The majority of customers are approved for the export level they request. Im in regional WA with a rural 2 phase supply. 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. 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. I think of it like the rate at which water is flowing out of a hose. A 5 kilowatt inverter will never supply more than 5 kilowatts of power no matter how many kilowatts of panels it has. That is correct. 20% 3. 0000038484 00000 n We do not prevent customers from installing solar for their own self-consumption. 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. But if you dont use much electricity it may need to be very small, as I explain here: https://www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/zero-kw-export-solar/. 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. I have divided Australias regions into three categories: The information below assumes the property is on the main grid. Thanks. They did say that with future upgrades we could reapply, but I cant find a way to do this. Makes sense but begs my next question (sorry). 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 I cant justify the cost of adding additional solar if the max I can export with Essential energy is 3kwh. Thanks Steve 0418 815 193. 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. Instead the home can benefit from a small system, as I explain here: Ah yes I see. If you are using Enphase microinverters which is extremely likely the whole system can be export limited using the Enphase Envoy gateway. I guess it would be technically possible to have a solar system with a battery but still be connected to the grid as backup. The 7kW charger achieves full charge in 6 hours, and one 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. Allows installation but has an export limit. Or is the energy produced by the panels but dissipated somehow? The solar installer or customer must have sought and received pre-approval from us for the requested capacity of the generator. According to NT Power and Water they will normally allow up to a 5 kilowatt inverter with single phase power and up to a 7 kilowatt inverter with 3 phase power. As discussion of the topic of export limiting, is continuing, what,if any, is/are the direct effect differences to electricity grid load (as in the load on the wires, not the load as the term used for meaning demand), between a 5kW inverter, and a 10kW inverter with 5kW export limiting? Have a good christmas. In writing I was advised: It is delivering 8 kilowatts of solar power. Hi All. Great article and content on this website (Although they will also allow an additional 5 kilowatts of battery inverter capacity.) For any amount above the daily export, you will receive our standard retailer feed-in tariff of 5 . If that doesnt worry you then you can get a battery and just hope it mostly pays for itself. Where do I find information on reapplying for export with Powercor? startxref Finally! . 0000004736 00000 n We have had solar for 6 years and just recently moved homes. 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. 0000029403 00000 n When a home is exported limited, all the power the solar inverter can produce is available for the home to use. 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. 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. Now, there are quite a few profiles on offer that can be programmed into the microinverters. Some networks will allow larger sizes than those outlined below, pending specific approval from the network. is it 10kW AC or DC?? It does this by adjusting the MPPT but instead of working to maximize power from the panels it reduces it. The distributor deals with that by putting the voltage slightly up at the sending end. To get your quotes, please enter your postcode: AEMC: Electricity Prices To Continue To Fall, http://www.johnrogers.com.au/battery_charging_noon.jpg, http://www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/kw-and-kwh-what-is-the-difference/, Why Australian Solar Installers Love Austrian Fronius Inverters, Tesla Powerwall Price Takes A Tumble In Australia, "Snail Mail" Home Battery Offers: Be Wary, New Minimum VIC Solar Feed-In Tariffs Locked In, Glenrowan Solar Farm Construction Gets Cranking. The solar PV system is connected to the network via an inverter. In addition, all modern solar inverters must comply with AS4777.2015 at least. 100 litres alone means little, but if there are 100 litres per hour, this means 100 litre hours of output. The following is a list of the areas in case youve been missed. 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? 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. Only residential homes with inverters of 5 kilowatts or less can receive the states. Economically this probably Is not viable, as our electricity bill is fairly low. Victorias United Energy Network Area: A large chunk of Melbourne on the east side Port Phillip Bay and the Bayside Peninsula. The infrastructure is not sufficiently flexible to deal with this. The installation of solar photovoltaic systems as well as the correct inverter settings are critical to ensuring customers get the most for their investment in this technology. The standard relating to solar inverters is about to change. Im trying to get some unbiased advice on whether or not we should add more solar. About CitiPower and Powercor FACT SHEET: SOLAR EXPORT APPROVAL Set appliances to use your solar power Maintenance and safety checks are important Please stay on topic. I cant see any reference to the NT. 0000005986 00000 n Select the AS/NZS 4777.2:2020 Australia A setting. Im glad to hear its flexible enough to do that. You could have mentioned that SWER stands for Single Wire Earth Return and why that matters. But whether or not extra solar capacity will pay for itself is another matter. As a single example, the Renault Kangoo ZE van (I think that it is the only battery powered cargo van currently available in Australia) has a 33kWh battery, and, To go further, Kangoo Z.E boasts a Z.E 33 (33kWh) battery, Depending on their location, some may be constrained to a lesser export level or even no exports at all. 0000029011 00000 n What is the go generally with adding an additional solar system to your home? 0000001260 00000 n Im surprised this hasnt hit the mainstream media yet. 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. 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? But I can tell you a few things that might help with some of your pondering :- 1. This is often referred to as 'network constraints'. Some manufacturers may have this pre-selected. Generation sources can be, but are not limited to solar, wind and batteries. 100% 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. Amongst other things, AS4777.2015 has some requirements to shutdown on phase imbalance in a 3 phase setup. But, now, Goodwe have the GW5000-MS inverter, which, from what I have read, is apparently allowed in WA, for a single phase SWIS grid connection, and, that inverter is a 5kW inverter, that has a maximum panels generating capacity; Fronius Wattpilot: A Smart EV Charger With A Short Warranty, You Wont Believe How Dumb The NSW Governments New Battery Calculator Is. I am on my second Tesla EV and the new one has a rage of 700km if youre not a lead foot. This is because even if there is only a refrigerator running during the day it will reduce the losses from export limiting and if an effort is made to shift electricity consumption to the middle of the day then losses can be mostly or entirely eliminated. The 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 . 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. going back into the grid with no batteries. 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. I prefer a profile that just has the voltages set to a high voltage threshold, and if I have to sacrifice V-W mode, so be it. Victoria's "Hotest" Solar Postcode is 3977 at last look. But a sub optimally configured grid sometimes forces installers into implementing setting that are probably less than ideal if the high voltage events in the grid were just occasions where there is too much generation and they do want have all generators throttle back to allow some time for rebalancing supply and demand. If you are in the solar industry - try to get to the truth, not the sale.5. AC Output Data Single-phase properties can have up to 5 kilowatts of inverter capacity, and 3 phase properties can have up to 30 kilowatts. But you may as well just get a standard inverter and send your excess electricity into the grid. Does anyone have similar experience with powercor? SAPN has told me I cant have more than a 5 kw inverter , but thats just not enough. Unfortunately, SAPN wont allow more than 5 kilowatts of inverter capacity on an SWER line. And also is it worth installing solar with 0 kWh limit with self consumption around 20-30%( payback 6-7 years). 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. Means that it caps the amount you can reduce your bills for power used outside of daylight hours? But still the solar companies keep trying to sell it to me.. While there are some energy management measures that could help around the edges, I cant think of any good solutions for the typical business. 2. South Australia Power Networks (SAPN) area: SAPN is the only distributor in South Australia. 0000038752 00000 n 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? sonnenBatterie Evo. Surely the distributors capping what you can export to the grid is a bad thing? endstream endobj 351 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/Index[17 289]/Length 31/Size 306/Type/XRef/W[1 1 1]>>stream Note that connections off the main grid are usually far more restricted. 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. 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). This certainly goes well beyond initial configuration and reporting. 44% leading DC Input Power (Wp) 10000, from its published datasheet. While this is fine during the week when we are open, it seems a huge waste of electricity on the weekends when we are closed. So while the article suggests 10kW inverter ( 13.33kW DC) in fact the limit seemed to be 10kW DC ( hmmm what does 10kW generation mean exactly ?.) it is, kind of, effectively export limiting. By the time he was eight, he was already focused on using the power of the sun to stop fossil fuel emissions destabilizing the climate. Theres more good news, with further improvements to come. However they have been advised that this wont be allowed anymore. 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. I was really keen for this system with a battery as most of my power is used at night and I like the idea of power during blackouts, which do happen quite a lot here. embedded generation system to the CitiPower and Powercor low voltage networks. For example, if you are export limited, only the Envoy-S with consumption monitoring can provide this. Hi Everyone, This 80% could translate to an estimated 50,000 current or potential solar customers able to export more solar to the grid. For example, our Solar Enablement program is intended to allow more customers to connect a 5kVa solar PV system with export capacity. Or is there a build up of voltage in the system? 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. Here at SolarQuotes, we had been hearing quite a few complaints about Powercors zero export limits. 10kW of inverters with 11.325kW of panels. Website link shows system producing well over 10 kW. So it is unfortunate that it is necessary, but good that people can still install a larger system and generally have insignificant losses. %%EOF 100% Many Australian homes are not allowed to export more than 5 kW to the grid. If you are export limited, the only way to implement that is with some sort of meter as Ronald says. 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. 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. 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 . The good news is, even in a worst-case situation, the amount will be fairly minor. 0000007057 00000 n Thanks Ronald! Worried the impact this will have currently when we charge an EV in the near term. As your sister can presumably export as much power as her solar inverter can produce it wouldnt need this device. Very true AL0126. Long term benefits would be a more energy efficient system. Aside from that, when you have high resistance lines, there is a voltage drop over their length. 0000001916 00000 n 4. In a Enphase system, only the Envoy can provide this. 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. 5kW export limiter imposed on one inverter. 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). No active system controls whether you use inverter of imported power. Im afraid thats a tough situation. 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. 0000005359 00000 n 253 5kW times the number of hours is the total production over that time. About 50%. 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. is there a inverter that stops power going back 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. If you use a pre AS4777.3:2005 the limits are probably even higher, but you loose some other features (like frequency ramping which is probably very sensible to have if you want to be a good grid citizen), and you probably are not supposed to run those unless it is a pre 2016 install. 0000000016 00000 n Its located in Ausnet Services' Distribution Area but Ausnet is not part of the CitiPower, Powercor and UnitedEnergy . Assume positive intention.4. 0000027818 00000 n 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. If thats not a good option, you can consider getting a demand tariff and doing pumping outside the peak period when the cost of grid electricity will be relatively low. Most systems have mostly N facing panels, so really only generate peak power for a few hours a day (often 10am>2pm approx) 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. So basically the whole local industry is going to be cactus until this is resolved. We installed solar power in November last year and were refused export (zero export). Good question Tony. He's been reporting on Australian and international solar energy news ever since. The battery is charging from the DC current which is before the inverter. NSWs Essential Energy area: Regional NSW. 0000018244 00000 n 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. Are Tesla Powerwall smart enough to let majority of power export to grid and only start charging battery as inverter approaches its export limit? 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. 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. Wouldnt it be better for the inverter to display its total actual potential output under current conditions? Can one have micro-inverter panels without a gateway, and how would that be limited? No matter how badly you may want to export limit your solar system, it can only be done in locations where its permitted. 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. 0000011077 00000 n But there will often be times when the solar system will produce more power than can be exported, so some energy will be lost3. Interesting article. 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. So what goes throgh the meter, in either direction, is the difference between what you generate and what you use. Im in the Endeavour Energy area. It appears the wire from the inverter is directly connected to my main fuse for the house circuits. That would provide both export limiting, and, the incorporation of a battery system (for my household, if we would have a 6.6 kW panels generating capacity system, rather than the 5kW one that we have, something like the BYD LVS 20 or 24kWh battery tower, would, I believe be appropriate), which would provide for energy arbitrage, smoothing both power exported to the grid, and, power imported from the grid, especially during peak demand periods. Am planning to install solar 6.6 kWh system and upon checking with powercor they are giving export limit as 0 kWh. The solar PV system is connected to the network via an inverter. 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? Fronius Wattpilot: A Smart EV Charger With A Short Warranty, You Wont Believe How Dumb The NSW Governments New Battery Calculator Is. 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! Information on whether export limiting is allowed can be found here, but I am going to present the information differently for both ease of use and to make my boss think Ive done something useful. The fact is that Powercor does not set an upper limit on the size solar panel system you can install, up to 30kW. 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. Sometimes Powercor can reduce that to a lower figure, or even set a zero-export limit. 11kW panels with 10kW 3-phase inverter (Fronius Symo + Fronius 3-phase meter). Off the main grid, rural properties can have 3 kilowatts of inverter capacity. 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. In my mind though the Smart meter at the box would adjust the export limit in line with what the house is consuming? %PDF-1.4 % 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. 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. Self confessed newbie to the mechanics of Solar so bear with me. Shane, you appear to be mixing up kW and kWh easily done! I am a total newbie to this but I am unclear why export limiting is good? Of more concern is occasional spikes in consumption which go past the 5kw limit. 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. Is there anything that can be done about it? The uptake of solar has surprised the powers that be so they are basically wasting free energy and penalizing the producers in the process. Please make sure you engage early with our team through eConnect to check on network capacity for your customers. I am afraid Western Power is very strict. Were continually investing in our networks and aim to keep customers informed if additional export capacity becomes available in their area. It would definitely be better if we didnt need to limit the amount of power solar systems sent into the grid. 0000004059 00000 n Tasmania: Under 1% of Tasmanians are on SWER lines, so the generous export limit should often be available. 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. So in effect I have two safety guards in place, 1. the 5kw limiter to the grit and 2. the extra Gateway . Has the oppressive authority in WA ever given a reason for not allowing export limited inverters in WA? (We are conected to a 25Kw transformer, with 5 consumers connected.). Your meter is on the connection between the mains network on one side and the combination of your inverter and your loads on the other side. When a home is exported limited, all the power the solar inverter can produce is available for the home to use. 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. We are on a zero limited export. If a home cant export any power at all then there is no financial reason to install a large solar system. 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? An Update: I just had system installed 4 days ago in the Energex DNSP and suggest the above is perhaps not quite correct. They hid the problem pretty well, because they do tend to reduce the amount of shutdowns. Thanks so much, David. 260 Perhaps it is worth mentioning that the stricter export limitation becomes, it will make a stronger argument for batteries. Up until quite recently, Powercor had been informing a large proportion of households looking to install new solar systems they will have to cop a zero export limit due to high congestion created by exports from existing systems. I still dont know if they have programmed the inverter to reduce the overall output by a percentage or not. Is this default, or would it be programmed in if the distributor required it? 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. 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 ideal way to measure the power flow in and out of your house would be to ask your existing electricity meter. Typically in the Powercor area, the export limit is 5kW of exports for each single-phase household solar PV system. . On the main grid, single-phase properties can have 5 kilowatts of solar inverter capacity, and three-phase properties can have 15 kilowatts. 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. When it says that you can export 5kw, does that mean you can export up to 5kw PER HOUR? 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. 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! 2. Export limiting does limit the inverter output, but only as needed to keep the export power below the limit. 0000039018 00000 n Powercor wrote back with the following response:"Due to the size of t . I am surprised to hear that Powercor has allowed you to increase your exports, but that is good to hear. Im afraid in a typical situation the inverter wont show its potential output. JackD 1 year ago. 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.