AusNet solar export limits and pre-approval in Traralgon
How AusNet export limits work for solar and batteries in Traralgon: per phase limits, SWER, three phase, pre-approval, emergency backstop and the steps after.
AusNet Services runs the electricity distribution network in Traralgon and across the Latrobe Valley, so every new or enlarged solar or battery system here needs AusNet pre-approval before it is installed. For systems up to 30 kW, a single phase home can usually connect up to 10 kW of combined inverter capacity with up to 5 kW of export, and a three phase home up to 30 kW with up to 15 kW of export. The figure you are actually given depends on spare capacity at your local substation when the application goes in.
This is why your installer talks about pre-approval, export limits and backstop. Applications are lodged by the installer, retailer or electrical contractor on your behalf; the independent providers who take enquiries through this site make those applications for their own jobs, as noted on the about page.
Who is the electricity distributor in Traralgon?
AusNet’s distribution network serves about 838,000 electricity customers across eastern and north eastern Victoria and parts of Melbourne’s north and east, according to AusNet’s own summary of its business. If you are unsure which network your home is on, the distributor is named on your power bill. Your retailer sends the bills, but AusNet owns the poles, wires and substations, and AusNet decides how much a rooftop system may send back into them.
What are AusNet’s limits for systems up to 30 kW?
The rules below come from AusNet’s solar connections up to 30 kW page.
| Supply type | Maximum combined inverter capacity | Export allowance |
|---|---|---|
| Single phase | Up to 10 kW per phase | Up to 5 kW |
| SWER (single wire earth return) line | Up to 10 kW per phase | Capped at 3.5 kW |
| Three phase | Up to 30 kW across all three phases | Up to 15 kW across the three phases |
Systems must also comply with AusNet’s export limiting standard, SOP 33-06.
Why is the limit based on inverters, not panels?
AusNet sizes a connection on the combined rating of the solar inverter and any battery inverter, not on how many panels are on the roof. A home can have more panel capacity than inverter capacity, and the inverter caps what reaches the switchboard. What AusNet counts is the inverter nameplate.
How do batteries count toward the limit?
A battery’s inverter is part of the combined capacity. If a single phase home already has a 5 kW solar inverter and adds an AC coupled battery with its own 5 kW inverter, the total is 10 kW, which is the per phase ceiling. Adding a larger battery inverter on top would take the application past the pre-approved range. That is one reason the battery size and inverter choice need to be settled with the network limit in mind; the home battery installation page covers sizing from your usage.
Why can my export limit be lower than my neighbour’s?
AusNet’s automatic pre-approval reflects the export capacity available at your substation on the day you apply. Each substation has a fixed capacity. As more homes on the same substation connect solar, less remains for the next applicant, so the offer can change over time. Two houses a few streets apart may sit on different substations and get different offers, and a house that applies next year may be offered less than one that applied this year.
The 5 kW single phase export figure is the top of the automatic band, not a promise. A salesperson who guarantees a particular export figure before the application is lodged is guessing.
When does an application need a paid manual assessment?
AusNet applies a fee and assesses the request manually if:
- the request exceeds the pre-approved offer;
- the system is greater than 10 kW per phase; or
- it uses a generation type other than solar and has no battery.
Expect a manual assessment to add time before an install date can be set, and ask the installer whether the fee is included in the quote.
What is emergency backstop and why does my inverter need internet?
Systems under 30 kW must be enabled for solar emergency backstop, a function that lets the network act on a rooftop system’s exports remotely. To meet the requirement, the system needs:
- a software communications client that complies with the CSIP-Aus standard;
- an inverter that works with AusNet’s utility server and appears on AusNet’s approved inverter list;
- an internet connection at the site so the inverter can receive instructions.
What if the property has no internet?
You can apply for an emergency backstop exemption. The trade off is a fixed export limit of 1 kW. That matters on rural blocks around Tyers, Glengarry or Yinnar where a household may not keep a fixed internet service, so raise it with the installer before the application goes in.
What are volt-var and volt-watt?
Inverters must support both the volt-var and volt-watt power quality response modes. Both are inverter settings that respond to the voltage on your local network, and they are set when the system is commissioned. Inverter connection settings are also covered by AS/NZS 4777, the standard for grid connected inverters.
What are the steps from application to export?
- Application and pre-approval. The installer applies through AusNet’s EnergyConnect portal and receives an automatic pre-approved generation and export limit, or chooses a paid manual assessment.
- Installation. Work starts only once pre-approval is in place.
- Post-application. After installation, the post-application step is completed with AusNet.
- Meter reconfiguration and readiness. The meter is set up to record exports.
Ask the installer who handles steps 3 and 4, and get confirmation once both are done, since a meter that has not been reconfigured may not record exports correctly. The solar quote checklist includes these as ticks after the install.
If you are adding panels or a battery to an older system, a fresh application is part of the job, and the existing system’s inverter may not meet today’s approved list. The solar system upgrades page and the inverter replacement page explain how that plays out.
How does the AusNet process affect your timeline?
Build the network step into your plans. An automatic pre-approval is generated when the application is lodged, but a paid manual assessment takes longer, and nothing can be installed until approval is in hand. For a Solar Homes rebate job, distributor pre-approval also has to be in place before Solar Victoria issues your QR code, and the installation window only starts once that code arrives.
A practical order is to settle the system design, have the installer lodge the AusNet application, confirm the approved figures match the quote, and only then book the install date. If the approval comes back lower than expected, ask for a revised quote rather than proceeding on the original design.
What should you ask an installer about export limits?
| Question | Why ask it |
|---|---|
| Is the home single phase, three phase, or on a SWER line? | It sets which band applies |
| What combined inverter capacity are you applying for? | It includes any battery inverter |
| What export figure did AusNet pre-approve? | The quote should match it |
| Does the inverter appear on AusNet’s approved list? | Required for backstop |
| Will the site have internet for backstop? | Without it the export is fixed at 1 kW |
| Who completes the post-application and meter steps? | So exports are credited |
On rural properties outside town, ask early. The Glengarry area page covers local conditions north of Traralgon. When you are ready to have an installer apply for you, ask for a quote that includes the AusNet application.
Next step: send an enquiry with your supply details
To get a quote that is sized correctly for AusNet’s limits, send an export limit enquiry for your property and include:
- a photo of your meter box and switchboard, which helps the installer confirm the phase supply;
- the size of any existing panels and the inverter brand and rating;
- whether a battery is planned, and its size if known;
- whether the house has a fixed internet connection;
- your suburb and whether it is a town block or a rural property.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I install more panels than my AusNet inverter limit?
The network limit applies to the inverter rating, not the panel total, so some designs put slightly more panel capacity on the roof than the inverter can pass through. How far that can go depends on the inverter maker's rules and the accreditation guidelines your installer follows.
- Does a zero export limit mean solar is not worth it?
Not necessarily. Panels still cut your bill by supplying the house directly during the day, and a battery can store surplus that would otherwise be curtailed. The value depends on how much of the output your household can use itself.
- Do I need a new AusNet approval to add a battery?
In most cases, yes. A battery inverter adds to the combined inverter capacity that AusNet assesses, so the installer applies for the new total before the battery is connected.
- How do I find out if my property is on a SWER line?
Ask the installer to check when they assess your site. They can look at the supply arrangement and confirm it through the network application, which applies the lower SWER export figure where it fits.
- Will my export limit change after my system is approved?
The figure in your approval is what your system is set to when commissioned. Spare capacity at the substation can change for later applicants, and any later addition to your own system goes through a new application with whatever limit is available then.