An industry update from SA Power Networks – this should go out to customers
AUGUST 22, 2024
Be alert but not alarmed. Solar customers in South Australia should be aware that SAPN is conducting some experiments Today This may cause your solar energy to temporarily shut down or shut down.
If your solar inverter was installed as part of the so-called Smarter Homes program, it may be connected to a special circuit on your retail electricity meter or have an internet connection that allows SAPN to throttle solar production during grid outages.
During times of exceptional solar power generation combined with low overall demand (or possibly a grid outage), there is simply too much power on the grid. To keep everything under control, some of this solar energy must be turned off.
Test times
As an electrician, I receive emails from my local distribution network service provider entitled “Notice to Industry” and most of them are pretty banal.
This morning’s post was more interesting and I wonder why it isn’t being shared more widely.
Forget planning. The message was that TODAY they would be testing Smarter Homes’ solar power limiting feature and that solar inverters should not fail for more than an hour.
As we head into spring, as the clouds clear and fewer people use energy-hungry heaters, there’s a good chance a sunny Sunday will create the perfect conditions for 110% of the government’s needs to come from our rooftops.
When the entire network is essentially running in reverse gear, those in charge get a little nervous about directing it. 2% of the year they want to exercise a little more control.
There are two types of control
The Smarter Homes program, launched in 2020, is proof that bureaucracy can be easily cut if someone in authority is scared enough.
If we are honest, it was a stopgap measure, but a necessary backstop that was followed by Queensland a few years later.
The solar energy installed under this program is managed in two ways. On some systems, your inverter is connected to a special contact in the retail meter. This is hilarious when the dealer messes up the programming and acts like your inverter is a water heater. Solar will not work if turned on at 11pm.
When functioning properly, these systems have a standard export limit of 5kW. Once SAPN issues the “bat signal” to throttle power generation, your inverter will shut down and you will return to being a normal power consumer.
The refined version of this control system still has a fixed export limit of 5kW, but uses an internet connection to throttle your inverter. When SAPN sends out the signal, nothing is exported to the network, but it is still generated so you can use it at home.
As far as I know, these are the systems being tested today.
Flexible connections are better
Modern solar systems are designed to work in a similar way. Although not yet available in all areas, dynamic control means SAPN can ramp down your solar power when needed, but in most cases it will ramp up so it can deliver its full output. There is no standard export limit of 5 kW for these systems. However, if internet is not available, a fixed limit of 1.5 kW applies.
Don’t call your solar installer today
Hopefully your system has monitoring that has already alerted you to an unexpected drop in solar energy output.1 In the past, these events have left installers’ phones ringing hot with people complaining about perceived faults in solar power systems.
Honestly, I don’t know why SAPN seems to keep these things secret; That’s a question I’m going to ask them.
The only sure indication that power reduction is in progress is the installation of a Catch Control (formerly Catch Power Relay) as a consumption meter. Catch’s Monacle monitoring platform provides real-time animation to show when solar power is being curtailed.
Turn it off and on again
If your solar system doesn’t seem to be working tomorrow, it may need some attention. There should be a detailed label next to your inverter explaining the shutdown procedure.
AC disconnection occurs either via a dedicated switch next to the inverter or via a circuit breaker in the nearby electrical panel. DC disconnection occurs either via a special switch or breaker next to the inverter or via a button on the side or bottom of the inverter. (If you have microinverters like Enphase, you don’t have to worry about DC.)
Basically, turn off the AC power first and then the DC power. Wait half a minute, turn it back on and everything should be apples. If not, call your installer or contact Solar Quotes and we will find one for you.
Footnotes
- If you don’t have solar monitoring set up, there are a number of very good reasons to get it sorted ↩
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