Emergency Solar Management In WA: An Explainer

What is Western Australia's Emergency Solar Management initiative? Should solar power system owners and those considering installing panels be worried?
Despite the media hype and based on the experience in South Australia where a similar scheme has been in place since late 2020; in a word - no.
In this video I explain everything you need to know about Emergency Solar Management in WA, and how little impact it should have on solar owners.
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[@lemizle]

I'm surprised the API solution doesn't just throttle back the export. Send a command to say: "cut export by 30%" for example. Then they could tune it like a volume control and make it highly flexible.

[@vasil7410]

It's because they are lying about their real intentions and have probably decided that they need more people to pay for grid electricity. The WA government can't be trusted.

[@CollinBaillie]

There are Demand Response Modes defined in the standards. On of those modes is don't produce more than 50% of capacity, another is don't produce more than 75%. That a 25% and a 50% reduction in production, that a lot of new units comply with. However Finn didn't discuss whether Western Power will utilise those or just the "DO NOT PRODUCE" mode (DRM5).

[@CollinBaillie]

@Jo Blow My point was that there was no real discussion about what is in the plan. I ASSUME there is a document!?

[@stephenbrickwood1602]

Love your work, The truth is not always easy to find. Too many vested interests selling their own products.

[@jeffreykracke8992]

Love watching you mate just got our solar panels up good to know what to ask the installation guy question cheers heads up

[@MrGolam57]

this only relates to W.A. i can remember that i thought that i would do the right thing and switch my power bill to synergy's green power option .They where getting the green power for free from solar but charging fools like me an extra 3 cents a unit because they said it cost them more to get

[@GraemeLeRoux]

Thanks for explaining. I suspect we will see this sort of system in all other states in due course, so is there a way to build a solar/battery system which will comply with the shutdown order but still run the house, charge the EV, charge the storage battery, or whatever and *not* export to the grid until the shutdown order is lifted?

[@alexlukacz7781]

Every grid-tied inverter installed in Australia needs to conform to the Australian Standards. These standards point out the voltage and frequency ranges in which inverters must operate in. Therefore, the energy companies already have the means to throttle inverter outputs (by varying the voltage or by frequency shifting). Why add a new system which only affects new installations when you can already control the majority of inverters connected to the network?

[@toby9999]

I would install rooftop solar if process wasn't so damn difficult. How to people get past the road blocks?

[@shanepurcell9389]

Hi What if you buy off grid

[@scotty9946]

Maybe they want grid draw and the time of solar emergency?

[@stephenbrickwood1602]

Get more EVs plugged into the grid. Get more EVs plugged into the grid. EVs can park themselves and so you just need a power point or 240volt wall plug TARGET for the vehicle to push onto. The EV computer can talk to the grid. EVERY BUILDING IS CONNECTED TO THE GRID. Every EV owner can establish a 'docking' point at home and work and shopping centre can do the same. The big money will be in the grid. EVs can trade power and stability with the grid for money. Imagine a flat plate on the ground and half, 400mm bent up with a 'TARGET' plug in it at bumper height. Ezi pezi . WA could lead the world with my idea. Your welcome. The SELF PARKING EV is the key. The EV battery is huge 100kwh The Daily drive is 7kwh. The EV battery is always topped up daily. Forget the 'horse and cart' thinking. The EV battery is FULL every day, a massive resource in a resource rich sun shine state.

[@CollinBaillie]

Isn't that the purpose of the DRM conformance? Demand Response Mode: Australian grid code (AS/NZS 4777.2) requirements for connection, calls for compatibility with Demand Response Enabling Devices (DRED) DRM 0 Operate the disconnection device DRM 1 Do not consume power DRM 2 Do not consume at more than 50% of rated power DRM 3 Do not consume at more than 75% of rated power and source reactive power if capable DRM 4 Increase power consumption (subject to constraints from other active DRMs) DRM 5 Do not generate power DRM 6 Do not generate at more than 50% of rated power DRM 7 Do not generate at more than 75% of rated power and sink reactive power if capable. DRM 8 Increase power generation (subject to constraints from other active DRMs) Just, wind back generation? DRM6 or DRM7 could work. I guess they're relying on DRM5 only. Or is there more nuance to it? Do they use DRM5 by default, because most installs include DRM5, but newer installs may begin to include DRM6 and DRM7, and they can begin to utilise those? How about a real explanation of how it reads for those of us who do want to know, and are capable of understanding? Not everyone is a retail consumer pleb.

[@moony2703]

Apparently the United Kingdom are having their own (reverse) version of this right now with electric vehicle charging legislation. XD You might enjoy checking out ‘EV Charger Legislation & Gov Spying’ by Electronic Vehicle Man, who is also essentially explaining things so people stop hitting the ‘time for a mass panic button’ XD :) Perhaps it’s time for us to start implementing smart EV charging measures where people by default have their smart chargers tell their cars to charge during cheaper off peak hours, unless you tell it otherwise, as well. It would certainly help to have such regulations set up ahead of the mass adoption curve.

[@stephenbrickwood1602]

An old friend is talking to Australian political parties and he is a nuclear expert, a Nuclear Engineer. We disagree strongly unfortunately. It is extremely important that Australia environmental laws for vehicles is revised to higher world standards. 7 million EV cars sold last year, and more projected this year. Australia does not make cars. Australia imports all its petroleum. 100%. Australia is 8 million billion m2 of sunshine and big political parties are looking to nuclear!!!!!!! Australia sells uranium ore. The concentrated electrical power supply in an electric world means TRIPLE POWER PLANTS to supply the demand. TRIPLE the main transmission lines capacity. eg. New transmission lines to the Snowy 11, $ billions and over time. TRIPLE the poles and wires to the streets and homes and businesses and industries. Nobody is talking about all the extras. The existing grid can handle everything with rooftop solar on every building, a small roof top solar system. Every building is connected to the grid.

[@stephenbrickwood1602]

@Jo Blow you are correct. Battery technologies and so prices must improve. In South Australia the $91 million big battery paid for itself by managing grid stability instantly on many occasions. It took the first 18mths. I am saying that community batteries doing a similar job with more rooftop solar PV power will have lower power costs and for those who buy EV no petroleum costs aswell. EVs and batteries were even more expensive a few years ago and 7million were sold last year, 10million projected sales this year. For the world.

[@stephenbrickwood1602]

@Jo Blow I am not sure if you mean private, or public ownership is good ? Do you agree it had a positive benefit to the grid ? Or do you have another point that I have missed ? I thought that the big battery was a good thing for SA.

[@sydjaguar]

this is why EVs are essential to soak excess solar