After all, Im a big picture kind of guy. Generation sources can be, but are not limited to solar, wind and batteries. 0000037764 00000 n 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. Thanks. Even if I were exporting 100% of it, it still would only bring down my bills by a tiny amount per month. 253 Thanks so much, David. Although my testing shows that the micros technically operate quite independently, it is important to understand, only the Envoy can provide some critical components to a properly working Enphase System. Many Australian homes are not allowed to export more than 5 kW to the grid. (Although they will also allow an additional 5 kilowatts of battery inverter capacity.) Put down your weapons.3. hour of charging is enough to drive 35km.. Export limiting generally isnt permitted. I am trying to get a system installed (6.5k smart hybrid inverter with a battery) and have been told by Western Power that I am limited to a 3.0 kva 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 <. 4. But if you suddenly switch off everything, there is more surplus solar power than youre allowed to export. 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. 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. 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. 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. He's been reporting on Australian and international solar energy news ever since. 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. 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. Single-phase properties can have up to 5 kilowatts of inverter capacity, and 3 phase properties can have up to 30 kilowatts. 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. 00@ Oo I was told to set Power Limit to ON. I am afraid Western Power is very strict. 220 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. The distributor deals with that by putting the voltage slightly up at the sending end. Max. Is there anything that can be done about it? The infrastructure is not sufficiently flexible to deal with this. Exporting surplus solar power is good because it reduces fossil fuel generation and pays you a feed-in tariff that reduces electricity bills. This applies to both single-phase and three-phase properties. 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: . 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. We installed 4.5kw with a 5kw inverter in 2014. 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. 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. Victorias AusNet network area: The eastern third of Victoria, not including Melbourne or French Island. Good question Tony. 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. First read the section How Export Limiting Works at the top of this thread. Please confirm the maximum export limit in the relevant section of this application.. 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. But your situation is complicated by already having a 3 kilowatt system. 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. Ready for some quotes? 0% 0000028638 00000 n 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. If you can go outside and scream at the top of your lungs with no chance your neighbours will hear you, then theres a good chance you are off the main grid and face much stricter limits on exports. ACTs EvoEnergy Network Area: Covers most homes in the ACT, especially in built-up areas. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. 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. 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. People have done it at fairly low cost with second hand panels and a DC pump.) This extra meter adds to the cost of a solar system. I cant see any reference to the NT. South Australia Power Networks (SAPN) area: SAPN is the only distributor in South Australia. Select your country/region. Put down your weapons.3. Allows installation but has an export limit. 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. They hid the problem pretty well, because they do tend to reduce the amount of shutdowns. In addition, all modern solar inverters must comply with AS4777.2015 at least. We installed solar power in November last year and were refused export (zero export). If your solar company provides you with the Solar pre-approval (SPA) number for your pre-approval, we can check specifically what was decided on with regards to exporting. Am I wrong? Of more concern is occasional spikes in consumption which go past the 5kw limit. <]/Prev 115522/XRefStm 1575>> 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. Thanks Ron. Its the same with kW and hours of solar electricity production. Larger inverters that are export limited are allowed on a case by case basis. Enter your postcode now. Select the AS/NZS 4777.2:2020 Australia A setting. And, when battery powered road vehicles with adequate distance capacity (I have read that VW expects to release a battery powered station wagon, with range between charges, of 700km, in 2023 (although, unless Australia wakes up, such vehicles will be unlikely to come to this neolithic country) ) are available, and, even for the rare ones that apparently, already exist in Australia (having not yet seen a battery powered vehicle in Australia, I wonder whether they are simply an urban myth, as to their presence in this backward country), when would they get charged, if people would only charge them at home? 0000009027 00000 n 0000029011 00000 n For example, if you are export limited, only the Envoy-S with consumption monitoring can provide this. The loss figures above are for Sydney and are affected by the climate. 0000038830 00000 n Im in the same situation, except I have an existing 5kW system. I have 3 x PV systems on one phase. 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. Unfortunately, the meter companies and inverter manufacturers cant get their shit together, and the utility meters refuse to talk to the inverters. 100% Only residential homes with inverters of 5 kilowatts or less can receive the states. We are in an area where only about 20% of the homes have solar. For any amount above the daily export, you will receive our standard retailer feed-in tariff of 5 . So if an inverter that is export limited to 5 kilowatts is providing 8 kilowatts of power, none of it will go to waste provided the home is consuming at least 3 kilowatts at the time. 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. You could have mentioned that SWER stands for Single Wire Earth Return and why that matters. %PDF-1.4 % given that we are working from home all the time these days. A Decent Battery From sonnen. So what goes throgh the meter, in either direction, is the difference between what you generate and what you use. Wouldnt it be better for the inverter to display its total actual potential output under current conditions? Makes sense but begs my next question (sorry). Plus a Tesla Powerwall 2. A Decent Battery From sonnen. I can also see specific profiles for other grid networks, such as Ausgrid and Ergon, that likely have specific requirements of the inverters. I think I was partially wrong about how my PV is connected to the home and the meter. 3. 0000004622 00000 n A small solar system can be financially viable. and only supply me with power from the grid Or, if you want a lower cost method of dealing with blackouts, you can get yourself a small generator. Queenslands Energex area: South East Queensland. just wondering if anybody can shed some light on the following, 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. 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. Some say so you want to replace your system? Will this mean any additional system would be limited to 0kW output?? Residential properties are unlikely to be allowed to use export limiting to install even larger inverters. 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. I believe it must have been set up during installation, but the installer company claims that this is handled by Growatt themselves. There are lots of variations to this theme, however. So my understanding of the info above is that my inverter will increase production in unison with demand until it hits 5kw? Also note that for new installations in WA, only residences with inverters of 5 kilowatts or less can receive the states, Western Australias Western Power area: Perth and South West WA. xref Self confessed newbie to the mechanics of Solar so bear with me. The uptake of solar has surprised the powers that be so they are basically wasting free energy and penalizing the producers in the process. I was told that as there is an export limit of 5kW and I already have 3.5kW system, my new system will be export limited to 1.5kW. it is, kind of, effectively export limiting. Victorias United Energy Network Area: A large chunk of Melbourne on the east side Port Phillip Bay and the Bayside Peninsula. 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. 0000093063 00000 n When it says that you can export 5kw, does that mean you can export up to 5kw PER HOUR? Rooftop solar works by turning sunlight into electric power. I have an existing 3.5kW PV system with Solis inverter. endstream endobj 351 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/Index[17 289]/Length 31/Size 306/Type/XRef/W[1 1 1]>>stream There are two options: 1. 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. Can I share my power excess with me neighbour? 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. I am on my second Tesla EV and the new one has a rage of 700km if youre not a lead foot. But you will probably find that there is another setting that it will shutdown when 10 minute average voltage is a measly 255v. hooked up to an energy efficient 44kW motor for a real-world Sorry Andrew: NQR. Or is there a build up of voltage in the system? And Set Power Limit to 100%. DC Input Power (Wp) 10000, from its published datasheet. 5kW export limiter imposed on one inverter. In a Enphase system, only the Envoy can provide this. We are on a zero limited export. 0000038218 00000 n The 7kW charger achieves full charge in 6 hours, and one 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. Im glad to hear its flexible enough to do that. 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. 0000000016 00000 n Youll also start receiving the SolarQuotes weekly newsletter, keeping you up to date on all the latest developments on Australias solar scene. I am looking at adding a second system (6.2kW) with GoodWe inverter. If youre not satisfied with what answers our calculator gives, let me know your figures for grid electricity and solar feed-in tariff and Ill come up with an estimate for you. 0000037686 00000 n This seems to be becoming a big problem at least locally. Can anyone shed any light for me? Upgrading the local electricity network so more businesses and households can export excess solar to share. 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? 0000038484 00000 n 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. 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. 44% leading Theyd be higher for a sunnier location such as Perth and lower for cloudier places such as Melbourne or Hobart. 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. Enter your postcode now. As far as I know, only solar installers can apply for export capacity in the Powercor area. See image at http://www.johnrogers.com.au/battery_charging_noon.jpg, CORRECTION: My 13.25 kW system will not go above the 10 kW inverter limit unless my house battery is charging and then it can go to 13.25 kW. Phone, email, give us feedback or make a claim. Powercor claims 30% increase in rooftop solar export approvals Victorian network service provider Powercor claims a major works program designed to alleviate grid congestion in areas of high rooftop solar PV penetration has boosted the approval rate for new solar connections to export excess energy to the grid by an impressive 30%. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Please make sure you engage early with our team through eConnect to check on network capacity for your customers. at night or not enough at day time ? ), 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. Why my Power Limit is set to ON with the % whereas her Power Limit is set to OFF and she has been exporting. Ronald was born more years ago than he can remember. 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. No unfortunately. The fact is that Powercor does not set an upper limit on the size solar panel system you can install, up to 30kW. My AS4777.2:2015 profile allows voltages up to 265v (for short periods, and shuts down on 10 minute averages above 258v). 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, Powercor's new solar connections export approval rate of just over 60% at the start of the year has increased to above 90%. As a general rule, 5kW tends to be the upper system size limit for single-phase connections, but some networks allow up to 10kW. 0000038752 00000 n 0000039284 00000 n 1. No matter how badly you may want to export limit your solar system, it can only be done in locations where its permitted. 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. 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. sonnenBatterie Evo. If a home cant export any power at all then there is no financial reason to install a large solar system. 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. I am a total newbie to this but I am unclear why export limiting is good? The fact that export limiting is necessary is not a good thing. Since in WA you cant have more than a 5kW inverter on a private residence, I believe there isnt actually export limiting in play, and the inverter itself clips the output AC regardless how much the panels are generating, sadly. Real names are preferred - you should be happy to put your name to your comments.2. 0000038562 00000 n Powercor is the Distributed Network Service Provider for central and western Victoria, as well as Melbournes western suburbs. There is not likely to be an Enphase system without a gateway (called the Envoy with in the Enphase system), because this is needed to setup the system, configure its profiles and report production and other important functions of the system.