Inverter compliance

Ensuring inverter settings are compliant

More and more customers are seeking renewable energy options to power their homes. As a result, an increasing amount of rooftop solar PV and batteries are being connected to the grid. To maintain grid reliability in the coming years, it’s important to comply with inverter standards now. This includes correctly installing and configuring invertor systems.

Australian Standards for inverters (AS/NZS4777.2) have recently changed. The changes will help ensure grid stability as increasing numbers of solar and battery systems connect to the network.

From 18 December 2021, all solar and battery inverters in Victoria must be installed with AS/NZS4777.2:2020 Australia A settings.

How to select the correct settings for inverters

To correctly configure solar PV and/or battery inverter settings in Victoria, follow the steps below:

1. Make sure the inverter has the latest firmware installed.
2. Select your country/region. Some manufacturers may have this pre-selected.
3. Select the ‘AS/NZS 4777.2:2020 Australia A’ setting through the relevant section in the inverter app or display screen.
4. Turn on the device.
5. Once the system has been installed, use the inverter manufacturer’s app or portal to commission the system.

The diagram above shows an example of this process; however, this may differ depending on the inverter manufacturer.

Sometimes inverter manufacturers may need to remotely adjust inverter settings. This is to comply with technical and safety obligations. To allow this, the remote access on your inverter needs to be activated. It will ensure your connection is not interrupted and the grid continues to operate safely.

Ensuring export limits are followed

There has been a rapid uptake of rooftop solar in Australia. . This needs to be managed carefully by electricity networks, like AusNet. We oversee how much solar generated by customers is being fed into the grid (‘solar export’). This is done through configuring solar or battery inverters to only export up to a certain level (‘export limit’). The network determines the export limit based on each customers’ circumstances and network conditions in the area.

To get an early indication of the export limits at your property, use our solar and battery connection tool. This tool uses a ‘pre-approval’ process to give you (and your installer) an estimate. We strongly advise using this tool before buying or installing rooftop solar or batteries. It will help you understand what export limits apply to your property in advance.

If you have received an export limit, your system must be configured to comply with this limit. This will help avoid too much solar export entering the network and impacting electricity quality and supply.

Each system will have a different procedure for configuring export limits. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your inverter/smart meter.