powercor solar export limit

A Decent Battery From sonnen. Sometimes Powercor can reduce that to a lower figure, or even set a zero-export limit. Its located in Ausnet Services' Distribution Area but Ausnet is not part of the CitiPower, Powercor and UnitedEnergy . 207 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. If you are using Enphase microinverters which is extremely likely the whole system can be export limited using the Enphase Envoy gateway. Is this correct? Michael caught the solar power bug after purchasing components to cobble together a small off-grid PV system in 2008. Solar Analytics confirms in this scenario its only exporting up to the limit; 3kw. 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. 0000037419 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? But youll need to be confident you wont be hit with high demand charges during the evening peak that will wipe out any advantage. 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). 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 stay on topic. Note that connections off the main grid are usually far more restricted. I could easily share my excess power for the time I am not irrigating my crops. 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). 3. We installed 4.5kw with a 5kw inverter in 2014. both said Tasmania: Under 1% of Tasmanians are on SWER lines, so the generous export limit should often be available. Does anyone have similar experience with powercor? 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. 253 I did get on the FiT in the early days for the 66cpkWh, but installed a separate system (which I have since incorporated into my stand-alone system. 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. 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: Its also unusual for a large solar system to have all the panels facing the same direction. Even then, the losses from the limit are minor. Depending on their location, some may be constrained to a lesser export level or even no exports at all. This 80% could translate to an estimated 50,000 current or potential solar customers able to export more solar to the grid. You could approach SAPN and ask for special permission to install more solar capacity on an SWER but I would not be optimistic about that. 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 Ill upgrade the Endeavour Energy area from Ugly to Bad, since things are clearly not all bad there. Select your country/region. reliable export limit control function as per AS4777.2 to limit the export output where the . It seems so strange that it is clear government policy to get more solar going and yet the network operators are effectively blocking it now. My solar installer applied to Powercor to install a 5.4kw system at my Point Cook address. The whole system of domestic rooftop photovoltaic systems, needs to be reviewed; by both the legislatures and regulators, and, by the components (especially the inverters) manufacturers. I installed 6.6kw solar panels and have Goodwe 5kw inverter and applied for export limit of 5kw. Limited export means more power for home If your system has a limit on how much it can export then it means more power will get used in your home instead. There are lots of variations to this theme, however. It also allows you to focus on increasing your self consumption which in turn provides a better return on investment. Perhaps it is worth mentioning that the stricter export limitation becomes, it will make a stronger argument for batteries. &K?BK:T$A1Cn When it says that you can export 5kw, does that mean you can export up to 5kw PER HOUR? About 50%. Can anyone shed any light for me? 260 The earth is used as one conductor which has a higher resistance than a copper wire. On the main grid, single-phase properties can have 5 kilowatts of solar inverter capacity, and three-phase properties can have 15 kilowatts. Ronald Would the gateway signal the micro inverters to shut down one at a time, or to all reduce output equally? At the time of the powerwall install I also had the Gateway installed at an extra cost so I could keep using the generated power from the powerwall and during solar production when the powergrit fell out without danger for the grit workers because the Gateway instantly falls and prevent power to the grit. Its the same with kW and hours of solar electricity production. We have had solar for 6 years and just recently moved homes. In addition, all modern solar inverters must comply with AS4777.2015 at least. (We are conected to a 25Kw transformer, with 5 consumers connected.). 0000001757 00000 n Exporting surplus solar power is good because it reduces fossil fuel generation and pays you a feed-in tariff that reduces electricity bills. The loss figures above are for Sydney and are affected by the climate. (Image from Finns Tesla App). 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. People have done it at fairly low cost with second hand panels and a DC pump.) This could be important, given that we have a state parliamentary election due in a couple of months. I am afraid Western Power is very strict. Quotes vary and the deal has to be value/advantage logical or whats the point. 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. Normally single phase properties can have up to 5 kilowatts of solar inverter capacity and 3 phase properties can have 15 kilowatts. In writing I was advised: 0000029403 00000 n Of more concern is occasional spikes in consumption which go past the 5kw limit. So, I am pretty much left in the dark about whether all the energy my panels are theoretically producing is being utilised, or (which is my fearful assumption) up to 1.6kW are wasted whenever the panels produce more than 5kW AC. 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. No active system controls whether you use inverter of imported power. essential enrgy in central west nsw (Orange) are generally restricting to max 5kw export limit regardless of 1ph or 3ph: 2 x 3ph residential applications approvals cutnpaste below only difference was one specifically stated APPROVAL/SITE SPECIFIC CONDITION(s): Total Site to be export limited to 5kW 3 phase 1.66kW/per phase (and the padmount sub for the subdivision in on the property boundary) 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. We want to add a battery and it seems logical to add more cells also to another inverter/battery setup. 0000007554 00000 n 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. 3. This applies to both single-phase and three-phase properties. The new home didnt have solar. As far as I know, only solar installers can apply for export capacity in the Powercor area. 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 the installers like the Volt-watt modes, because if you dont know where to look they hid the problem at your expense anyway. The MSO helps us manage and keep our network safe for solar customers. 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. 100% Please stay on topic. 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. AS4777.2:2015 has some rather low default recommendations, which can be tweaked up as no doubt my profile has allowed. 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. I got a question about export limiter that I hope to get some answers from the community. I have a new residential PV system in Perth WA, 6.6kW total panel capacity and a 5kW inverter (Growatt Min 5000TL-X). Victorias CitiPower area: The Melbourne Central Business District. The solar installer or customer must have sought and received pre-approval from us for the requested capacity of the generator. The inverter reduces the amount of electrical energy supplied by the solar panels. 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. 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. 0000038218 00000 n 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. ) 0000028638 00000 n After (almost) three months with no reply, has any reason been given, as to why export limited inverters are not allowed for single phase grid connections to the SWIS grid in WA? Even if I were exporting 100% of it, it still would only bring down my bills by a tiny amount per month. Enter your postcode now. Off the main grid, rural properties can have 3 kilowatts of inverter capacity. 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. Do the inverters prevent the production of energy by the solar panels when an export limit would otherwise be exceeded? So in effect I have two safety guards in place, 1. the 5kw limiter to the grit and 2. the extra Gateway . it is, kind of, effectively export limiting. 0% endstream endobj 351 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/Index[17 289]/Length 31/Size 306/Type/XRef/W[1 1 1]>>stream 220 Is there anything that can be done about it? What inverter do you have? Unfortunately, SAPN wont allow more than 5 kilowatts of inverter capacity on an SWER line. 0000038752 00000 n We are in an area where only about 20% of the homes have solar. Some manufacturers may have this pre-selected. . ( But there will often be times when the solar system will produce more power than can be exported, so some energy will be lost3. But you may as well just get a standard inverter and send your excess electricity into the grid. As per current standards, a single phase premises is limited to 10kW generation and 5kW export. And also is it worth installing solar with 0 kWh limit with self consumption around 20-30%( payback 6-7 years). Queenslands Ergon network area: All of Queensland on the main grid outside of South East Queensland. 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. 0000038484 00000 n Now, there are quite a few profiles on offer that can be programmed into the microinverters. 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, 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). It would definitely be better if we didnt need to limit the amount of power solar systems sent into the grid. Allows installation but has a zero export limit. Australian network service providers (including CitiPower) use solar export limits to keep voltage levels in transmission lines operating within safe . For any amount above the daily export, you will receive our standard retailer feed-in tariff of 5 . 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. 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. 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. 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. You could have mentioned that SWER stands for Single Wire Earth Return and why that matters. The data has 5KW flat lining confirming more is being generated. If your pumping needs are large enough this can pay for itself, but it will be expensive to set up. 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 possible to max out the 10 kW inverter capacity with my Tesla, house load and Heat Pump hot water. 240 I cant see any reference to the NT. If they want a big solar system with an inverter larger than 5 kW, they must export limit the inverter. The Ugly: In these areas export limiting may not be allowed at all. I have seen my panels producing over 13 kW of power when the battery is drawing 3 kW DC power and the battery, house and car 10 kW of AC power. I have 3 x PV systems on one phase. Why on earth would I do that if I can help it. NSWs Essential Energy area: Regional NSW. ), 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. I can also see specific profiles for other grid networks, such as Ausgrid and Ergon, that likely have specific requirements of the inverters. P/Prated (%) 352 0 obj <>stream Any ideas of how I can get a system that is actually going to generate enough power to charge a battery? 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. Victorias Jemena network area: A small but crowded chunk of North and Western Melbourne. 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 . Typically in the Powercor area, the export limit is 5kW of exports for each single-phase household solar PV system. The word first can be confusing. MPPT2 always shows better performance than MPPT, usually quite significantly better. Ready for some quotes? IE if Im producing 8KW, the house is using 2KW it will still export 5kw? I could not convince him that I knew what I was talking about! Rooftop solar works by turning sunlight into electric power. I have spoken to one installer , but he couldnt really help me . Im surprised this hasnt hit the mainstream media yet. Thanks. We respect your privacy and you can opt out from the newsletter at any time. 2. No unfortunately. 0000017636 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. ACTs EvoEnergy Network Area: Covers most homes in the ACT, especially in built-up areas. Am I wrong? A man named Canute, proved that, centuries ago. Just last week, Powercor (Western Victoria) advised that they now have more room in the grid for export. Can I share my power excess with me neighbour? 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? These consumption spikes go past the Solar energy being limited suggesting were drawing from the grid! 0000038562 00000 n A Decent Battery From sonnen. With permission export limiting can be used to install larger systems. I realise that Australian legislatures do not care about the future, but, the future is coming, whether the legislatures like it or not. One thing I find is that Voltage control works well: instead of the inverter resetting if the voltage gets too high, my inverters roll back output, so it actually helps my neighbors too because their inverters reset less often. Generation sources can be, but are not limited to solar, wind and batteries. Thanks for the information. 0000037764 00000 n 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). Furthermore, the sustained overvoltage inverter protection set point shall be set to 258V. Theyd be higher for a sunnier location such as Perth and lower for cloudier places such as Melbourne or Hobart. How to correctly configure inverter settings. sonnenBatterie Evo. 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. Store it and use it later (this requires solar battery storage), or it disappears into thin air via a heat sink. Will this mean any additional system would be limited to 0kW output?? 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. Many NSW rural situations are limited to 3Kw export, due to the length of the transmission lines. 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. 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. 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. 2. Im trying to get some unbiased advice on whether or not we should add more solar. There are versions without this consumption monitoring (old Non -s version of Envoy and even the Envoy-S without consumption monitoring). 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. Powercor is the Distributed Network Service Provider for central and western Victoria, as well as Melbournes western suburbs. 0000008571 00000 n There are two options: 1. Okay, so that heading may be a bit of an exaggeration, but improvements the company has carried out appear to have made quite a difference. An Update: I just had system installed 4 days ago in the Energex DNSP and suggest the above is perhaps not quite correct. 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. Hi i want to install solar with no power After all, Im a big picture kind of guy.

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