Australian Standards set limits for the safe operation of our electricity network and equipment customers connect to it. We also have embedded generation technical requirements outlining how solar systems with or without battery connect to our network.
To ensure your system meets our requirements, your installer needs to submit a Special Connection Request (SCR) through our DER Portal prior to installation.
Inverter tripping
If your inverter keeps switching off or reducing output, this means your system is responding to changes in voltage. This could be due to the amount of solar in your area, network conditions, weather conditions and how much energy your household is using.
This is not always a network issue, and you can check your inverter settings comply with Evoenergy’s mandatory settings by speaking to your solar installer or electrician.
If your inverter continues to trip, complete the Solar Connection Investigation Form and email it to CustomerResolutions@evoenergy.com.au. Power Quality investigations usually take 3-4 weeks to complete and will begin with verifying your inverter settings. This may be followed by installing polylogging equipment to monitor the voltage levels at your premises for 7 days. Other relevant locations like the distribution substation your premises is connected to, and/or the end of line (EOL) may also be monitored to help further understand the network conditions in your area.
Customer Resolutions will be in touch to discuss investigation outcomes and remediation planned to resolve the matter. However, some works may take longer to be completed depending on its complexity. We will update you as we progress.
Mandatory inverter settings
These are not the factory settings. The mandatory settings mean your inverter must:
- Have volt-watt power quality response mode enabled to linearly reduce its output from 100% to 20% as the voltage increases from 253V to 260V;
- Have volt-var power quality response mode enabled; and
- Disconnect itself from the network:
- within 1 second when the voltage exceeds 265V; and
- instantaneously when the voltage exceeds 275V.
If your system is identified as non-compliant
If your embedded generator is identified as non-compliant, we will let you know how to rectify it. This will include information to share with your solar installer or electrician.
For safety reasons and for the protection of our network, systems found to be non-compliant to Evoenergy requirements or Australian Standards may be disconnected from the network.
A system is considered non-compliant if:
- the system has no approval from Evoenergy to connect to the network; or
- the system has been altered/ augmented and the new system was not approved by Evoenergy; or
- the system on site is different to details provided at the time of approval; or
- the system hasn’t completed its periodic anti-islanding testing; or
- the system is not configured to Evoenergy’s technical requirements.
