Emergency backstop for minimum system load events
As more Victorians install rooftop solar, we are changing the way we operate our network. From 1 October 2024, new and upgrading solar customers are required to install a system that allows solar exports to be remotely reduced or for generation to be stopped if there’s an excess of energy in the network.
Our customers’ desire for a cleaner energy future has resulted in one of the largest uptakes of rooftop solar in Australia.
During the day, all that solar provides abundant, low-cost energy for all consumers. But on occasions when demand for energy is low, this abundance can create imbalances in the electricity network.
To manage the risk of these events, the Victorian Government is requiring United Energy to develop new ways to manage exports and generation from rooftop solar systems.
This capability, known as an emergency backstop, is being introduced in two stages. Stage 1 was activated in October 2023 for systems larger than 200kVA. Stage 2 will apply on our networks from 1 October 2024 and cover systems up to 200kVA.
This will help us to provide a secure, reliable supply of energy to all customers and allow more renewable energy to connect to the network.
What this means
From 1 October 2024, new and upgrading solar customers will be required to install a system that allows solar exports to be remotely reduced or stopped (known as curtailment) if there is an excess of energy in the network.
The changes only apply to customers installing, upgrading or replacing solar systems (with capacity of 200kVA or less) from 1 October. Existing solar customers will not be affected unless they upgrade their current system.
We will activate technology (known as an emergency backstop) to allow exports from solar systems to be remotely reduced or stopped if there is excess energy in the network. This will require new solar customers to install an internet-connected solar inverter and provide a stable internet connection.
The capability to reduce solar exports will only be used under direction from the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) when there are imbalances in the network. In these rare events, we will initially reduce solar exports so customers can continue to self-consume the electricity they generate. If the grid is still not secure, we may turn off solar generation, but only ever as a last resort.
For more information on how we may respond see our minimum system load event web page.
What you need to know
Meeting the new government requirements will require some changes to the processes that customers, solar installers and equipment manufacturers follow. More specific information about what you can expect, see the below frequently asked questions.
General FAQs
- Why are you changing the way solar exports are managed?
- When do excess energy events occur? Why do they happen?
- Who decides when to slow or stop solar exports?
- What are the benefits of the new system?
Solar customer FAQs
- Will I be affected by the change?
- How much will this change cost me in lost feed-in tariff?
Solar installer FAQs
- Will the new requirements change the solar installation process?
- Does this impact the hardware that solar installers can use?
- Does this change apply to every installation from 1 July 2024?
- How can we learn more about the changing requirements?
Approved devices for solar installers
We're working with solar inverter and software communication device manufacturers to test and validate their capabilities with our systems. We've create a list of the software communication client manufacturers that we have tested and verified that are able to successfully communicate with our utility server.