6. Dynamic Exports Capability Test
The Dynamic Exports capability test is required to validate site connectivity with the Utility Server and ensure site is compliant with the Government of South Australia’s Dynamic Exports Requirements.
Completion of this test for every new or upgrade site from 1 December 2022 is required by the Office of the Technical Regulators Export Limitation Methods Guideline.
Completion of the test will ensure a customer’s site is capable of enrolling in a Flexible Exports connection option if the customer chooses to do so.
This section is included to inform technology providers on how the capability test will operate from a functional perspective. Further materials will be developed to assist solar installers in executing the test.
The capability test is intended to be completed by the installer to ensure the system is compliant before leaving site. The test is trigged through the SA Power Networks SmartInstall website on the approved record for the corresponding site, and test progress and results will be displayed against this record.
The capability test is designed to validate remote communications and export limit compliance. The test has been designed to minimise additional time and effort during installation and should take no longer than 5 minutes to complete. Prior to test commencement the site must be commissioned and registered with SA Power Networks per the Registration Specification defined in section 5. The high-level process is shown in Section 6 and described below:
Figure 6 - Capability Test Process
After registration of the site has occurred, system parameters will be configured with a 1-minute poll/post rate and be set to a default export limit of 1.5kW (0kW if there is no approval on record for the site).
The faster poll/post rate will pre-arm the system to be able to complete the capability test much faster, minimising additional time required for installers onsite. These rates will fall back to normal operating range after several hours if no capability test is commenced.
Beginning with a default limit of 1.5kW until a capability test has been completed will allow for both validation of fail-safe export limits and provide a clear response to the installer that the system has not yet finished commissioning.
Once the capability test is triggered in SmartInstall, the SA Power Networks Utility Server will generate and issue a dynamic export limit of 0kW to the site. The Utility Server will monitor the telemetry data from the site to validate the site export limit is being adhered to. There will also be validation that the site is at a minimum level of generation to confirm that successful export limiting to 0kW was not due to a lack of generation. To support the need for generation (sunlight) to be present during the capability test, it can be executed remotely.
Once the meter data has been validated, SmartInstall will display the result of the test (pass or fail) and provide reasons for failure where appropriate. Once the site records a pass, the capability test is complete and the SmartInstall will display a unique reference number to confirm site compliance.
SA Power Networks will store and make available to the OTR the reference number generated and shown on screen upon completion of the testing to track compliance.