Electrical Contractors

What is Happening?

From 1 July 2019, the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) introduced new regulatory charges for Ancillary Network Services. As an Accredited Service Provider (ASP), Authorised Person (AUP) or Electrical Contractor (EC), you would be aware of the current Ancillary Network Services charges applicable to services you provide to your customers.

The AER has approved the new regulatory charges for Essential Energy’s Ancillary Network Services to be implemented from 1 July 2020.

You can read more about Essential Energy’s pricing for Ancillary Network on our website at: Essential Energy > Our Network > Network Pricing and Regulatory Reporting > Network Pricing.

What do you need to do?

1. Review the 2020-21 Pricing Schedules for Ancillary Network Services available on the Essential Energy website
2. Accredited Service Providers, Authorised Persons and Electrical Contractors should consider pricing changes when preparing quotations for customers regarding future work
3. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation

Further Information

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au.

What is happening?

Essential Energy is committed to providing customers who wish to install low-voltage embedded generation access to the network where it does not compromise quality, safety and reliability of supply to other network users.

To facilitate this, we have revised our assessment criteria for connection of embedded generators to the low-voltage network.

Effective Monday 15 June 2020 our revised criteria requires that voltage rise on Service Mains is maintained within 1% (in accordance with clauses '1.12.3.4' & '8.6.13' of the NSW Service Installation Rules). This will enable Essential Energy to maintain voltage at the point of connection at 253V.

Exemptions

Application of exemption clause '8.6.13.1' will not be accepted when it results in an increase of voltage on the Service Mains greater than 1%. We will consider exemption where combined voltage in the Consumer Mains and Sub Mains is limited to 2% (as per clause '3.3.3' of AS/NZS4777.1-2016).

Alternative compliance mechanisms may include applicants proposing Service Mains augmentation or imposing export limits to their generator systems in order to maintain the voltage rise within the Service Mains to 1% (as per clause '8.6.3' of the NSW Service Installation Rules, and noting that export limits will not impose a limit on the capacity of generator systems for self-consumption).

At this time, the standing automatic approval for energy export of 5kW per connection point for urban, and 3kW per connection point for rural customers remains in place.

What do you need to do?

Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.

Further Information

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au.

Background

The NSW Service and Installation Rules stipulate that low voltage connections greater than 100 Amps must be reviewed by the electricity distributor.

To facilitate compliance and ensure consistency, Essential Energy is centralising our review process.

What is changing?

From today, all connection applications for low voltage customer switchboards with ratings of more than 100 Amps per phase (new/modified and with or without CT metering) are to be submitted with a proposed load, single line diagram and power factor correction details (if applicable), and a completed “Switch Board Compliance Statement”, CEOF7819 can be found on the Document Library.

All requests must be submitted via switchboard.review@essentialenergy.com.au, using the standard naming convention – Address_Customer Name_Submitting Company Name_Submission Version (Example - 2 Southern Cross Dr Ballina_ Marelex_V1).

Following receipt of your submission, Essential Energy will assess the documentation and respond as ‘appears compliant’ or if non-compliant, as ‘rejected’.

What do you need to do?

Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.

Further Information

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au

As part of Essential Energy’s commitment to continuous improvement, we are seeking feedback from our customers and business partners about how easy we are to do business with.

Feedback received from ASPs and Electrical Contractors to date has assisted us in ensuring that the capabilities and quality of our products and services are meeting your expectations now and into the future.

Over the next few weeks, a representative from Woolcott Research & Engagement may contact you to participate in a survey that will assess your satisfaction with our service delivery and operational performance. Your input is needed to help Essential Energy optimise customer outcomes and ensure our operations are aligned to your needs.

Further Information

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au

What is happening?

The Electrical Safety Office (ESO) has completed a minor review and update of CEOP8030 Electrical Safety Rules that is now available on Essential Energy’s Document Library as Issue 17. Details of the changes are listed in the revisions section of the document.

What do you need to do?

Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.

Further Information

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au

What is Happening?

From 1 July 2019, the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) introduced new regulatory charges for Ancillary Network Services. As an Accredited Service Provider (ASP), Authorised Person (AUP) or Electrical Contractor (EC), you would be aware of the current Ancillary Network Services charges applicable to services you provide to your customers.

Effective 1 July 2020, there will be a price increase of approximately 2.6 per cent on all Ancillary Network Services.

You can read more about Essential Energy’s draft pricing for Ancillary Network on our website at: Essential Energy > Our Network > Network Pricing and Regulatory report > Network Pricing. Additional information will be made available once the 2020-21 pricing schedules have been finalised and approved by the AER.

What do you need to do?

1. Review the 2020-21 ‘draft’ Pricing Schedules for Ancillary Network Services available on the Essential Energy website
2. Accredited Service Providers, Authorised Persons and Electrical Contractors should consider pricing changes when preparing quotations for customers regarding future work
3. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.

Further Information

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au

What is happening?

The Electrical Safety Office recently completed a review of Operational Procedure: CEOP2377 Equipotential and Personal Protective Bonding.

Updates now incorporate the recent amendments made to CEOP8030 Electrical Safety Rules and other feedback received from within the business.

Details of these updates are listed within section 7.0 of CEOP2377 issue 6, now available on Essential Energy’s Document Library.

Safety Brief 905 - CEOP2377 Equipotential and Personal Protective Bonding Issue 6 is being shared for your information and can be accessed from Essential Energy’s Document Library or Essential Engagement.

What you need to do?

Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation

For Further information

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au

What is happening?

The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) launched its Distributed Energy Resources (DER) Register and associated online portal on 1 March 2020 The register captures information on newly installed solar panels, small scale battery storage and other forms of DER.

From 30 March 2020, all new DER installations on Essential Energy’s network must be recorded.

What you need to do?

Installers will have 20 business days from the date of installation to enter installation data into the register.

Two options are available for entering data:

• using the DER Register portal on the AEMO website: DER Register, or
• via a smartphone app.

To set up a DER register account you need an active job number and NMI – the job number is the same as the application number on Essential Energy’s approved connection paperwork. Once this has been set up you will only need your account details and password. Please note that Google Chrome is the preferred browser for the DER Register portal, and other browsers may experience compatibility issues.

Further Information

More information on the register can be found on the AEMO website.

If you are not able to find answers to your questions on these web pages, please email us at der.register.info@essentialenergy.com.au or call us on 13 23 91.

What is happening

Last week one of Essential Energy’s mailing lists was targeted by a phishing email with a PDF link that was malware. We would like to remind our ASP partners to be vigilant for these emails and maintain your cyber security.

A phishing email is a fraudulent attempt to obtain your sensitive information by a sender disguising themselves as a trustworthy entity.

If you receive a phishing email please take the following actions:

• Delete the email
• Do not open it and do not click on any links
• If you click on a suspicious link, we recommend you change all your passwords
• Do not forward the email

Further Information

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au

SafeWork NSW have created two videos to raise safety awareness in the Solar industry. You can view these videos on SafeWorks NSW YouTube Channel or follow the links below.

• Electrical Risk

• Risk of Fall