Implementation of Victoria’s emergency backstop for solar systems has been a dog’s breakfast according to some irate installers.
In October, Victoria’s Emergency Backstop Mechanism (VEBM) requirement for new/replacement residential rooftop solar came into effect. It’s to be used as a tool of last resort to address minimum system load (demand) events coinciding with high solar exports that may threaten electricity network stability. You can read more about hows and whys of the VEBM here.
The state wasn’t the pioneer of this sort of thing. Victoria had the advantage of just looking across the border to South Australia for how to get it reasonably right from the get-go. But it seems the powers-that-be didn’t according to frustrated installers – with their fingers pointed at the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) and the state’s Distributed Networks Service Providers (DNSPs).
A Testing Situation
The root issue is backstop testing of new or replacement installations; also a requirement. This can take a DNSP considerable time to execute – up to 7 days, but there have been reports of up to 60 days. The installer can’t leave at the end of the day of installation and feel confident the job is done, even though they’ve ticked all the boxes and jumped through all the hoops. Installers/retailers cannot close a job off until the testing is complete, which means continuously logging in to the relevant DNSP portal to check.
SQ’s veteran installer Anthony summarises how this testing works in South Australia:
“In SA, you have the installer turn the system on, initiate the connections between inverter, WiFi, monitoring portal and SAPN server… (a bit of a production). The installer then pings the system using the SAPN portal to activate it and verifies in real time that it’s working.
It still needs enough sunshine to activate the inverter, but you know what you’re up against, and it’s pretty reliable. The bonus is that if the installer doesn’t get the system running properly, they can’t get network permission for more systems until the problems are fixed with the ones already on the books. This stops people from just selling shit and abandoning it.”
In Victoria, where connections are sometimes failing backstop testing for no apparent reason, the DNSP portals are reportedly slow and unreliable; with no transparency for the retailer or the installer as to why the failure occurred. Victorian installers may need to revisit sites on multiple occasions, and no-one else is paying for this valuable time – it’s basically impossible for them to incorporate backstop requirements into their quotes and invoices.
Additionally, while there’s just one DSNP in South Australia (SA Power Networks), there are five DNSPs in Victoria – CitiPower, Powercor, Jemena, AusNet and United Energy. Currently the DNSPs are not aligned in the way they treat the backstop, with differing processes across them.
The situation is such there are fears the unnecessarily complicated system see many solar operators simply selecting zero export as an option – and there are apparently multiple reports of this already occurring. Victoria’s solar feed-in tariffs are less than stellar, but they are better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick and play a role in accelerating system payback.
These issues are just scratching the surface of the shemozzle Victoria’s Emergency Backstop testing reportedly is.
Some VIC Installers Are As Mad As Hell
.. and it looks like they aren’t going to take it any more – they are getting organised. Matt Wilson from Central Spark Victoria posted the following a couple of days ago:
“Its time to get this sorted. Industry has had enough of being kicked around and absorbing the failings of the Victorian Backstop mechanism. Its time to get vocal; Get on your socials, call your local member, get on the radio, just make sure you are loud about it. The buck shouldn’t stop with us!”
Emergency backstop initiatives have been contentious enough due to the amount of misinformation out there. The situation some Victorian installers state they are facing just serves to make matters worse.
About Michael Bloch
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Thanks for raising this issue.
Can’t Agree more on this issue. As a customer, I am facing the problem from AUSNET. My solar system was commissioned in late October 2024, approved for 5KW exports, and passed all the testing. However, AUSNET has limited my power exports to 1KW. I have logged a formal complaint with AUSNET on 21st November 2024 but THERE IS NO SOLUTION SO FAR.
Unbelievable levels of unprofessionalism from AUSNET. How can a backstop mechanism be put into production environment without proper evaluation and testing? As a consumer and victim, what is our choice? Looking for guidance!
My solar system was commissioned in late October 2024, approved for 5KW exports, and passed all the testing. We advised that our system was limited to 0.5kw,
Our inverter is on the Jemena approved list, and we were initially told it would be 10 working days. But we’re then advised by Christmas? Customer service from Jemena could really be improved.
Nothing has happed in regards to our new system generation feed-in tariffs for us, even though Jemena said it would be resolved by Xmas 2024.
But today I have been advised that the technical issues with the Jemena system and SUNGROW inverters, and that it will probably be resolved today! I’m not holding my breath.
I wonder how they, if at all, intend to keep the backstop working long term.
I’m with ausnet, through the new portal, there’s no option for the customer to check if the backstop is actually connected and working.
Ausnet also do not have the option for a licensed electrician to test for backstop connection (but allow licensed electrician to install and sign off solar installations)
It would be good if the end customer had a way to test the connection, and was prompted to do so one a year or so, just like the previous prompt to test anti island ing annually.
It looks like the Ausnet portal at least runs on an API behind the scenes. It should be possible to build an app that talks to the portal, and means you don’t need to go near their website. The app could check statuses regularly etc, and report back with alerts. Not sure if it could create the online application, the page doesn’t document if it has that functionality.
Would that solve some of the issues? A single app that does all the portals might be a time saver…
Thanks Nicholas,
You make a great argument for nationalising the b@stards 😉
We are in SA, and although I’ve only just learned of the term ‘backstop’ in this article, I had trouble with my solar and SAPN during this first year of our solar installation.
It was installed in Nov 2023, and in late May production seemed to drop a lot, but of course this had been trending down anyway.
I put it down to 2 large non native tree increased shading we knew would be present, and the general Winter sun angle / shorter days.
In late Aug 2024, we had to 2 trees removed, and instantly could see capping at just under 2kw.
This turned out to be the the normal daytime usage of about 400w and capping at 1.5kw.
Of course we learned soon after inquiring with SAPN that end of May, they had moved us from flexible exports 10kw/phase to fixed exports 1.5kw.
We hadn’t passed a 6 month deadline on what they called a ‘compatibility test’ which I now recognise as this backstop testing.
Got sorted very quickly, and hopefully not going to happen again !!
What’s the chance of future backstop test failure ?
We were led to believe once passed, all ok form there on, but could it happen again ?
So who is responsible for this ?
I believe the solar company primarily, they should be working through all aspects of the install until right.
Needles to say, since the fix early Sept our production went up 2.6x over Oct, and with the season changes continues to climb a lot more than last year period . . . that’s another story, the solar people and Solar Edge had our system software set for single phase, rather than the 2 phase it is, so this complicated production too, we had a few competency failures since Nov 2023 like this.
Having solar put on can certainly be a learning curve !
Thankful sites like Solar Quotes with the blogs are a great source of knowledge.
I had a system installed on 25th Sept 24 and only today, 6/01/25, I found out that my system connection was on hold until Ausnet approved the inverter’s emergency backstop protocols- it is currently shown by Ausnet (as of 13/12/24) as being in a testing phase. No one can tell me when it will be approved. I note the inverter wasn’t even on Ausnet’s Sept 24 compliance list.
(Question: how can a non-approved inverter be installed?)
At the time of installation I was not advised that Ausnet had not approved the inverter and if I had I would have selected one that had been approved.
In speaking with my installer there are many people having the same problem. The installer and the OEM blame Ausnet, they say Ausnet has dropped the ball. Ok, by all means blame Ausnet, but surely they too have a responsibility to inform customers of non-compliance at the time of installation.