Qld electricity providers trying to block solar from grid, lobby group says
By Eric Tlozek
Updated 5 hours 3 minutes ago Photo: Doone Wyborn has solar panels at his property at Bindarrabi in northern NSW. (ABC News: Nic MacBean) Map: QLD
Australia's peak solar power body fears Queensland's electricity companies are trying to put people off installing new solar systems.
The Australian Solar Council has criticised moves by Ergon and Energex to encourage new customers to install smaller solar systems that do not feed electricity back into the power grid.
Ergon and Energex said the changes, which included new rules about installing systems that feed in power, would help them manage the detrimental impact of solar on their power networks.
"These new rules will help avoid many of the costs associated with upgrading Ergon's network to cope with increasing numbers of these systems - costs that are ultimately borne by all electricity customers," Ergon chief executive Ian McLeod said.
"In some cases, customers have their applications to install PV (photovoltaic) systems on constrained sections of the network downsized, unless they are prepared to pay for an upgrade to the network.
"The new standards potentially give them another option of installing a PV system of their preferred size that does not export power back into the grid."
Photo: Doone Wyborn has solar panels at his property at Bindarrabi in northern NSW. (ABC News: Nic MacBean)
