I can also see specific profiles for other grid networks, such as Ausgrid and Ergon, that likely have specific requirements of the inverters. 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. 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. 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 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. Is this default, or would it be programmed in if the distributor required it? Rooftop solar works by turning sunlight into electric power. Aside from that, when you have high resistance lines, there is a voltage drop over their length. Activities part of Powercors Solar Hotspots program carried out over three months included upgrading infrastructure, adjusting tap settings on street-level transformers, balancing voltage levels on powerlines and various tweakery at zone substations. You could have mentioned that SWER stands for Single Wire Earth Return and why that matters. Contracts and resources for connection agreement, Vegetation clearing requirements for new powerlines, Registered Electrical Contractor resources, Rapid Earth Fault Current Limiters (REFCL), Endorsement for wholesale demand response. Please stay on topic. 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. 0000029011 00000 n We respect your privacy and you can opt out from the newsletter at any time. I installed 6.6kw solar panels and have Goodwe 5kw inverter and applied for export limit of 5kw. 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. So yeah, the Envoy is essentially all you need to configure export limiting or anything else if you have an Enphase microinverter set-up. It appears the wire from the inverter is directly connected to my main fuse for the house circuits. 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. Exporting surplus solar power is good because it reduces fossil fuel generation and pays you a feed-in tariff that reduces electricity bills. After all, Im a big picture kind of guy. 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. If you are interested you can read about this here: https://www.solarquotes.com.au/inverters/mppt/. Victoria's "Hotest" Solar Postcode is 3977 at last look. Export limiting generally isnt 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. Does anyone have similar experience with powercor? Still a very long payback period, but not as long. 240 0000004736 00000 n Once voltage thresholds etc are configure in the profile by the Envoy at install, each micro operates largely independently. How is export limited for micro-inverters? . 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. There are versions without this consumption monitoring (old Non -s version of Envoy and even the Envoy-S without consumption monitoring). How do I get around this with SAPN , am I allowed to export limit on a swer line in Sth Aust. Please make sure you engage early with our team through eConnect to check on network capacity for your customers. If your pumping needs are large enough this can pay for itself, but it will be expensive to set up. Real names are preferred - you should be happy to put your name to your comments.2. just wondering if anybody can shed some light on the following, Makes sense but begs my next question (sorry). At times MPPT1 is at 600 odd watts while MPPT2 is at 2500 odd watts. 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: ), 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? No-one seems to have replied Dirk, so I will try. The solar installer or customer must have sought and received pre-approval from us for the requested capacity of the generator. Hi All. 0000027694 00000 n 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 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%. Or is the energy produced by the panels but dissipated somehow? But you probably would not recover the cost of the battery within its lifetime. Rubbing salt into the wound were situations where someone was zero export limited while their next door neighbour wasnt. Can I share my power excess with me neighbour? Just last week, Powercor (Western Victoria) advised that they now have more room in the grid for export. going back into the grid with no batteries. Shane, you appear to be mixing up kW and kWh easily done! 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. 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. hbbf`b``3 I j 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. 0000038562 00000 n at night or not enough at day time ? 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. 0000029403 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. Victorias CitiPower area: The Melbourne Central Business District. We are in an area where only about 20% of the homes have solar. Would the gateway signal the micro inverters to shut down one at a time, or to all reduce output equally? Im trying to get some unbiased advice on whether or not we should add more solar. 0000006578 00000 n As a general rule, 5kW tends to be the upper system size limit for single-phase connections, but some networks allow up to 10kW. 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. We respect your privacy and you can opt out from the newsletter at any time. 0000039018 00000 n trailer 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! In an Enphase system, that is with the Envoy-S with consumption monitoring. %PDF-1.4 % This is often referred to as 'network constraints'. The solar PV system is connected to the network via an inverter. I have spoken to one installer , but he couldnt really help me . Western Australia Horizon Power area: Regional Western Australia. Its only possible to go larger with a zero export limit: https://www.powerwater.com.au/customers/power/solar-power-systems/pv-class-requirements. Thanks. Our Solar & Battery Calculator can give an idea of if its likely to pay: https://www.solarquotes.com.au/solar-calculator/. Heres what that means. Sorry Andrew: NQR. 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. I have divided Australias regions into three categories: The information below assumes the property is on the main grid. The MSO helps us manage and keep our network safe for solar customers. I realise that Australian legislatures do not care about the future, but, the future is coming, whether the legislatures like it or not. I want about 10Kw of panels so I can run pumps etc. Some networks will allow larger sizes than those outlined below, pending specific approval from the network. Can one have micro-inverter panels without a gateway, and how would that be limited? So it is unfortunate that it is necessary, but good that people can still install a larger system and generally have insignificant losses. Do the inverters prevent the production of energy by the solar panels when an export limit would otherwise be exceeded? 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. 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. I have 3 x PV systems on one phase. This applies to both single-phase and three-phase properties. 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. Im on a swer line in rural south Australia. endstream endobj 307 0 obj <>/Metadata 15 0 R/Pages 14 0 R/StructTreeRoot 17 0 R/Type/Catalog/ViewerPreferences<>>> endobj 308 0 obj <. While losses increase as the solar power system size goes up, even with 10 kilowatts of panels which is twice the export limit, only 13% of generation is lost. We do not prevent customers from installing solar for their own self-consumption. This certainly goes well beyond initial configuration and reporting. I have a 10kw Solar Edge inverter limited to 5kw. What made the situation all the more frustrating is periods of high congestion which can threaten the stability of a local network can be quite brief. Under another option to . But depending on our network capacity, export constraints may influence the size of the unit they install. 0000009027 00000 n 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. But youll need to be confident you wont be hit with high demand charges during the evening peak that will wipe out any advantage. 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. 0000022631 00000 n 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 cant justify the cost of adding additional solar if the max I can export with Essential energy is 3kwh. 220 Hi 3. 260 But your situation is complicated by already having a 3 kilowatt system. It also allows you to focus on increasing your self consumption which in turn provides a better return on investment. Unfortunately, SAPN wont allow more than 5 kilowatts of inverter capacity on an SWER line. 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. 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. And, no matter how powerful, the members of the legislatures imagine themselves to be, and, no matter how trump-like, they are, they can not stop the future. I still dont know if they have programmed the inverter to reduce the overall output by a percentage or not. If you are using Enphase microinverters which is extremely likely the whole system can be export limited using the Enphase Envoy gateway. Australian network service providers (including CitiPower) use solar export limits to keep voltage levels in transmission lines operating within safe . But just note, not everyone Envoy has required bits to do export limiting. It clicked, not long after I wrote the comment, My 10 kW system will not go above 10 kW unless my house battery is charging and then it can go to 13.25 kW. 0000093063 00000 n 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? 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. March 2022 6 Powercor means Powercor Australia Limited, ABN 89 064 651 109. portal means the eConnect portal for CitiPower and . 5 kilowatt inverter + 6.6 kilowatts of solar panels (no export limiting): 0%, 6 kilowatt inverter + 8 kilowatts of solar panels: 4% loss, 7 kilowatt inverter + 9 kilowatts of solar panels: 8% loss, 8 kilowatt inverter + 10 kilowatts of solar panels: 13% loss, So, on the one hand, the Victorian Government is. Can you provide comment and evaluation of power tracing please. We installed solar power in November last year and were refused export (zero export). 306 0 obj <> endobj 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. I have just had a 6.6kw system installed with a Fronius 5kw inverter and am export limited to 3kw. Powercor's network solutions manager Claire Cass said of 32,580 customers connected to solar with Powercor in the last 18 months, only 2023 could not export power. If at any moment in time you are generating more solar electricity than you need, the excess is exported to the grid. 0000000016 00000 n Many Australian homes are not allowed to export more than 5 kW to the grid. Off the main grid, rural properties can have 3 kilowatts of inverter capacity. 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; Enter your postcode now. 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. Thats a furphy from go to whoa. In addition, all modern solar inverters must comply with AS4777.2015 at least. Powercor wrote back with the following response:"Due to the size of t . 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. 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. While export limiting is possible its not always approved. 1. Any ideas of how I can get a system that is actually going to generate enough power to charge a battery? The good news is, even in a worst-case situation, the amount will be fairly minor. That is correct. Powercor is telling increasing numbers of households looking to install new systems in this area they will have a zero export limit. Thank you. hb```f``sd`c`edd@ A >hp`86s8::\ MNmOe0pYuR`i g G7@ $n@]A#&S_2.dx f Allows installation but has an export limit. 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. But there is also the DNSP rules which need to be followed. 4. you request 5kW and Powercor says you can only export 2.5kW) Set a 'zero export' limit - i.e. Victorias Jemena network area: A small but crowded chunk of North and Western Melbourne. 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. The Ugly: In these areas export limiting may not be allowed at all. Youll also start receiving the SolarQuotes weekly newsletter, keeping you up to date on all the latest developments on Australias solar scene. 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. I have a new residential PV system in Perth WA, 6.6kW total panel capacity and a 5kW inverter (Growatt Min 5000TL-X). 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/. Thanks Steve 0418 815 193. 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. Thanks Ronald! Most systems have mostly N facing panels, so really only generate peak power for a few hours a day (often 10am>2pm approx) 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. The 7kW charger achieves full charge in 6 hours, and one 0000038752 00000 n 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. 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? SAPN has told me I cant have more than a 5 kw inverter , but thats just not enough. 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.
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