new state government emergency backstop that was introduced in October last year

[Solar-John]

On Friday 31st January at 12.30PM my Solar Panel Inverter System was shut down (I believe due to the Victorian Government Emergency Backstop program) resulting in zero power being generated by my Solar Panels.

Not only did this stop any of my Solar Panel power being sent to the grid (a credit of 3.3 cents per kwh) it also stopped any power from my Solar Panel Inverter system from supplying power to my home (costing me 21 cents per kwh off peak and 35 cents per kwh during peak times).  Having outlayed $12000.00 out of pocket to reduce my electricity bills, the Victorian Government Emergency Backstop program (due to poor faulty programming) turned my home into a Solar free (home without any Solar Panels) home.

Solar Run Bendigo the company that installed my Solar Panel Inverter System were unable to provide any immediate assistance nor provide any advise on how to (or even that I should) reset my Sungrow 10kw Inverter.

Solar Run Bendigo did supply a clue that it may be due to the Victorian Government Emergency Backstop program but no other advise or assistance in restoring Solar Panel Inverter System power being supplied to my home. 

Once I searched the internet and found step by step instructions on how to reset the Sungrow 10kw Inverter and performed these steps, Solar Panel Inverter power was restored and restarted suppling power to my home.

Unfortunately the Victorian Government Emergency Backstop program is still preventing any solar Panel Inverter Power from being sent to the grid.

The money that was previously credited from selling power to the Electricity Grid covered my AGL daily service fee.

When will my Solar Panel Inverter be reset by the Victorian Government Emergency Backstop program and permit me to send 4kwh to the Electricity Grid? 

As I am a qualified TAFE Teacher and Radio and Electronics Technician I was able to research possible solutions and restore my Solar Panel Inverter System to almost full operation (apart from sending power to the grid which needs to be fixed by AGL or responsible party.

[Lester]

@Solar-John I am pretty sure the folk responsible is the power company / supplier, in your case Powercor ?

As far as I am aware, here in SA we have had one such 'solar curtailment', as SAPN (the state's supplier), calls it.

It was a test only, about 30 - 45 mins.

I only noticed it end of day when this blank spot in production showed up.

Called my solar company, and they explained SAPN had emailed them (and assume other solar companies) prior that the test was happening, pity they don't let consumers know.

I found SAPN has been contactable relatively easily, probably easier than AGL for other matters in the past, and they helped me on issues related to our solar install when we were teething it in the first year.

This post prompts me to call them sometime this week and ask if there is a way I can see solar backstop / curtailment real time, or planned, or even past events.

There should be a way to do this for consumers.

Those with suitable solar and battery that covers black/brownouts are covered.

I feel this sort risk of curtailing peoples solar, along with FITs going to zero in the near future is a way to get people to get a battery, yet again forcing more onto households.

But at least then, power bills could be a thing of the past for many homes, until rules change yet more.

Best of luck getting your solar feed happening again.

[Solar-John]

Thank you for your response.
In Bendigo, Victoria, the software programming used for emergency backstop
remote control of consumers' ability to sell Solar Power generated by their
home roof Solar Panels is a total failure.
In addition the Victorian Government emergency backstop program also stops
the Solar Panels Inverter System from supplying power to the home and has
not been reset to enable Solar Panel Power to be supplied to the home (the
original and main purpose of having Solar Panels installed).
Regardless of if this was a test or otherwise the Victorian
Government emergency backstop program should not have the ability to
completely disconnect your Solar Panel Inverter System from supplying Solar
Panel power to your home.
Any person that does not do regular checks using the monitor program
installed on your phone will be in for a rude shock when they receive their
next power bill. Only by using the installed Sungrow Inverter phone monitor
are you able to establish that no power is generated from your Solar Panel
Sungrow Inverter to your home. The Solar Panel Sungrow Inverter System
(actual physical unit) does not display a fault condition when the
Victorian Government emergency backstop program is activated. The Solar
Panel Sungrow Inverter System (actual physical unit) front panel display
shows "Normal Operation" following the emergency backstop activation.
Solar Run Bendigo has stated that the Victorian Government emergency
backstop program has affected hundreds of homes regardless of which
company installed the Solar Panel Inverter System (only applies to
installations after October 2024).

[Lester]

"In addition the Victorian Government emergency backstop program also stops the Solar Panels Inverter System from supplying power to the home and has not been reset to enable Solar Panel Power to be supplied to the home (the
original and main purpose of having Solar Panels installed).
Regardless of if this was a test or otherwise the Victorian Government emergency backstop program should not have the ability to completely disconnect your Solar Panel Inverter System from supplying Solar Panel power to your home."

Stand alone solar was never meant to work / power a home during a blackout or grid / site shutdown.

It is mandatory for solar to stop production to the grid and home should the power be turned off or shuts down for whatever reason.

Take a google of solar anti islanding, and the reasons for it.

You can get islanding stand alone solar systems, but they cost a lot more, and really are not ideal for trying to run a home, mainly due to production fluctuations and possible underpowering at times.

If you want blackout / brownout protection, which naturally covers backstop / solar curtailment, you need a compatible hybrid inverter and battery, with blackout interface / gateway.

I agree, most modern solar systems have great apps, that can be used to get all the necessary data to let owner know of any issues, and it's up to the solar owner to keep up to date as often as they feel necessary to ensure it's all working as it should.

I'd say at least once a week is prudent, if not a quite check daily, I do this just as a matter of interest.

[Solar-John]

Hello Lester,

Thank you for the update, your information is very informative.

In my case, the technical expert from Solar Run Bendigo (the company that installed my system) has indicated that as my home has a two phase electricity power supply, the problem may be because a single phase smart meter is installed.

A photo of the smart meter and electricity Supply switch box was supplied to Solar Run Bendigo prior to signing up for the new Solar Panels. The Solar Run Bendigo salesman informed me that my home had a two phase electricity supply during his first and only visit to the property.

Regardless of this fact, the technical expert from Solar Run Bendigo (as of yesterday 4th February 2025) has informed Solar Run Bendigo management of the action required to fix my Solar Panel Sungrow Inverter problem.

In the meantime, due to none of my Solar Panel Generated Power being sold to the Electricity Supply Grid, a cost of approximately $4.00 per day is being charged to my AGL Electricity Account (28 x 4 = $112.00). 

The reason I paid $12,000.00 out of pocket to have a new Solar panel Sungrow inverter system installed was to reduce my Electricity to less than $30.00 per month.

[Lester]

Oh heck yes, setup could be an issue for sure.

I feel many solar installs, and collaboration between solar co, supplier, and retailer, can be sadly lacking.

We have 3 phase, with 2 x 5kw inverters on 2 phases.

Solar co's and electricity suppliers can really muck up metering / settings.

For 10 months, ours was wired up single phase, then after correcting that, found the system software was also set for single phase.

Not sure what it cost us for that time, but in winter our production was pretty carp, not to  be unexpected . . . we also had 2 massive shading trees over winter that clouded the issue (no pun intended).

We also had another issue where 6 month 'compatibility test' for flexible exports also failed, and we were put onto fixed exports of 1.5kwh . . . flexible exports allow for up to 10kwh export (per phase) here.

But after Aug '24 when trees came down and we discovered the problems, and was all fixed, Sept production went up 140%, from 473kwh to 1,140kwh !

Sure, the jump Aug to Sept is fairly dramatic with slowly exiting winter sun angle etc, but I feel that was quite a bit more than that would normally be.

I think normal people that get solar and think it's 'set and forget', don't watch and think through some of the outputs from their system, they can really get the short end of the stick from solar.

Hopefully yours will be sorted out quickly.