Flexible exports

Victorians love rooftop solar. So many homes and businesses have panels that we have an abundance of energy during the day. All that solar is helping reduce power bills and emissions, but it can also put stress on the network.

Until now, that has meant some solar and battery customers receive low, fixed export limits. This helps to ensure supply quality but restricts the amount of energy that can be exported. Now, we are offering a better option for eligible customers - flexible exports.

How flexible exports works

Flexible exports let eligible homes and businesses export more of their surplus solar. Rather than apply a low static limit, exports are matched to the real-time capacity of the network.

This means customers can export to the limit of their inverter (or a maximum of 10kW) most of the time.

On rare occasions, we may need to reduce the flow of solar power from households to protect the network. Our recent trial showed participants exported freely more than 90% of the time.

Customers that receive a 0kW export limit in their pre-approval can choose a flexible exports connection or 0kW static limit.

You can discuss these options with your solar installer to determine the best option for you.

Choosing flexible exports benefits your home and community by:

Allowing more households to export more unused solar, offering better returns
Helping to meet Victoria’s renewable energy targets
Providing safe, reliable and affordable power to all customers

Frequently asked questions

Flexible exports adjust solar export limits in real time to match available capacity on the network, offering an alternative to low, fixed export limits.

This lets eligible customers export up to the capacity of their inverter (to a maximum of 10kW), with our 12-month trial showing customers enjoyed unrestricted exports more than 90% of the time.

All you need is a reliable internet connection and a compatible inverter.

Yes. If your solar pre-approval export request results in a 0kW export limit, you can choose flexible exports instead the fixed 0kW limit. This lets you export surplus solar whenever the network has capacity to safely accept it.

Since October 2024, new installations need an inverter that's Clean Energy Council-approved and supports CSIP-AUS - the technical standard that allows us to manage solar exports remotely and safely. If your property has multiple inverters, you'll also need a compatible communications device so we can manage exports at a site level.

Any devices that doesn't support CSIP-AUS must be installed with a fixed zero export setting.

Eligible customers will be offered a flexible exports connection after lodging a pre-approval and receiving a 0kW export limit.

This message usually relates to a temporary loss of communication between your inverter and our systems, rather than a fault with your solar or battery system itself.

To troubleshoot:

Check that your internet is working and that your inverter is connected.
Check that your inverter's app or online portal to confirm your system is working.
If your internet and inverter appear to be working, contact your device manufacturer or solar installer for guidance.

Your internet may briefly drop out for many reasons. We wait one week so notifications are only sent about major issues that need your attention.

Call our New Energy Services team on 1800 772 940 or email newenergyservices@powercor.com.au.