Welcome to Stand-alone Power Systems
Your property is now powered by a Stand-alone Power System (SPS).
If you are a SPS customer this means that you have been disconnected from the overhead electricity network and are solely supplied via the solar (PV) generation and battery storage in the SPS. A back-up generator has also been installed to supply to supplementary power when necessary.
The SPS is an innovative renewable energy solution making the most of the available sunshine at your property.
The SPS unit will rely on renewable energy (i.e. solar and battery) up to 95 per cent of the time.
At a minimum your back-up generator will run for 15 minutes once a week as part of its maintenance cycle. The amount your generator will run per week will be impacted by things like:
- How much electricity you’re using daily
- Electricity use over night
- Environmental conditions like cloud cover
- Seasonal changes.
Gifting of consumer mains and sub mains
As part of the commissioning process, new equipment will be installed on your property which will become your responsibility to maintain, including:
- consumer mains cable
And where required:
- half pole (where your meter box has been relocated to), and
- consumer sub-mains.
Consumer mains cable
The consumer mains cable forms part of your property’s electrical installation. Following completion of the works, the consumer mains cable is gifted by Western Power to you and now belongs to you as the property owner. It is your responsibility to maintain this as the property owner. You should consult with a licensed electrical contractor and/or a cable locator prior to undertaking any works which may affect the consumer mains cable.
Half pole and consumer sub-mains
If as part of transitioning you to SPS, Western Power relocated your meter box to a half pole, the half pole and the consumer sub-mains now also belong to you. As the property owner, these are now your responsibility to maintain.
An indicative plan of the underground cable route has been attached to the inside of your meter box. Please refer to this when undertaking future works on your property so as not to disrupt the cable.
If you are not sure of the location of the cable, please take the time to check with a cable location service provider, or an electrical contractor prior to any excavation.
Removal and disconnection of redundant consumer mains
When your SPS is commissioned, any redundant consumer mains will be removed from the consumer pole. As these consumer mains belong to the property owner, our contractor will leave these neatly coiled up for you on the property.
If there are circumstances where the consumer mains cannot be safely removed, for example, redundant consumer mains that attach to and run through the roof of the house, these will be disconnected and made safe at both ends by our contractor. In this situation we would recommend removing the redundant cable next time you have your electrician on the property.
FAQs
While we manage the cost and responsibility of the ongoing operation and maintenance of SPS, customers and property owners are expected to:
- not enter the SPS enclosure
- provide Western Power with access to the property as required
- let Western Power know about any plans to significantly increase their load requirements
- keep the area around the SPS clear of structures and vegetation that could affect performance (e.g. avoid planting trees or building a shed that will shade the solar panels)
- maintain a fire break around the SPS
- let us know before installing any generation (renewable or otherwise), and
- let us know if they have recently sold the property the connection is on, and
- continue to pay the Synergy bill.
We will try to contact you prior to attending your property. If we can’t get in touch, we may still need to access the property. As an energy operator, we’re permitted to enter properties for these purposes. For more information, please visit Land Access Legislation.
Your SPS uses solar energy and battery storage to supply your property, with the backup generator operating when additional power is needed. How often it runs will depend on your electricity use, overnight demand, cloud cover and seasonal conditions. The generator will also run for at least 15 minutes each week as part of its regular maintenance cycle.
The generator is positioned away from residential buildings where possible to minimise noise. You do not need to refuel or maintain it. We monitor the fuel level, service the SPS as required and will contact you before accessing your property to carry out maintenance or refuelling.
Please contact the SPS team directly via 9326 4140 or sps@westernpower.com.au
Yes. Customers can install and operate their own solar PV systems, batteries and engine-driven generators alongside an SPS, provided certain technical requirements are met.
Customer-owned generation systems operate independently of the SPS and can help increase energy independence and reduce energy costs. To maintain the safety and reliability of the SPS, these systems must be configured so they do not export electricity back into the SPS.
Requirements for customer-owned generation include:
- Solar and battery systems must be configured for self-consumption only and must not export energy.
- Backup generators must be connected through an open-transition changeover switch, which disconnects the premises from the SPS before the generator is started. This generator operates independently of the generator integrated within the SPS.
Because an SPS operates independently from the broader electricity network, customer-owned generation systems must not export electricity. As a result:
- customers are not eligible for Renewable Energy Buyback Schemes;
- excess electricity cannot be exported or sold back to the network; and
- all electricity generated must either be used on-site or stored in a battery system.
For more information, please refer to the Western Power Embedded Generation Connection Technical Requirements.