DER Compliance Frequently Asked Questions

If your compliance percentage is under 90% you will be given automated warnings over a 21-day period prompting you to fix your compliance level. If your compliance rating does not increase to or above 90% after 21 days, you will be blocked from submitting further applications.

If your compliance percentage has remained below 90% after receiving three warnings over a 21-day period, your ability to submit new SEG applications has been blocked. To remove the block you will need to close our your non-compliant applications in order to raise your percentage above 90%.

You can filter your non-compliant approvals through the SmartSA dashboard.
 

All applications submitted via SmartSA that have evidence of installation will be monitored against current compliance requirements and be included in your overall compliance percentage.

Everyone has a role to play in DER Compliance.

• Solar retailer: It is the responsibility of each solar retailer to ensure that their employees and contractors are keeping up with compliance standards and following the correct processes. You are ultimately responsible for the compliant install of the systems that you sell.
• Solar installer: it is your responsibility to ensure the installation and commissioning of DER equipment meets all relevant standards and regulations. If you are contracted to work for a solar retailer, they may request you re-attend site if there are compliance issues.

The installer can retrieve each site using the NMI and Meter ID, but we are working towards an upgrade in future that will allow the SmartSA applicant to assign the application to the installer, ensuring it is visible on the Installations tab upon login.

There are legal implications for sharing applications across multiple users of the same domain. We are investigating the rules and requirements of such a function for a possible future update, but it is not something we are able to provide at this stage.

No. SmartSA account creations are monitored and access will be removed if you are seen to be making multiple accounts.

Mandatory compliance training will be automatically prompted when you raise your first application after logging into SmartSA. Our team has the ability to reassign this training at any time. If this is required, please contact the New Energy Services team on 13 12 61 and select option 2.

Bi-directional chargers have different technical requirements compared to standard EV chargers. For more information, please contact the New Energy Services team by email newenergyservices@sapowernetworks.com.au or on 13 12 61, opt 2.

Any alteration to a site with existing solar must ensure that all equipment meets current standards. This includes things like Relevant Agent, site wide export limits, dynamic capability, and Flexible Exports requirements. 

For further information, please refer to OTR website.
 

We are working on a staged approach to manage DER compliance. The DER Compliance Program monitors the ongoing adherence of DER installations against current compliance requirements. The roll-out of the Program has been set up in stages, to ensure a smooth transition to compliance management. 

The stages of compliance are:

• Stage 1 – Verify Install (Close Out) - LIVE
• Stage 2 – Flexible Exports Commissioning - LIVE
• Stage 3 – Export Limits – LIVE
• Stage 4 – Volt Var – FUTURE

Access to the Installations tab in SmartSA is granted only to registered electricians. This is to ensure that the person that was physically on site installing the system is the one closing out the application. If there are particular circumstances that are preventing your installer from closing out the application in SmartSA, we strongly recommend you reach out to the New Energy Services team to discuss your options.

If the equipment installed by another company has not been closed out in SmartSA, it may be deemed non-compliant and impact your subsequent installation. If you come across any applications like this, please reach out to the New Energy Service team. 

Device registration is the process of electronic provisioning of the customers NMI and device with SA Power Networks. This is required to establish communications to a site, and for the site to receive a flexible export limit. The process differs for the specific manufacturer and inverter you are installing, but is usually done through the manufacturers app. Refer to your inverter manufacturer for more information on this process. 

The capability test is a short test conducted whilst you are on site to confirm whether Flexible Exports sites are configured and operating correctly. The test is a mandatory requirement of the SA Government Dynamic Export regulations and therefore is a condition of DER Compliance.

The default Relevant Agent for sites with a Flexible Exports connection is SA Power Networks – Flexible Exports. All other fixed installations will need a Relevant Agent selected at the time of application. 

You should refer to wiring guides and technical standards to ensure you have met your obligations as a solar installer.

There are Relevant Agent metering options for customers who do not have the internet. More information can be found on the Relevant Agent FAQ page.

Installation close outs can be done on site from a phone, tablet or laptop, or once you are back in a location with internet.
 

Some parts of our electricity distribution network are reaching their maximum capacity to host solar exports. This is causing customers’ solar inverters to trip off or ramp down, and voltage issues for other non-solar customers nearby. 

In some areas, reverse solar power flows on the network are beginning to exceed the capacity of our zone substations. Without mitigating action, this has the potential to overload or damage our equipment, which may lead to blackouts. 
 

Using the same automated process already in place for managing compliance, all fixed export applications will have an additional compliance check to ensure the system has been commissioned with the correct export limit. 

Automated compliance monitoring is triggered when evidence of an installation is received, or the Smart Meter is installed, whichever is later. For export limit compliance, an installation must record 10 days of exporting within the site limit from the date of installation. If an installation does not meet this requirement, a compliance issue will be flagged and made visible in the SmartSA dashboard. 

No, only new applications made from 31 May 2024 will be monitored for export limit compliance. If a non-compliance is flagged, it will count towards your compliance percentage. 

Depending on the system, installers may need to reattend site. Alternatively, there may be a way to configure export limits remotely. Please contact the solar inverter manufacturer in the first instance. 

There is no need to contact us, as the compliance process is automated. It may take a few days for the export limit flag to be removed, whilst the data is being verified. 

If you urgently require assistance with your compliance, please contact the New Energy Services team on 13 12 61, Opt 2 for help.  
 

When our systems detect ten consecutive days less than or equal to the approved export limit, the export limit non-compliance is automatically removed. 

Any export limit breach that occurs after your application has moved to the commissioned status in SmartSA will not be flagged on your account. If there is an export limit breach detected post commissioning, it will be flagged at a site level only. This means that while it may impact future applications, your commissioned application will not be impacted, and it will not reflect on your compliance percentage. 

There is an existing compliance issue at this site, that needs to be fixed. If you submit an application for this site, you are accepting responsibility to fix the non-compliance at the time of installation. 

You may wish to discuss this with your customer, to ensure any additional costs/equipment have been clearly communicated before submitting the application. 
 

You are not responsible for someone else’s non compliance, you are however responsible for your customer’s non compliance. 

When submitting an application, the retailers takes responsibility for the site and any compliance issues that are existing. If you are not comfortable to take responsibility for the site you will need to either: 

• Speak with your customer and have them contact their previous installer to fix the issues. Do not submit your application until the issues have been fixed. 
• Discuss any extra costs/equipment required to fix the breach with your customer and fix the issue on site. 

If you submit the application and the original installer fixes the issue while your application is ongoing, it will also remove the non-compliance from your application.  
 

There will be no blanket exemption for VPPs, however sites in a VPP may be considered for an exemption if the solar is export limited. An exemption will not be granted if the site breaches its export limit consistently during solar hours. 

The 10-day monitoring period is expected to account for seasonality. Modelling shows that most non-compliant sites should breach their export limit during the monitoring period if they are non-compliant, regardless of the season. 

Following completion of the monitoring period, it can take an additional 2 days to receive meter data and verify the compliance status. The status will remain as 'export monitoring' until the data is received and then automatically update.

If a Retailer Smart Meter hasn't yet been installed, the monitoring period will not begin until up to 2 days after Smart Meter installation. There can be a delay in receiving the data from the Meter Provider which can result in this period being longer than anticipated. To ensure the monitoring period commences as promptly as possible, we recommend you coordinate with the Meter Provider to get the equipment installed on the same day as the system.