Export more solar in Queensland with a Redback Inverter
If you’re thinking about going solar, you’ve likely heard of feed-in tariffs – the financial incentive provided to homeowners for selling excess generated solar to the grid. While many are already reaping the benefits of these feed-in tariffs, it’s important to keep in mind that traditionally when you install solar, you’re limited to the amount of solar you can export to the grid.
In an age of rising electricity prices, many homeowners are looking for additional avenues to maximise their solar; and Queensland’s introduction of Dynamic Connections may be the answer. With a Dynamic Connection, you’re able to export twice as much solar, giving you the opportunity to save even more from feed-in tariffs.
We’re proud to announce that Redback Technologies is the first inverter manufacturer in the world to be certified as compliant with Queensland’s Dynamic Connections for energy exports. By installing a new Redback Smart Inverter, Smart Hybrid System or Smart 3-Phase Hybrid System, Queensland residents now have the opportunity to select a Dynamic Connection rather than a fixed export connection.
But what does that mean for you? Let’s take a deep dive into Dynamic Connections and learn how Dynamic Connections can help Queenslanders maximise the return on investment from their solar.
What is a Dynamic Connection?
Offered in Queensland by Energex and Ergon Energy, and now integrated into Redback inverter and hybrid systems, a Dynamic Connection is a new smarter connection option for solar systems with a compliant inverter. By responding to changes in network demand, a Dynamic Connection adjusts the amount of electricity that can be exported. This allows more of your excess energy to be exported compared to a traditional fixed export connection. The best part? Dynamic Connections are available to Queensland residents with or without a battery.
So how are these exports managed? An inverter with a Dynamic Connection will be sent a command from the energy network every five minutes which it will use to determine the export limit (the maximum amount of electricity that the inverter can export to the grid). This means that when the network can support more energy, your system will be able to export more electricity, up to 10kW per phase.
To break it down a bit further, Energy Queensland has created a video that may help:
Why have Dynamic Connections been introduced?
By offering Dynamic Connections in Queensland, Energex and Ergon Energy are ensuring that more solar can be used in the network. Government data shows that solar uptake has been highly successful in Queensland, with already using solar. This high density of solar is leaving some Queensland regions saturated and starting to exceed their export capacity during the day. That’s where flexible exports come in via Dynamic Connections, where networks can control how much solar is exported to the grid.
Not only will this result in a safer, more robust, and more reliable network, but it also allows homeowners with a Dynamic Connection to export more solar than usual (when the network is capable of accepting that export).
Export limits will be influenced by a range of factors, including:
- Time of day
- The part of the energy network to which a solar system is connected
- Energy use and generation by other customers on a local electricity network at any one time
What are the benefits of signing up for a Dynamic Connection?
A Dynamic Connection can potentially allow Queensland residents with solar to export more power to the grid (when the grid is capable of accepting it). By allowing exports of up to 10kW, as opposed to the fixed 5kW limit on traditional fixed export connections, Queenslanders can expect to significantly lower their power bills. How? As the increased solar allowance is being exported to the grid, homeowners can receive more credit towards their power bill thanks to their feed-in tariff. By potentially doubling the amount of electricity that can be exported, the savings on Queenslanders’ power bills increase dramatically when signing up for a Dynamic Connection.
Dynamic Connections also enable homeowners in a single-phase home to connect up to 10kW of solar, and up to 10kW of battery energy storage on a single phase without needing to upgrade the connection to three-phase. This in turn can further increase the return on investment on a solar and/or battery system, by generating more electricity to export to the grid and storing more energy to use when the solar is not producing.
If you currently have a large solar system installed on your home, with a Dynamic Connection you may also be able to add a battery system, where you may have previously been limited under a fixed connection.
I already have solar; can I sign up for a Dynamic Connection?
If you have a solar or battery system with a compliant inverter (such as a Redback inverter or hybrid system), soon you will be able to choose to switch to a Dynamic Connection. It’s worth noting that this will change your connection agreement, so compare your current connection agreement and your new connection agreement when considering this. For more information, speak to your solar installer.
I’m a Redback Installer – how do I commission an inverter with a Dynamic Connection?
Redback’s Smart Inverters and Smart Hybrid Systems allow you to sign up for a Dynamic Connection without the need for additional hardware from a third party. Everything you need to set up a Dynamic Connection with a Redback system is already built in, reducing the cost of the system, and simplifying the installation. Visit the Redback Installer Portal to download the EQL Inverter Dynamic Exports Commissioning Guide which has a step-by-step process for commissioning a Redback inverter.
You can also see more information here: STN3510 Dynamic Standard for Small IES Connections (into effect in December 2021 with the latest revision released on 6 February 2023).
As a home-grown Queensland Company, Redback Technologies is proud to be the first inverter manufacturer to allow Queensland residents the opportunity to sign up for a Dynamic Connection, potentially allowing them to save more money and see a faster return on investment on their solar system.
For further reading, visit the Energex Dynamic Connections for energy exports page.
