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. 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. What am I missing? 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. This could be important, given that we have a state parliamentary election due in a couple of months. 0000009573 00000 n Im in the Endeavour Energy area. If you are using Enphase microinverters which is extremely likely the whole system can be export limited using the Enphase Envoy gateway. So what goes throgh the meter, in either direction, is the difference between what you generate and what you use. I have solar on my house and having it installed at an investment property, but not sure what to do now as there will be no benefit of feed in tariff. And, depending on the circumstances of each individual household, 10-15 kW of total panels generating capacity, with limiting export to the grid, to 5kW, could provide better for the months with less available solar radiation, to lessen the demand for grid electricity, peaking on a seasonal basis. In my mind though the Smart meter at the box would adjust the export limit in line with what the house is consuming? 0000004059 00000 n Real names are preferred - you should be happy to put your name to your comments.2. No matter how badly you may want to export limit your solar system, it can only be done in locations where its permitted. He first became interested in environmental matters when he was four years old after the environment tried to kill him by smashing fist sized hailstones through the roof of his parents Toowoomba home. Powercor is the Distributed Network Service Provider for central and western Victoria, as well as Melbournes western suburbs. 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 do NOT have a device in my meter box that could tell the inverter anything about consumption and feed in energy. Nobody wants to see solar energy . 0000018244 00000 n Victorias Jemena network area: A small but crowded chunk of North and Western Melbourne. 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). If you can export 3kva that means you can have a solar system with up to 4 kilowatts of panels. Victorias United Energy Network Area: A large chunk of Melbourne on the east side Port Phillip Bay and the Bayside Peninsula. you request 5kW and Powercor says you can only export 2.5kW) Set a 'zero export' limit - i.e. startxref 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). 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). 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. There are versions without this consumption monitoring (old Non -s version of Envoy and even the Envoy-S without consumption monitoring). Normally it makes more sense to buy a second, separate system, than to expand an existing one. Of more concern is occasional spikes in consumption which go past the 5kw limit. ), 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? 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. I am a total newbie to this but I am unclear why export limiting is good? 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. This extra meter adds to the cost of a solar system. going back into the grid with no batteries. I am looking at adding a second system (6.2kW) with GoodWe inverter. In future, will powercor allow export limit if they upgrade transformer? Put down your weapons.3. Max. The standard relating to solar inverters is about to change. Our Solar & Battery Calculator can give an idea of if its likely to pay: https://www.solarquotes.com.au/solar-calculator/. %%EOF It appears the wire from the inverter is directly connected to my main fuse for the house circuits. 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. Hi All, Am I wrong? After all, Im a big picture kind of guy. 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. . If you dont get under the covers and look carefully at the logs you might miss this, or think it is a cloud coming over, rather than voltage triggered throttling. When a home is exported limited, all the power the solar inverter can produce is available for the home to use. 3. Voltage (V) measured at inverter terminals I think the installers like the Volt-watt modes, because if you dont know where to look they hid the problem at your expense anyway. 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. A Decent Battery From sonnen. ), converting to up to 10kW of AC power, and, the GW5048D-ES provides for up to 6.65kW of panels generating capacity, converting to up to 4.95 kW of AC power, and, acting as a battery management system and UPS, when a battery system (of up to two approved, low voltage, batteries) is connected. The battery is charging from the DC current which is before the inverter. Ready for some quotes? 0000038484 00000 n If you are interested you can read about this here: https://www.solarquotes.com.au/inverters/mppt/. Here at SolarQuotes, we had been hearing quite a few complaints about Powercors zero export limits. It does this by adjusting the MPPT but instead of working to maximize power from the panels it reduces it. Some networks will allow larger sizes than those outlined below, pending specific approval from the network. 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. Australian network service providers (including CitiPower) use solar export limits to keep voltage levels in transmission lines operating within safe . 253 0000039018 00000 n The solar PV system is connected to the network via an inverter. It is critical that you install an approved smart inverter and set it correctly. 0000038752 00000 n Victoria's "Hotest" Solar Postcode is 3977 at last look. Larger inverters that are export limited are allowed on a case by case basis. Have a good christmas. AC Output Data Exporting surplus solar power is good because it reduces fossil fuel generation and pays you a feed-in tariff that reduces electricity bills. 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. I havent made any applications yet, but Ill certainly be asking this question when I get quotes!. Once voltage thresholds etc are configure in the profile by the Envoy at install, each micro operates largely independently. The good news is, if you had a total of 6.6 kilowatts of solar youd probably loose very little due to export limiting if you consume half the output of a 3 kilowatt system and can export 3 kilowatts. 00@ Oo 220 0000004736 00000 n If at any moment in time you are generating more solar electricity than you need, the excess is exported to the grid. 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. Powercor's technical assessment aims for these works to enable at least 80% of new solar applications to export 5 kW. Store it and use it later (this requires solar battery storage), or it disappears into thin air via a heat sink. Recent work by Victorian DNSP Powercor on some problematic parts of its network is enabling more solar power from rooftop panels to be exported to the grid. Single-phase properties can have up to 5 kilowatts of inverter capacity, and 3 phase properties can have up to 30 kilowatts. I am surprised to hear that Powercor has allowed you to increase your exports, but that is good to hear. So my understanding of the info above is that my inverter will increase production in unison with demand until it hits 5kw? 2. 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? Real names are preferred - you should be happy to put your name to your comments.2. You can see from the profile name that it ensures the microinverters conform to the AS4777.2:2015 Australian standard that governs inverters, and it enables the advanced Volt-var and Volt-watt controls for adjusting export power when the grid voltage gets too high (as opposed to abruptly shutting off all export power when grid voltage is too high, which happens without Volt-var and Volt-watt). As your sister can presumably export as much power as her solar inverter can produce it wouldnt need this device. 0000001260 00000 n A man named Canute, proved that, centuries ago. If that doesnt worry you then you can get a battery and just hope it mostly pays for itself. Still, few people will want more than the 13.33 kilowatts of panel capacity single phase homes can generally install: The Bad: Homes with single-phase power on the main grid can have up to 5 kilowatts of inverter capacity but can usually get around this limit by installing an export limited solar inverter of up to 10 kilowatts. 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. reliable export limit control function as per AS4777.2 to limit the export output where the . (2nd one APPROVAL/SITE SPECIFIC CONDITION(s): Total Solar Export must be limited to 5kW). Western Australia Horizon Power area: Regional Western Australia. 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. 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. ACTs EvoEnergy Network Area: Covers most homes in the ACT, especially in built-up areas. ) Certainly this dumb meter is not capable of sending current from the inverter selectively to my home circuits and any excess to the grid? But I will warn you, even with the high cost of grid electricity and the low solar feed-in tariff in Western Australia, batteries normally wont pay for themselves. You could have mentioned that SWER stands for Single Wire Earth Return and why that matters. Good question Tony. March 2022 6 Powercor means Powercor Australia Limited, ABN 89 064 651 109. portal means the eConnect portal for CitiPower and . The 7kW charger achieves full charge in 6 hours, and one 0 Im afraid in a typical situation the inverter wont show its potential output. The Solar installer is telling me that they just started getting 0kW approvals back for about 9 out of 10 requests and so they dont believe they will be able to do many installs at all going forward. 100% Is there anything that can be done about it? 0000029011 00000 n Finally! Its only possible to go larger with a zero export limit: https://www.powerwater.com.au/customers/power/solar-power-systems/pv-class-requirements. These consumption spikes go past the Solar energy being limited suggesting were drawing from the grid! Most systems have mostly N facing panels, so really only generate peak power for a few hours a day (often 10am>2pm approx) given that we are working from home all the time these days. The loss figures above are for Sydney and are affected by the climate. 0000038296 00000 n We just had a 30kW inverter solar install for our business and it has been limited to 1.8kW export. 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. Enter your postcode now. I have just had a 6.6kw system installed with a Fronius 5kw inverter and am export limited to 3kw. When a home is exported limited, all the power the solar inverter can produce is available for the home to use. 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. There are two options: 1. We want to add a battery and it seems logical to add more cells also to another inverter/battery setup. Typically in the Powercor area, the export limit is 5kW of exports for each single-phase household solar PV system. In an Enphase system, that is with the Envoy-S with consumption monitoring. If your pumping needs are large enough this can pay for itself, but it will be expensive to set up. driving range of 200km depending on ambient temperature. 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. So yeah, the Envoy is essentially all you need to configure export limiting or anything else if you have an Enphase microinverter set-up. 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. Swearing revenge, he began his lifelong quest to reduce the harm the environment could cause. Many NSW rural situations are limited to 3Kw export, due to the length of the transmission lines. 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. I have an existing 3.5kW PV system with Solis inverter. I was told to set Power Limit to ON. Even if you have the Envoy-S, I believe at least on paper there was a Enphase Envoy-S Very true AL0126. 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. 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. Any ideas of how I can get a system that is actually going to generate enough power to charge a battery? 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. A Decent Battery From sonnen. 100% 0000001575 00000 n Also, given that export limited inverters (supposedly) work the same, regardless of the grid to which they are connected, why is it so, that states have different rules whereby some allow export limited inverters, and, some do not? Its located in Ausnet Services' Distribution Area but Ausnet is not part of the CitiPower, Powercor and UnitedEnergy . I was lucky to have an early approval, so limited to 10Kw (or due to bad calculation by the approver, 8.6Kw, where he said ALL the Neutral current went down the common Neutral wire, where in fact only the difference between the phases goes down the Neutral (2 phase, 180 degree). 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. Is this correct? Or, if you want a lower cost method of dealing with blackouts, you can get yourself a small generator. That can raise the voltage to a level dangerous to appliances. 0000038830 00000 n We have had solar for 6 years and just recently moved homes. &K?BK:T$A1Cn Origin offers 8 cents per kWh until a daily export limit of 14 kWh is reached. Below is the email response I received from Powercor. Youll also start receiving the SolarQuotes weekly newsletter, keeping you up to date on all the latest developments on Australias solar scene. The Ugly: In these areas export limiting may not be allowed at all. 220 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. 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 ?.) 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. endstream endobj 307 0 obj <>/Metadata 15 0 R/Pages 14 0 R/StructTreeRoot 17 0 R/Type/Catalog/ViewerPreferences<>>> endobj 308 0 obj <. Can anyone shed any light for me? We respect your privacy and you can opt out from the newsletter at any time. 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). 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? Allows installation but has a zero export limit. Fronius Wattpilot: A Smart EV Charger With A Short Warranty, You Wont Believe How Dumb The NSW Governments New Battery Calculator Is. IE if Im producing 8KW, the house is using 2KW it will still export 5kw? Under another option to . For any amount above the daily export, you will receive our standard retailer feed-in tariff of 5 . 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. Would the gateway signal the micro inverters to shut down one at a time, or to all reduce output equally? 0000037497 00000 n Solar export limiting, or 'export limiting', occurs most often when there is more power being pushed into the grid than it can handle. 0% But if you suddenly switch off everything, there is more surplus solar power than youre allowed to export. Ronald Thanks Ron. 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. The metered version comes with extra current clamps to hook up to the grid side so you can do consumption monitoring and export limiting. Shane, you appear to be mixing up kW and kWh easily done! A 5 kilowatt inverter will never supply more than 5 kilowatts of power no matter how many kilowatts of panels it has. I could easily share my excess power for the time I am not irrigating my crops. Do the inverters prevent the production of energy by the solar panels when an export limit would otherwise be exceeded? 0000011077 00000 n 0000037380 00000 n We are on a zero limited export. 207 The ideal way to measure the power flow in and out of your house would be to ask your existing electricity meter. What inverter do you have? We might still be willing to do this all the same, from an environmental viewpoint. 0000027694 00000 n This is often referred to as 'network constraints'. 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. Thus if my system is at maximum output, and I am using 2kW, only 3 kW is being exported to the grid. Youre using a total of four kilowatts to cook your lunch, so your home is exporting 4 kilowatts, which is below the limit. 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. 0000038562 00000 n Means that it caps the amount you can reduce your bills for power used outside of daylight hours? But you probably would not recover the cost of the battery within its lifetime. 0% 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. 20% South Australia Power Networks (SAPN) area: SAPN is the only distributor in South Australia. AS4777.2:2015 has some rather low default recommendations, which can be tweaked up as no doubt my profile has allowed. 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). People have done it at fairly low cost with second hand panels and a DC pump.) And Set Power Limit to 100%. I cant justify the cost of adding additional solar if the max I can export with Essential energy is 3kwh. But whether or not extra solar capacity will pay for itself is another matter. In exchange, the customer receives a small rebate on their bill for every kilowatt-hour (kWh) they export. %PDF-1.4 % But there will often be times when the solar system will produce more power than can be exported, so some energy will be lost3. 240 Makes sense but begs my next question (sorry). But if you had a larger solar system with a larger inverter that was export limited to 5 kilowatts it could potentially supply 2 kilowatts to your home while exporting 5 kilowatts to the grid.