{"id":42658,"date":"2020-08-31T06:15:14","date_gmt":"2020-08-30T19:45:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=42658"},"modified":"2020-09-14T06:26:42","modified_gmt":"2020-09-13T19:56:42","slug":"sa-solar-remote-disconnect-mb1662","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/sa-solar-remote-disconnect-mb1662\/","title":{"rendered":"SA Solar Shitstorm 2: Remote Disconnect"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Solar

Image: Bru-nO<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

SA Power Networks has been given the green light to remotely and temporarily shut down solar power systems in “rare circumstances” from September 28.\u00a0Here’s what it means for new and existing solar owners, as we currently understand the situation.<\/p>\n

This authorisation<\/a> has been granted out of concerns there may soon be times, particularly during spring, summer and autumn, when exports from solar power systems in South Australia outstrip electricity demand. In an electricity system, supply must match demand and vice versa – if that doesn’t happen, you start to see blackouts. SQ’s Ronald discussed the issue and “remote disconnect” of systems<\/a> in greater detail back in May.<\/p>\n

SolarQuotes founder Finn Peacock spoke with ABC Radio’s Sonya Feldhoff last week about SAPN’s new power.<\/p>\n

Financial Impacts Likely Minimal, But…<\/h2>\n

Finn said while details were still sketchy, he wasn’t so concerned about the financial impacts it would have on solar owners as it would be measured in the “tens of dollars” per year in lost revenue and savings given how often remote shutdowns might occur and for how long.<\/p>\n

“It’s not a good look politically to be switching off people’s money saving machines, so I’m very confident they are only going to do it when they absolutely have to.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But Finn says how this is being implemented is quite another matter.<\/p>\n

A “Really Horrible Solution”<\/h2>\n

“The Government I imagine is petrified of a major blackout this summer for political reasons and so they’re rushing through all sorts of policy on the run and more worryingly in my opinion, engineering on the run,” stated Finn.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Initially, this remote disconnect ability will only be for new installations of solar systems as special hardware needs to be installed for the functionality. There is a desire for all existing solar power systems to eventually be remote-disconnect capable, but the timeline for that isn’t clear at this point.<\/p>\n

In the short term it appears what will happen in such incidents is the power to the solar inverter will be killed via an extra contactor installed in a home’s smart meter, which Finn says is a “really horrible solution for the problem”. This means not only will exports to the grid be interrupted, but the household won’t have use of their self-generated solar energy either – all of its electricity will need to come from the grid during these shutdown periods.<\/p>\n

Finn said the much better solution, although harder technically, would be to send a signal to the inverter to say “hey, stop exporting to the grid”; but still enabling the system to generate just enough power to provide for the home’s needs.<\/p>\n

Finn thinks medium- to long- term this will be the way remote disconnect will work, but the South Australian Government has been rushing into this with a ham-fisted approach for political reasons.<\/p>\n

Remote Disconnect And Home Batteries<\/h2>\n

Another issue touched on was installing batteries<\/a> to avoid loss of self-generated electricity supply in the case of a shutdown scenario. While it may seem a bit extreme to install batteries to avoid the impacts of what could be just a few hours a year, some particularly passionate solar owners may decide to do this.<\/p>\n

“You’ve got to be careful what sort of battery system you get,” says Finn. “Some battery systems share the inverter with the solar, so if the government turns off your solar inverter, your battery system will go down too.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Fin says he’s not clear on whether the government will allow people to have a battery on a separate circuit, but he would be surprised if they didn’t. Assuming it was allowed, you could design a suitable system, but the battery would need to have its own inverter.<\/p>\n

Conspiracy Theory Debunked<\/h2>\n

Also discussed was a conspiracy theory that shutting down systems is a ploy to increase the cost of electricity by curtailing solar power supply.<\/p>\n

“That’s not true, because the people that will be doing this are the networks and they are completely separated from the electricity retailers, who are the people who would make money.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

SA Power Networks is a distributed network service provider, not an electricity retailer.<\/p>\n

You can catch the full ABC Afternoons with Sonya Feldhoff discussion here<\/a> – it starts around the 37:30 mark and runs for approximately 13 minutes.<\/p>\n

Solar Shitstorm 1 – Low Voltage Ride-Through<\/h2>\n

In other recent news out of South Australia, another “solar shitstorm” involves new inverters connected to the grid from September 28 needing to be verified as able to remain in continuous operation during brief undervoltage disturbances. Again, this isn’t so much of a case of being a horrible idea, but the execution has left a lot to be desired. Given the very short timeframe involved, it has created chaos in the SA solar sector<\/a> – although some inverter manufacturers have already beaten the deadline, and hopefully more will.<\/p>\n

Both of these issues are related to SA Government’s “Smarter Homes” push <\/a> – and as previously mentioned, perhaps what SA really needs when it comes to managing solar power in the state is a smarter government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SA Power Networks has been given the green light to remotely and temporarily shut down solar power systems in “rare circumstances” from September 28.\u00a0Here’s what it means for new and existing solar owners, as we currently understand the situation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":42659,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[678],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42658","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-solar-battery-news","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSA Solar Shitstorm 2: Remote Disconnect - SolarQuotes Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"SA Power Networks has been given the green light to remotely shut down solar power systems in "rare circumstances" from September 28.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/sa-solar-remote-disconnect-mb1662\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"SA Solar Shitstorm 2: Remote Disconnect\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"SA Power Networks has been given the green light to remotely shut down solar power systems in "rare circumstances" from September 28.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/sa-solar-remote-disconnect-mb1662\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SolarQuotes Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SolarQuotes\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-08-30T19:45:14+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-09-13T19:56:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/solar-remote-disconnect.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Michael Bloch\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@solar_quotes\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@solar_quotes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/sa-solar-remote-disconnect-mb1662\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/sa-solar-remote-disconnect-mb1662\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Michael Bloch\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/66afd571aa00c2e442f0192ebac2f6f1\"},\"headline\":\"SA Solar Shitstorm 2: Remote Disconnect\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-08-30T19:45:14+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-09-13T19:56:42+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/sa-solar-remote-disconnect-mb1662\/\"},\"wordCount\":871,\"commentCount\":16,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/sa-solar-remote-disconnect-mb1662\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/solar-remote-disconnect.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"General Solar & Storage News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/sa-solar-remote-disconnect-mb1662\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/sa-solar-remote-disconnect-mb1662\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/sa-solar-remote-disconnect-mb1662\/\",\"name\":\"SA Solar Shitstorm 2: Remote Disconnect - 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One of the new rules to come into effect yesterday stipulates new inverters\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Solar & Storage News"","block_context":{"text":"General Solar & Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Solar power systems in South Australia","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/solar-sa-standards.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/solar-sa-standards.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/solar-sa-standards.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/solar-sa-standards.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/solar-sa-standards.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":97168,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/rooftop-solar-performance-mb3355\/","url_meta":{"origin":42658,"position":2},"title":"Rooftop Solar Taming Australia’s Summer Sizzle","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"January 12, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Air-conditioners were working hard during the recent heatwave that affected large parts of Australia \u2014 and rooftop solar power systems did their bit to alleviate strain on the mains grid while making air-con use greener and cheaper. How Much Electricity Was Supplied By Rooftop Solar Panels? From about 4.30AM last\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Solar Panels"","block_context":{"text":"Solar Panels","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-panels-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Rooftop solar performance during heatwave","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/rooftop-solar-performance.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/rooftop-solar-performance.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/rooftop-solar-performance.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/rooftop-solar-performance.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/rooftop-solar-performance.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":78082,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-ev-integration-sa\/","url_meta":{"origin":42658,"position":3},"title":"SA’s $98 Million Solar And EV Integration Plan: A Model For Australia?","author":"Richard Chirgwin","date":"August 17, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"SA Power Networks (SAPN) expects to spend $97.8 million integrating home solar PV and large loads such as electric vehicles into its network in the five years 2025-2030. That figure emerged in the distributor\u2019s draft regulatory proposal, which is open for consultation until the end of the month. It offers\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Solar & Storage News"","block_context":{"text":"General Solar & Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"SAPNs regulatory proposal document","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/sa-draft-regulatory-proposal.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/sa-draft-regulatory-proposal.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/sa-draft-regulatory-proposal.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/sa-draft-regulatory-proposal.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/sa-draft-regulatory-proposal.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":95864,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/free-daytime-electricity-will-save-everyone-money\/","url_meta":{"origin":42658,"position":4},"title":"Free Daytime Electricity Will Save Everyone Money — Including Renters","author":"Ronald Brakels","date":"November 14, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The government's Solar Sharer Offer will make free electricity available for three or more hours around midday. I've heard this called a dumb policy that won't lower costs because it will just shift them around, causing people to pay more at other times and in other ways to make up\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Solar Policy"","block_context":{"text":"Solar Policy","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-policy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A rooftop with solar next to rooftops without solar","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/solar-saver-benefits.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/solar-saver-benefits.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/solar-saver-benefits.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/solar-saver-benefits.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/solar-saver-benefits.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":73758,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/eclipse-solar-power-mb2902\/","url_meta":{"origin":42658,"position":5},"title":"Eclipse To Dim Australian Skies And Solar Energy Output","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"April 20, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"With solar power playing a bigger role in Australia's energy mix, what impact will today's eclipse have on our electricity systems? 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