Electrical Partners Alert

We continue to see Embedded Generation (EG) systems installed and, in some instances, connected to the Energex and Ergon Energy (DNSP’s) distribution networks without the prior approval of the relevant DNSP.

Under the Electricity Regulation 2006 (QLD) a customer must not install generating plant without the DNSP’s agreement. This agreement is contained in the Connection Contract, which can be obtained by submitting a connection application (NB the Connection Contract is to be accepted before the generating plant is installed).

This is also consistent with the requirements set out in clause 8.15.2.2(a) (Parallel connection of EG system with distribution system of the Queensland Electricity Connection Manual (QECM) V4).

Failure to comply with this requirement may result in a penalty/fine under the Electricity Regulation 2006 (QLD).

For connections with an aggregate system capacity greater than 30 kVA, please be aware the Site-Specific Enquiry Response (SSER) is not a Connection Contract, and a connection application must be submitted in order for our team to provide a Connection Contract.

To obtain a copy of our standards, please visit the relevant websites:

• Ergon Energy Network
• Energex

For further enquiries, please contact our team at:

• Ergon Energy Network ergongeneration@energyq.com.au
• Energex energexgeneration@energyq.com.au

If a customer has an older style of electromechanical meter (pictured below left) you are required to leave the Alternating Current (AC) Isolator off until a suitable electronic type of meter is installed.

If a customer already has an electronic type of meter (pictured above right) that is suitable for the connection of Embedded Generation (EG) units, you can turn the AC Isolator on.

In either case, you will need to lodge an Electrical Work Request (EWR) in accordance with the connection contract which confirms the work has been completed as per AS/NZS 3000 and AS/NZS 4777.

If you are unsure of the metering at the customer's premise, this can be confirmed by the customer's Retailer or Metering Provider.

Turning the AC Isolator on, whilst an electromechanical meter is still being used will have consequences for the customer’s billing and result in the customer usage being estimated based on previous history instead of actual reads.

We are excited to be holding our 2024 Energy Academy information sessions next week where you will have the opportunity to hear directly from Ergon Energy Network and Energex about key issues and updates that may impact your business and customers.

By attending a session, you will have the opportunity to ask questions and provide your feedback via the online chat with our subject matter experts on:

• Contacting Ergon Network and Energex: Portal Help, EWR Selections and Reconnecting after storm damage
• Top 3 Reasons for Electricity Defect Reports
• Electrical Partners Portal – Upgrade & New Look & Feel
• Renewables and Distributed Energy including Updating DNSP Standards for AS/NZS 4777.1:2024
• Mains Connection Box Replacement or Maintenance
• Connections

Join us online through Microsoft Teams. We have two session times for you to select from. Click the links below to register:

8:00am – 9:30am - Tuesday 26 November 2024

3:00pm – 4:30pm - Thursday 28 November 2024

For any enquiries, please contact our team at: customeradvocacy@energyq.com.au

For the construction of Terrace housing across multiple freehold lots, the following shall be provided to demonstrate compliance with Queensland Electricity Connection Manual, Clause 5.5.3.1 (c) & (d). Demonstration of compliance allows for each individual premises to be provided with a DNSP service point.

1. Demonstration that each premises is electrically separated shall be in the form of a letter / memo from a Registered Professional Engineer of Queensland (RPEQ) detailing the following:
   1. Building and structural design elements to ensure the electrical earthing system for each lot remains separated.
   2. Control measures in place to ensure the electrical separation is maintained into the future.
2. The RPEQ letter/memo will need to be emailed to tech.enquiries@energex.com.au or tech.enquiries@ergon.com.au for review at least 10 business days prior to the Electrical Works Request (EWR) submission. Please include the following:
   1. Premise address for the connection including street number, street name, street type, suburb and postcode.
   2. Lot number and plan number
   3. NMI if available
3. When submitting an EWR to connect the individual premise, the RPEQ letter/memo shall be attached to the application for connection via the Electrical Partners Portal and a copy left in the Main Switchboard. A copy of the RPEQ letter shall also be provided at the time of the proposed subdivision should it be known.

For further enquiries or to provide documentation, please contact our team at the below:

Ergon Energy Network tech.enquiries@ergon.com.au

Energex tech.enquiries@energex.com.au

As part of ongoing efforts to streamline systems and improve our customer service, the following new IVR options have been added to the Electrical Contractor’s Hotline to ensure your call is answered by a specialised team member:

• Press 8 to report a power supply issue (including relays and broken seals).
• Press 1 for Queensland Electricity Connection Manual (QECM) enquiries.

For EWR enquiries:

• Press 2 for Solar, Battery and Electric Vehicle enquiries
• Press 3 for New Connections including appointments for New Connections
• Press 4 for Existing Connections including appointments for Existing Connections
• Press 5 for all other enquiries

To contact our team on the Electrical Contractor’s Hotline, please call:

Ergon Energy Network 1800 237 466

Energex 1300 762 397

For the construction of Terrace housing across multiple freehold lots, the following shall be provided to demonstrate compliance with Queensland Electricity Connection Manual, Clause 5.5.3.1 (c) & (d). Demonstration of compliance allows for each individual premises to be provided with a DNSP service point.

1. Demonstration that each premises is electrically separated shall be in the form of a letter / memo from a Registered Professional Engineer of Queensland (RPEQ) detailing the following:
   1. Building and structural design elements to ensure the electrical earthing system for each lot remains separated
   2. Control measures in place to ensure the electrical separation is maintained into the future.
2. The RPEQ letter/memo will need to be emailed to tech.enquiries@energex.com.au or tech.enquiries@ergon.com.au for review at least 10 business days prior to the Electrical Works Request (EWR) submission. Please include the following:
   1. Premise address for the connection including street number, street name, street type, suburb and postcode
   2. Lot number and plan number
   3. NMI if available.
3. When submitting an EWR to connect the individual premise, the RPEQ letter/memo shall be attached to the application for connection via the Electrical Partners Portal and a copy left in the Main Switchboard. A copy of the RPEQ letter shall also be provided at the time of the proposed subdivision should it be known.

For further enquiries or to provide documentation, please contact our team at the below:

Ergon Energy Network: tech.enquiries@ergon.com.au

Energex: tech.enquiries@energex.com.au

Ergon Energy Network and Energex have released a new interactive map online which provides an estimate of load and Customer Energy Resources (CER) hosting capacity across the Queensland electricity distribution network.

The map allows users such as customers, contractors, developers, EV charge point operators and their agents to search the network and get an indication of available network capacity. Sharing network visibility with our market participants and customers is one of the key Distribution System Operator (DSO) capabilities, a Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan (QEJP) deliverable and a key initiative of Ergon Energy Network and Energex’s Future Grid Roadmap.

The aim of the map is to save time and costs for both the user and the DNSP by providing users with information about network load, CER hosting capacity and the location of DNSP network assets to inform feasibility studies and preliminary planning ahead of a connection application. The current version of the map presents information on medium voltage feeder load capacity along with load and CER hosting capacity for distribution transformers.

The map can be accessed from the Distribution Annual Planning Report (DAPR) pages for Ergon Energy Network or Energex or directly at the below links:

• Ergon Energy Network
• Energex

Ergon Energy Network and Energex plan to continuously improve the functionality of the map with the inclusion of additional information based on feedback received from users.

Feedback is welcomed and can be provided directly by contacting: futurenetworkstrategy@energyq.com.au

Dynamic connections for embedded generation like rooftop solar are a connection option that can help your customers export more solar and potentially install a larger combined solar and battery system.

We have developed a new informative video to help you understand and explain the benefits of a dynamic connection to your customers:

• Dynamic connections video

We would also like to remind installers that we have developed tailored content for customers and installers and developed a dynamic connection factsheet in response to feedback from customers. We encourage installers to use this factsheet to help explain the dynamic connection option to their customers who may be suitable for this connection option.

• Ergon Energy Network
• Energex
• Dynamic connections factsheet

Ergon Energy Network and Energex are currently undertaking a review of our Authorised Person – Electrical approval process. An online awareness and assessment package is planned to be made available to electrical licence holders by the end of 2024.

The current requirements to complete the recognised training courses will still be applicable until the new online package becomes available. Once published, the new requirements will be hosted on our network websites at:

• Ergon Energy Network
• Energex

What is Customer Requested Switching?
Switching (also known as isolation upstream) is a process where our network substations or transformers may need to be ‘switched off’ so that supply to a particular premises is ‘isolated’ from the network.
This is undertaken when a customer requires work at the property, e.g.  upgrading a switchboard, upgrading supply, upgrading or replacing customer’s consumer mains.
Switching can include:

• De-energisation of the customer’s site for work on our network
• HV Switching of our network for customer requested HV or LV work
• Switching of the interface/our network for customer LV work.

For specific examples, please refer to the below table:

Do I need Customer Requested Switching?
For further information and the Customer Requested Switching Form please see the below links:

Ergon Energy Network

• Customer Requested Switching Form
• Customer HV Switching Guide

Energex

• Customer Requested Switching Form
• Customer HV Switching Guide

Please note: In some cases, a Connect Agreement and an EWR may be required in addition to a Customer Requested Switching Form. Contact the Electrical Contractor Hotline for more information:

• Ergon Energy Network 1800 237 466
• Energex 1300 762 397

Based on your feedback, we’ve been working to improve our web content for solar installers.  This includes an improvement to our landing pages which now feature a rotating banner displaying key issues.

• Ergon Energy Network
• Energex

We will continue to use our Solar Industry Updates to keep you informed but also encourage you to bookmark these pages to help you stay up to date with the current hot topics and upcoming developments relevant to the solar industry.

As part of the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan, the Queensland Government is targeting 100% smart meter penetration by 2030. Installation of a smart meter provides numerous benefits for customers, but multi-occupant sites can be impacted where power needs to be switched off and isolated for meter installation.

The good news is that this can be limited if meter isolation links (MILs) are installed before the meter. If you are undertaking any electrical work on an installation, we recommend you take the opportunity to install metering isolation links and help minimise potential future impacts to your customers.

We would like to remind installers that the Emergency Backstop mechanism requires a Generation Signalling Device (GSD) to be installed in new and certain upgraded solar systems, 10kVA or above.

We are continuing to undertake inspections to ensure the GSD is installed and operating correctly when a demand response signal is sent to the GSD.

Installers can undertake their own test of the GSD being installed and the inverter settings to confirm that they are configured correctly. This can be done by removing the RJ45 plug from the DRM mode port on the inverter, or by disconnecting the GSD from the terminal block.  This should trigger the Demand Response Mode (DRM) 0 functionality to cease generation in accordance with clause 3.2.2 (d) of AS/NZS 4777.2.

Where a non-compliance is identified as part of an inspection, a letter will be sent to the relevant proponent (typically the retail customer) advising them of the rectification work(s) required.

The relevant proponent must ensure that the non-compliance is rectified as a matter of priority. If the non-compliance is not rectified within the specified timeframe it may result in the connection contract being terminated and the embedded generation system being disconnected from the network.

Further information on the requirements of the Emergency Backstop mechanism can be found on our websites:

• Ergon Energy Network
• Energex

Are you facing challenges complying with the Emergency Backstop requirements? We’d like to understand the challenges you are facing, please contact us at:

• Ergon Energy Network demandmanagement@ergon.com.au
• Energex demandmanagement@energex.com.au