New Zealand’s Electricity Authority (EA) Te Mana Hiko has updated its generation and storage connection rules to streamline the ability of grid-scale and residential solar energy systems to supply local networks.
Rooftop solar, batteries and utility-scale solar farms will be able to export more power while staying within safety and reliability limits.
EA General Manager Networks and System Change Tim Sparks said over time, more efficient export limits support lower network costs that flow through to consumers’ bills.
“Currently about 75,000 households with solar, and more than 14,700 of those with batteries, can feed into local networks, but the amount of electricity they can supply has been capped at levels lower than it needs to be, which means, at times, higher-cost electricity is being used instead of these cheaper sources of power,” Sparks said.
An EA statement said under the new rules, lines companies must set a default export of 10 kW for “straightforward, small-scale distributed generation, such as household solar and battery systems.”
“Recent regulatory changes have enabled lines companies to voluntarily increase their export limits for residential connections – and it’s great to see most of them taking advantage of that already,” Sparks said.
“These new rules will ensure all lines companies are setting at least 10 kW limits for residential connections where they can – although this won’t be possible everywhere on networks.”
Sparks added that the new rules are important for locking in the progress already made and ensuring any network extensions have export limits that maximise benefits for consumers.
“Following feedback, we’re also allowing lines companies to offer a dynamic or flexible export limit for residential connections, as an alternative to the fixed 10 kW limit.”
“This makes the export limit even more efficient. Lines companies will be able to flex above or below the 10 kW as conditions on the network change – rather than setting a lower limit that must always apply,” Sparks said.
The rules future-proof regulations that pave the way for adoption of smarter, more flexible technologies, including vehicle-to-grid charging.
Assessment tools
Under the new rules, industry must also develop assessment tools for establishing when a limit below 10 kW is needed for safety or reliability reasons, or where a dynamic or flexible limit is appropriate.
The rules also create a nationally consistent and transparent approach to export limits for solar installations, wind farms and other distributed generation that supply more than 10 kW.
“We’re requiring industry to develop an assessment tool for lines companies to use when setting exports for larger-scale distributed generation,” Sparks said.
“This will standardise the approach across each of the 29 lines companies and streamline the process for those connecting larger distributed generation to networks. It could also encourage the installation of larger systems, as people will be clearer from the outset about their potential return on investment for exporting electricity.”
The 10 kW default export limit for residential connections comes into effect in late April 2026, followed by staged changes through to mid-October.
The new rules are the first part of stage two of the EA’s broader Network connections project.
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