Solar and renewables for installers / RECs

Digital Embedded Generation application now Live!

Jemena solar and renewables is now Digital

From 1 December 2019, Jemena now requires a digital record of all embedded generation installations and alterations to be completed by installers and electrical contractors.

This is in readiness for an Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) led initiative that is going live in early 2020. Jemena and all other distribution networks must submit embedded generation details to a new register known as the Distributed Energy Resources register, or ‘DER’. The DER will be a centralised data set for each residential and commercial embedded generation installation, which will allow networks to make better informed decisions about network investment options, and allow AEMO to forecast, plan and operate the grid more efficiently.

To ensure all required information is captured and sent to AEMO from early 2020, Jemena has created a new online Embedded Generation application which will align the capture of Jemena’s solar and renewables data with all other construction applications in our ‘Connect and manage my electricity’ portal.

This new application replaces Jemena’s previous solar and renewables paperwork form (i.e. Micro Embedded Generation form) and auto-generates a unique installation reference number, known as the Embedded Generation application ID, or ’EGid’. The EGid is used by Jemena, AEMO and the retailer for reference throughout the configuration process.

What does this change mean?

For residential and commercial customers looking to install solar and renewables:

When customers are ready to have their solar / renewable power connected to the grid, they must provide the following information to their energy retailer:

i.     EGid - Embedded Generation application ID
ii.    EWR - Electrical Works Request
iii.   CES - Certificate of Electrical Safety

Customers are encouraged to ensure they obtain this information from their installer / REC once their solar panels are installed and the Embedded Generation application has been submitted.

For our installers and electrical contractors:

1.    Changes to the Embedded Generation form:

All installers and electrical contractors are now required to:

i.    enter all required information directly into the Embedded Generation application on the Jemena ‘Connect and manage my electricity’ portal. This online application is mobile enabled, allowing data to be entered on the go; and
ii.    provide additional information in the application than has traditionally been required by Jemena. This will involve the completion of 17 fields of data relating to the devices being installed, as per the checklist below.The following table shows the new Jemena process for embedded generation applications.

Embedded Generation Application data checklist:

DER Installation Fields	AC Connection Fields	DER Device Fields
Aggregated Approved Capacity (kVA)	Number of AC Connections	Number of DER Devices
Installer Identification	AC Equipment Type	Device Type
Number of Phases Available	Inverter/Small Generating Unit Manufacturer	Device Sub Type
Number of Phases with DER installed	Inverter Model Number	Manufacturer
Does the inverter have voltage response modes (Volt-Var & Volt-Watt)?	Inverter Series	Model Number
Comments	Serial Number
National Meter Identification Number

The following table describes the new Digital process.

2.    Changes to the MSO Standards:

The inverter standards in our Model Standing Offer are now also aligned with those of other Distributors across Victoria. This includes a revision of the connection agreement for small generators, which now requires inverters to be capable of both volt-watt and volt-var control modes. The revised power quality response modes are shown below:

Volt-var response mode (mandatory)

Reference	Voltage in Volts	Var % Rated VA
V1	208	44% (exporting vars)
V2	220 (default)	0%
V3	241	0%
V4	253	44% (sinking vars, 3.7% per volt, 0.9 power factor)

Volt-watt response mode (mandatory)

 

Digital Embedded Generation application:

Technical guidelines and inverter settings:

External Links: