How Much Solar Can You Install In The Endeavour Energy Network Area?

A few days ago I received an email from a reader saying it appeared NSW’s Endeavour Energy had altered the amount of solar they allow to be connected to the grid.  Because this was relevant to my interests, I immediately went to the Endeavour Energy site to see what size solar systems could be installed.  Unfortunately, I immediately became confused.

The Endeavour Energy Area

Endeavour Energy is a Distributed Network Service Provider or DNSP in New South Wales.  They’re in charge of distributing electricity from long-distance transmission lines, local rooftops and batteries to homes and businesses.  They cover western Sydney as well as a large area out to the Blue Mountains and down past Wollongong all the way to Durras North:

If you’re not in this area, this article probably isn’t of interest to you.  If you do live here but aren’t interested in my blather and just want to know how much solar you can install on your roof, skip down to the heading, “How Much Solar Endeavour Allows”.

Endeavour’s Unclear Internet Info

On the Endeavour Energy page with the all caps title, “INSTALLING A NEW SOLAR GENERATOR”  there are two sentences on how much solar properties can install.  They are…

“If you are connecting a new solar micro generation system or upgrading an existing system with a total inverter capacity no greater than 10kW single phase (230v) or 30kW three phase (400v)”

And…

“We allow connection of up to 14 kW total panels to a 10 kW inverter or up to 40 kW total panels to a 30 kW inverter.”

Here’s a screenshot of the section:

That’s the sort of thing I might expect to see at the start of an explanatory section that clearly outlines how this applies to households in terms the average Australian can understand, but there was nothing else on the page explaining what it means. 

I checked if there were links to further details but found nothing useful.  If you try to use their online service you have to apply for a connection, which is not what people who are only looking for information want to do.  

I can try to guess what Endeavour Energy allows thanks to my many years of experience at guessing, but it will only be a guess and the average person who just wants to know what size solar system they can install is likely to be completely lost.  I think any mildly optimistic person who read the limited information Endeavour provides could easily conclude there’s no problem installing a large 14 or 40 kilowatt rooftop solar power system and exporting all the excess solar energy it generates to the grid. 

I’m mildly optimistic myself, but I do have a small particle of experience rattling around inside my head and it told me the optimistic interpretation probably wasn’t correct.   

With a sinking heart, I realized the only way I would know for sure what they permit would be to call Endeavour Energy.  I’m not too proud to admit this realization caused me to break down and cry.  Fortunately, I’m tough and it only took two days to pull myself together and actually make the call. 

Preparing For The Worst

To prepare to call Endeavour Energy, the first thing I did was write down all the questions I wanted to ask.  This is vital because past experience with electricity retailers and DNSPs had taught me they can put you on hold for so long you can forget why you called them. 

I also decided I probably wasn’t going to get through this without taking drugs, so I went to the supermarket and bought a big bottle of Pepsi Max¹ so I’d have plenty of caffeine to keep me awake while waiting on hold. 

I then ate a big lunch to keep on hold hunger at bay, set my mobile phone to speaker mode, and dialled Endeavour. 

Endeavour Tries To Assassinate Me With Good Service

A computer immediately answered the phone and asked me to describe in a few words what I wanted.  In a panic I barked, “Home! Solar! Capacity!” and the computer said it could help me. 

I was concerned it would help me by sending people in white coats to come and take me away or perhaps use me as reactor shielding.  But, instead, after making the phone ring two times, a human being answered and I was able to — more or less calmly — tell her what I wanted.  This was despite being shocked by how rapidly she had answered. 

She told me I would be transferred to someone who could help and I thought this would be how they would get me.  I’d be on hold waiting for the relevant person for hours or, alternatively, end up being sent back to the first person I spoke to.  Instead, the phone rang twice again and was answered by someone who answered all my questions. 

I’m not saying the shock nearly killed me — as previously mentioned I’m so tough the need to call Endeavour Energy only made me break down and cry for two days — but I will say I was flabbergasted by the surprisingly good service. 

So 10 out of 10 to Endeavour for great phone service.  Negative several million for not putting clear information on the internet so people won’t have to call in the first place.   

How Much Solar Endeavour Allows

After speaking with the Endeavour Energy representative I learned they’ll allow the following with regard to rooftop solar capacity:

1. A maximum of 10 kilowatts of solar inverter capacity per phase.
2. A maximum of 5 kilowatts of solar export capacity per phase.
3. Single-phase properties can have a maximum of 14 kilowatts of solar panels while 3 phase properties can have a maximum of 40 kilowatts of panels.
4. AC coupled batteries with battery inverters, such as the Tesla Powerwall, don’t contribute to the inverter limit.

I’ve outlined exactly what this means for homes with single-phase power and three-phase power below:

I Have A Single Phase Property

If your property has single-phase power, as most homes do, then for a normal solar installation…

• You can install up to 10 kilowatts of solar inverter capacity. 
• Your solar panel capacity can be up to one-third larger than your inverter capacity.
• You can only export a maximum of 5 kilowatts of power.  If your inverter is larger than 5 kilowatts it will need to be export limited so it will never export more than that amount.
• If you get an AC coupled battery such as a Powerwall or SonnenBatterie, its battery inverter will not count towards your solar inverter capacity. 

If you want to receive the STCs (i.e. the “solar rebate“) that lower the cost of rooftop solar, then normally solar panel capacity can only be one-third larger than inverter capacity.  But there is a way around this:

• If you install a battery and solar at the same time then you can install solar panel capacity more than one-third greater than your inverter capacity, up to a maximum of 14 kilowatts of panels, provided the inverter manufacturer permits it.

I Have A 3 Phase Property

If your property has three-phase power, then for a normal installation…

• You can install up to 30 kilowatts of solar inverter capacity. 
• Your solar panel capacity can be up to one-third larger than your inverter capacity.
• You can only export a maximum of 5 kilowatts of power per phase for a total of 15 kilowatts.  Solar inverters capable of exporting more than 5 kilowatts per phase will need to be export limited so they will never exceed that amount. 
• If you get an AC coupled battery such as a Powerwall 2 or SonnenBatterie its battery inverter will not count towards your solar inverter capacity. 

To receive the STCs that lower the cost of going solar, panel capacity usually cannot be more than one-third greater than inverter capacity.  An exception to this is…

• If you install a battery at the same time as solar you can install solar panel capacity more than one-third greater than the inverter capacity up to a maximum of 40 kilowatts of panels — provided the inverter manufacturer allows it.

Export Limiting

Endeavour Energy will only allow a maximum of 5 kilowatts of exports per phase. Any solar inverter capable of exporting more than 5 kilowatts per phase must be limited so it won’t exceed this amount. 

You can read a succinct explanation of how export limiting works here while this article gives a wordier explanation of what it is.

Export limiting can cause some solar energy to go to waste, but in most situations, the losses will be insignificant.  This means it can be financially worthwhile for households to use export limiting to install a solar system that can produce more solar power than they can export.  I recommend considering it when getting solar. 

You May Be Screwed Over On How Much You Can Export

Endeavour says they allow a maximum of 5 kilowatts of exports per phase.  Unfortunately, they can require new solar to export less than this.  It’s even possible for properties to be zero export limited and not allowed to provide any power to the grid.  When they do this, it’s not personal.  It’s to do with how much solar exports your local area can handle.  DNSPs are working to increase the amount of rooftop solar exports that can be accepted, but in some places, I don’t think they’re moving fast enough.  It’s not as if we can afford to dawdle when it comes to slowing the rate of global roasting. 

You Can Ask For Something Different

If you want something different, say you want to install a big, 100 kilowatt commercial solar system, you can check with them for details on that.  They put it this way…

If you are installing residential rooftop solar and want something different to what I’ve outlined above.  Say, you want to be allowed to export more than 5 kilowatts per phase, you can always ask…

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But don’t be too surprised if they don’t allow it.

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Endeavour Energy — Please Steal My Words

I’ll definitely give Endeavour Energy credit for being so quick to answer the phone and put me in touch with someone who could tell me what I wanted to know.  But if they had put clear information on their website, I wouldn’t need to bother them in the first place. 

Endeavour Energy — if you are too busy to come up with your own clear explanation, please steal my words.  You can take everything below the heading, “How Much Solar Endeavour Allows”.  While I’d like some credit for what I’ve written, that’s not what’s important.  If it makes life a little easier for just one Australian trying to work out how much solar they can put on their roof, the theft will be worthwhile. 

Endeavour Energy, I’m begging you to take the words right out of my mouth.

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Original Source: https://www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/solar-install-endeavour-energy/