunch, so your home is exporting 4 kilowatts, which is below the limit. We respect your privacy and you can opt out from the newsletter at any time. And, if a street full of these, plugs their cars into the grid, for recharging, starting the recharging between 1700 and 1800, lots of entertaining fireworks, along the street powerlines exploding. 207 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. 60% lagging 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. Fronius Wattpilot: A Smart EV Charger With A Short Warranty, You Wont Believe How Dumb The NSW Governments New Battery Calculator Is. Is there anything that can be done about it? It also allows you to focus on increasing your self consumption which in turn provides a better return on investment. Even then, the losses from the limit are minor. The following is a list of the areas in case youve been missed. 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. 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. is it 10kW AC or DC?? 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. 3. Some manufacturers may have this pre-selected. He's been reporting on Australian and international solar energy news ever since. While export limiting is possible its not always approved. Would the gateway signal the micro inverters to shut down one at a time, or to all reduce output equally? Hi All. When it says that you can export 5kw, does that mean you can export up to 5kw PER HOUR? The new home didnt have solar. Larger inverters that are export limited are allowed on a case by case basis. 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. It would definitely be better if we didnt need to limit the amount of power solar systems sent into the grid. I suspect that it is likely, that that they are all signaled equally, not in truth I dont know for sure. Real names are preferred - you should be happy to put your name to your comments.2. 0000037497 00000 n P/Prated (%) is there a inverter that stops power going back 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. 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. 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. 306 0 obj <> endobj In my mind though the Smart meter at the box would adjust the export limit in line with what the house is consuming? Many Australian homes are not allowed to export more than 5 kW to the grid. hbbf`b``3 I j Rubbing salt into the wound were situations where someone was zero export limited while their next door neighbour wasnt. As per current standards, a single phase premises is limited to 10kW generation and 5kW export. Swearing revenge, he began his lifelong quest to reduce the harm the environment could cause. If you cant store the power (too expensive) and you cant export it, why the requirement (or desire) to put in large systems? A Decent Battery From sonnen. My solar installer applied to Powercor to install a 5.4kw system at my Point Cook address. 0000008571 00000 n If you are in the solar industry - try to get to the truth, not the sale.5. I will update the article with the information. We might still be willing to do this all the same, from an environmental viewpoint. Makes sense but begs my next question (sorry). 0000029011 00000 n Enter your postcode now. 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. Victorias CitiPower area: The Melbourne Central Business District. Im afraid thats a tough situation. 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: hooked up to an energy efficient 44kW motor for a real-world 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. Instead the home can benefit from a small system, as I explain here: Ah yes I see. The ideal way to measure the power flow in and out of your house would be to ask your existing electricity meter. 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. Depending on their location, some may be constrained to a lesser export level or even no exports at all. &K?BK:T$A1Cn 0000093063 00000 n Allows installation but has an export limit. Queenslands Energex area: South East Queensland. DC Input Power (Wp) 10000, from its published datasheet. This certainly goes well beyond initial configuration and reporting. In an Enphase system, that is with the Envoy-S with consumption monitoring. 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. Under another option to . 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. The infrastructure is not sufficiently flexible to deal with this. Normally single phase properties can have up to 5 kilowatts of solar inverter capacity and 3 phase properties can have 15 kilowatts. I could easily share my excess power for the time I am not irrigating my crops. 0000004736 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. Even if you have the Envoy-S, I believe at least on paper there was a Enphase Envoy-S The majority of customers are approved for the export level they request. 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. If you are interested you can read about this here: https://www.solarquotes.com.au/inverters/mppt/. Aside from that, when you have high resistance lines, there is a voltage drop over their length. Am I wrong? 0000039284 00000 n Im surprised this hasnt hit the mainstream media yet. At times MPPT1 is at 600 odd watts while MPPT2 is at 2500 odd watts. 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. They hid the problem pretty well, because they do tend to reduce the amount of shutdowns. Whats the logical and practical way forward? Im trying to get some unbiased advice on whether or not we should add more solar. Youll also start receiving the SolarQuotes weekly newsletter, keeping you up to date on all the latest developments on Australias solar scene. Rooftop solar works by turning sunlight into electric power. So my understanding of the info above is that my inverter will increase production in unison with demand until it hits 5kw? 11kW panels with 10kW 3-phase inverter (Fronius Symo + Fronius 3-phase meter). at night or not enough at day time ? 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%. 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. So having a powerwall is way less useful for helping with an export limit than you would think. 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. driving range of 200km depending on ambient temperature. 0000001916 00000 n JackD 1 year ago. 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. Nobody wants to see solar energy . Powercor is telling increasing numbers of households looking to install new systems in this area they will have a zero export limit. Anyway you are probably not supposed to be messing around with the profiles without agreement of your DNSP. 0000004823 00000 n 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: . What is the go generally with adding an additional solar system to your home? 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? 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.. There are two options: 1. There are exceptions for off-grid installations and systems that are installed with a battery. Phone, email, give us feedback or make a claim. Normally it makes more sense to buy a second, separate system, than to expand an existing one. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Or, if you want a lower cost method of dealing with blackouts, you can get yourself a small generator. My AS4777.2:2015 profile allows voltages up to 265v (for short periods, and shuts down on 10 minute averages above 258v). Im in the Endeavour Energy area. Solar Analytics confirms in this scenario its only exporting up to the limit; 3kw. 0000009573 00000 n Its the same with kW and hours of solar electricity production. 253 document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Download the first chapter of The Good Solar Guide, authored by SolarQuotes founder Finn Peacock, FREE! 240 About CitiPower and Powercor FACT SHEET: SOLAR EXPORT APPROVAL Set appliances to use your solar power Maintenance and safety checks are important hb```f``sd`c`edd@ A >hp`86s8::\ MNmOe0pYuR`i g G7@ $n@]A#&S_2.dx f 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. 5kW export limiter imposed on one inverter. Most systems have mostly N facing panels, so really only generate peak power for a few hours a day (often 10am>2pm approx) Does anyone have similar experience with powercor? 0000018244 00000 n Yes I do have Enphase micro-inverters and an Envoy gateway, though not enough sunny roof to exceed 5kW, so my interest is rather academic but real. 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. (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 . 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. Heres what that means. When it comes to the limiting imposed by the electricity companies feed-in regulations, it means that, at any one time, not more than 5kW (100L) maybe be output to the grid (hose), it has nothing to do with the total over a certain period of time. The distributor deals with that by putting the voltage slightly up at the sending end. But youll need to be confident you wont be hit with high demand charges during the evening peak that will wipe out any advantage. Installers must also follow the recommendations of the inverter manufacturer and they may say the limit for panel capacity is less than one-third more than the panels capacity. Put down your weapons.3. xref So, if a contractor or tradesman, using one of these during the day, or, another type of worker, gets home after work, and, plugs one of these in to charge, an immediate drain of 7 kW (I believe that it is actually 7.4 kW), and immediate significant drain is imposed on the grid, for several hours, during peak demand. 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. Some networks will allow larger sizes than those outlined below, pending specific approval from the network. 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. 352 0 obj <>stream Hi All, We installed 4.5kw with a 5kw inverter in 2014. What inverter do you have? 2. And also is it worth installing solar with 0 kWh limit with self consumption around 20-30%( payback 6-7 years). Great article and content on this website These consumption spikes go past the Solar energy being limited suggesting were drawing from the grid! 0000010603 00000 n it is, kind of, effectively export limiting. 0000001757 00000 n Please stay on topic. 0% Some say so you want to replace your system? 0000009027 00000 n I wouldnt drive anything else. The earth is used as one conductor which has a higher resistance than a copper wire. The power is first used to meet household consumption, with any surplus exported to the grid for other people to use. 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. ), 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? 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. Surely the distributors capping what you can export to the grid is a bad thing? We installed solar power in November last year and were refused export (zero export). So-called wasting of the extra electricity produced is irrelevant: sunlight is FREE, and whether I use it or not has no bearing on the environment. Powercor is the Distributed Network Service Provider for central and western Victoria, as well as Melbournes western suburbs. About 50%. The uptake of solar has surprised the powers that be so they are basically wasting free energy and penalizing the producers in the process. Is this default, or would it be programmed in if the distributor required it? First read the section How Export Limiting Works at the top of this thread. Im in the same situation, except I have an existing 5kW system. Is this correct? We have a 3kwh system and are really using as much during the day as we can. In reality, the losses will be considerably less. This could be important, given that we have a state parliamentary election due in a couple of months. Our Solar & Battery Calculator can give an idea of if its likely to pay: https://www.solarquotes.com.au/solar-calculator/. I have a new residential PV system in Perth WA, 6.6kW total panel capacity and a 5kW inverter (Growatt Min 5000TL-X). 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. I am surprised to hear that Powercor has allowed you to increase your exports, but that is good to hear. 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. Thank you. 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. 0000007554 00000 n They want to do it there way and it seems my request complicates things for them and I dont hear back, bar a couple. 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. On the main grid, single-phase properties can have 5 kilowatts of solar inverter capacity, and three-phase properties can have 15 kilowatts. "Some of these customers may have received approval to export since, due to network improvements made since their connection." 0000028638 00000 n 0000001260 00000 n I have spoken to one installer , but he couldnt really help me . This seems to be becoming a big problem at least locally. 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. 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. 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. When a home is exported limited, all the power the solar inverter can produce is available for the home to use. Voltage (V) measured at inverter terminals Thanks Steve 0418 815 193. 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. 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? 3. The fact is that Powercor does not set an upper limit on the size solar panel system you can install, up to 30kW. No unfortunately. Perhaps it is worth mentioning that the stricter export limitation becomes, it will make a stronger argument for batteries. Exporting surplus solar power is good because it reduces fossil fuel generation and pays you a feed-in tariff that reduces electricity bills. I have a 10kw Solar Edge inverter limited to 5kw. However they have been advised that this wont be allowed anymore. 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. 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). Whilst this may not be technically defined as export limiting, as the inverter specifications, specify that the inverter, whilst allowing up to an overload factor of 2, will only generate up to 5kW of A/C power Australian network service providers (including CitiPower) use solar export limits to keep voltage levels in transmission lines operating within safe . Export limiting does limit the inverter output, but only as needed to keep the export power below the limit. 0000037419 00000 n We do not prevent customers from installing solar for their own self-consumption. 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. 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. 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. 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 at any moment in time you are generating more solar electricity than you need, the excess is exported to the grid. There are versions without this consumption monitoring (old Non -s version of Envoy and even the Envoy-S without consumption monitoring).
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