You can install more solar on your home or business, BUT…

OK, that’s a cheesy image for this article – I do apologise.

In this blog I’m going to introduce a new way that Ergon will be allowing solar systems to connect to their network.

In the near future Ergon will be offering “Dynamic Connections” which will allow customers to export more electricity to the network when the local network has capacity.

HOW IT WORKS

New inverters will be able to connect to an Ergon server via the internet.  The grid is continuously monitored and signals are sent to the inverter at regular intervals, telling it how much power it can export to the grid.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOUR NEW SOLAR SYSTEM

At the moment a single phase connection, which most houses and many small businesses are, can have up to 10kW of inverter capacity installed, but they must be programmed so they can only export a maximum of 5kW to the grid.

Under the New Dynamic Connection arrangements, you will be able to export up to 10kW.

BUT

The 10kW export will not be able to happen all the time.  The key words here are ”when the local network has capacity”.

Importantly, while Ergon may allow a maximum of 10kW export, they will also be able to REDUCE export to 1.5kW.  So, sometimes you will be able to export more than you can with a normal connection contract, but sometimes you will export less.

Given that the nature of Dynamic Connections is based on differences everywhere on the grid and it is constantly changing, there is no way of knowing whether you will be better off or not.

KEEPING IT HONEST

Pretty soon, there is going to be a lot of solar companies advertising that they can install bigger solar systems for you that will export more to the grid.  They are very likely to forget to tell you that it won’t be all the time and that sometimes you will be allowed to export very little.

Remember – a salesperson will sell you a solar system that is right for them, not you.  When you are looking at buying a solar system speak to a Clean Energy Council accredited designer or installer and ask to see their accreditation.