These new requirements will be mandatory from 18 December 2021.
The new Australian Standard AS/NZS 4777.2:2020 comes into effect from 18 December 2021. To provide guidance on what is acceptable for connection to the grid after this transition date, please be aware of the following:
Immediate requirements for all Inverter Energy Systems (IES)
- As part of the installation of an IES, all inverter firmware needs to be updated to the latest available. Where possible updating to firmware compliant with new AS/NZS 4777.2:2020 standard should be done.
- Inverters that are compliant with the new AS/NZS 4777.2:2020 standard must be configured to ‘Australia Region B’ settings.
Approvals for EG systems with inverters systems with capacity up 10 kVA per phase
As of 10 December 2021, Western Power will only accept applications for systems with inverters compliant to AS/NZS 4777.2:2020. Applicants should be aware that manual assessment of applications can take up to 15 business days to complete.
Western Power uses the Clean Energy Council (CEC) inverter list, and inverters must be accredited with the CEC to be deemed to comply.
Installation of inverters approved prior to 18 December 2021
Applications approved before 18 December 2021 with AS/NZS 4777.2:2015 compliant inverters may be installed after 18 December 2021 but must be installed within three months of the date of application.
Any installation of an approved AS/NZS 4777.2:2015 during the permitted three-month period must enable Volt-var and Volt-watt settings as per table 1 and 2 below.
Table 1: Western Power Volt-var setting post 18/12/2021
| Reference | Voltage | Set-Point value (2) (var/rated VA %) | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| VV1 | 205 | 30% | Var source/supply or generator |
| VV2 | 220 | 0% | |
| VV3 | 235 | 0% | |
| VV4 | 255 | 40% | Var sink/absorption or load |
Notes:
- Var sink is in the direction to the inverter from the grid (-ve), Var source is in the direction from the inverter to the grid (+ve).
- The set-point value is the level of var required to be provided for the voltage measured by the inverter. This may reduce the active power level below the maximum level for the volt-watt mode.
Table 2: Western Power volt-watt settings post 18/12/2021
| Reference | Voltage | Set-Point value (1) (var/rated VA %) |
|---|---|---|
| VW1 | 250 | 100% |
| VW2 | 260 | 20% |
Notes:
- The set-point value is the maximum permitted active power output level for the voltage measured by the inverter.
Eligibility for small-scale technology certificates and large-scale generation certificates
Compliance with AS/NZS 4777.2 current version is a part of the Clean Energy Regulator(CER) eligibility criteria. With changes to the standard the affected installation will need to refer to the regulations for eligibility criteria for these certificates as provided by the Clean Energy Regulator. Please refer to their website for the latest information and updates.
Western Power EG system application approval of an installation may not meet the eligibility criteria of CER. This is the responsibility of the user and supplier/installer to manage.