FAQs

No, emergency curtailment control types are contained within the requirements which is a more effective way of managing systems going forward instead of using the DRED extension.

Both compliant technology and site testing is required in order to meet dynamic export requirements. This two-factor appraoch covers both capability assurance and verification. 

The capability site test has been designed to be as concise as possible in order to minimise the time taken for installers to complete. 

If the VPP operator hasn't gone through the applications process, all of that information is contained within the connection agreement, which is between the customer and SA Power Networks. This information would need to be obtained from the customer participating in the VPP.

There are a number of options to communicate site export limits, the most preferred method is direct to the VPP operator. Further modelling and explanation can be provided as required.

Technology capabilities allow for testing to be conducted off-site, however, on-site testing is preferred as additional telemetry feedback and data is received via the installed equipment.

Communications failure is detailed in CSIP-Aus and can be defined as an occurrence where the device no longer has active controls to operate under and falls back to a default control. 

This means that the device will control will continue to operate but at a static limit of 1.5kW. 

Monitoring is not mandatory for the capability requirement although it is mandatory if a customer signs up for a Flexible Exports connection. 5 minute telemetry is specified in the documentation and further information about the new batching option can be found in most recent version of the handbook. This batching option is designed to minimise the frequency of communications between aggregators and SA Power Networks.

If the internet is switched off, the device will revert to the static 1.5kW failsafe. This means that the variable export connection agreement cannot be taken advantage of at this time until internet is restored.

The chain of responsibility differs depending on the issue at hand (e.g. communications failure, house fire) but generally, it is the owner of the system who has chief responsibility. In the event that a system is not performing as expected, the customer would normally alert the installer to investigate and resolve.

Requirements apply to new installations only; legacy inverters are not captured under the requirements. An exception to this is if an inverter needs to be replaced outside of warranty, it is then deemed a 'new install' and therefore must meet the requirements. Systems installed since September 2020 will have appointed a Relevant Agent empowered to disconnect the site as directed by the market operator in an emergency scenario.

The installer will have visibility through the SA Power Networks' SmartInstall platform (available from here) once a capability test has been initiated. From a back-end perspective, export limiting commands are sent to site and in turn, telemetry data is sent back which is used to validate that all of the use cases are being met (e.g. comms failsafe and export limiting). If it is not possible to validate this telemetry correctly or data fields are missing, the installer will be notified whilst they are on-site.

SA Power Networks will be following up site compliance with individual solar retailers and installers through our existing compliance process found here.

SA Power Networks will be following up site compliance through our existing compliance process found here. The solar retailer will be responsible for ensuring that the sites they have installed are compliant with the requirements and onsite testing.

As Flexible/Dynamic exports apply at the site level, all equipment on site would need to be able to adhere to the limit as described in the requirements. This means that legacy equipment unable to be managed to an export limit will not be compatible when the site is upgraded.