Electricity networks run the risk of high grid voltage, which could harm network infrastructure and even household appliances, if export limiting is not implemented. Although grid expansions are being implemented to cater to the additional demands of solar energy, they are not yet widespread, therefore export restriction is necessary.
So you might be curious as landlord solar what does export limiting entail? Well, it does exactly what it says. Your inverter will control the amount of energy being produced by your system so that it never exports more energy than is permitted by the grid. It’s crucial to keep in mind that the cap is determined by how much you export, not how much you produce. Your home’s needs will never have an impact on your solar production.
Let’s imagine, for instance, that your home consumes 3 kW of power and that your local network operator has set a 1 kW export limit. This does not imply that your inverter will reduce the output of your solar panels to 1 kW. No, it implies that your inverter will regulate its output of electricity to make sure that it doesn’t go over 4 kW. (1 kW above your home usage). There is no more than 1 kW being exported to the grid while your home’s power requirements are still being met.
Realistically, this won’t have much of an impact on how much money your solar system is actually saving you. Since solar energy first entered Australia, feed-in rates have decreased and are now typically only a few cents per kWh.
Since export limitation has no impact on the solar energy that is used by the property, this portion of your solar savings genuinely originates from this source. Additionally, export restrictions have no impact on the amount of solar energy that can be used to charge batteries.
Let’s imagine, for instance, that your home consumes 3 kW of power and that your local network operator has set a 1 kW export limit. This does not imply that your inverter will reduce the output of your solar panels to 1 kW. No, it implies that your inverter will regulate its output of electricity to make sure that it doesn’t go over 4 kW. (1 kW above your home usage). There is no more than 1 kW being exported to the grid while your home’s power requirements are still being met.
Here is what you may anticipate seeing when you monitor your system. Instead of the smooth bell curve that you might anticipate on a sunny day, you would see the solar production rising and falling in tandem with your home’s energy usage.
What happens to the excess energy if it’s not being exported or consumed?
Your solar panels might not be producing as much kW power as they normally would when your inverter is restricting your solar output. The solar panels warm up a little bit as heat is created instead of the potential energy from the sun that could have been converted to electricity.
Here is an illustration of a solar parking lot with one inverter turned off, which results in zero power output. Sunlight is converted to heat instead of power because the solar panels are unable to convert it.
Another point is this solar panel, which has a bypass diode that has been engaged (or short-circuited), shutting down a third of the panel. That third of the solar panel’s solar cells are unable to convert sunlight into energy; instead, they turn it into heat.
The solar panels only get a little bit hotter when a solar converter restricts electricity for export limitation. The panels are not harmed by this. On a hot summer day, panels can achieve temperatures of over 70°C and are tested to resist that and more.
If you have more questions on solar power and solar panels, reach out to https://beatenergy.com.au/
