{"id":89711,"date":"2025-02-18T04:41:17","date_gmt":"2025-02-17T19:11:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=89711"},"modified":"2025-02-18T04:41:17","modified_gmt":"2025-02-17T19:11:17","slug":"vic-vebm-solar-problems-mb3119","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/vic-vebm-solar-problems-mb3119\/","title":{"rendered":"Problems With Victoria’s Emergency Backstop For Solar Drag On"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Victoria's<\/p>\n

Rollout of Victoria’s emergency backstop mechanism (VEBM) for solar power systems has been anything but smooth, and four-and-a-half months on there are still significant issues needing resolution.<\/p>\n

In October last year the VEBM requirement for new\/upgraded\/replacement residential rooftop solar came into effect. A tool of last resort to be used to address minimum system demand events coinciding with high solar power exports, the backstop mechanism allows the state\u2019s Distributed Network Service Providers (DNSPs) to temporarily curtail or switch off solar panel systems remotely by sending signals to CSIP-AUS compliant solar inverters<\/a>. You can read more about the VEBM here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But implementation has been a nightmare<\/a> according to some of the state’s solar installers, making it difficult for them to include backstop requirements into their quotes and invoices.<\/p>\n

It’s not just installers who are suffering. An example is a system owner who said his installation occurred in late September 2024 and as at early January this year his connection was still on hold until his DNSP approved the inverter\u2019s emergency backstop protocols. As recently as last week, we saw another report from a solar owner who had his system installed in early December and the installer is still struggling to get the system registered – but at least in that case the system is operating.<\/p>\n

It didn’t have to be like this. The powers-that-be needed only look across the border to South Australia to see how it’s done; although in SA there’s just one DNSP and in Victoria there are five<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But there has been some movement at the station around addressing the issues in Victoria. First, there is acknowledgement. Solar Victoria said last week<\/a>:<\/p>\n

“We understand solar industry concerns with the implementation of new emergency backstop and appreciate continued input received from industry representatives in relation to their experiences working with the mechanism.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The agency and members of its Industry and Consumer Reference Group (ICRG) along with the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) are working towards getting things squared away “as soon as possible”.<\/p>\n

A Bag Of Backstop Issues<\/h2>\n

The issues that have been identified so far include:<\/p>\n