Level 3 ASPs

What is Happening?

One of our employees who recently attended a venue in Byron Bay last night tested positive for COVID-19. The employee had checked into the venue, isn’t displaying any COVID-19 symptoms and has followed our COVID-19 protocols and all directions from NSW Health.

We are in close communication with the employee to provide support and employees identified as close contacts have been informed and are currently isolating.

Given these events Essential Energy is making some immediate changes to our operations today. This includes:

• Closure of the Ewingsdale (Byron Bay), Ballina and Lismore depots for additional cleaning of premises and vehicles. No employees, contractors or ASPs are to enter these three depots, under any circumstance, until further notice
• Any redundant materials must be stored correctly and can be returned to an appropriate & open depot
• All planned outages in Ballina, Ewingsdale and Lismore have been postponed for the rest of this week
• Prohibition of movement between Essential Energy locations for the two weeks until 14 April.

Visitors to any Essential Energy site must check in using a QR code and we are using this detail to contact all people who have visited the Ballina, Ewingsdale and Lismore depots since the weekend. We are also working with NSW Health to ensure they have any further information they need.

The safety of our people and the community is our highest priority, and we believe the steps we have taken are necessary to minimise the impact and spread of COVID-19. These steps are designed to ensure we can continue to operate the network safely and ensure staff are available to respond to fault and emergency situations.

We will continue to monitor the situation closely, including NSW Health and government advice. Further information will be provided as required. If you have any questions please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au

In the next few days, you may receive an invitation to participate in a survey from WoolCott Research and Engagement, on behalf of Essential Energy.

The aim of this survey is to seek feedback from our customers and partners on a number of proposed improvements we are considering as part of our program of continuous improvement, which includes projects such as the BetterConnect program and Customer Journey Mapping.

We encourage you to participate, and look forward to receiving your feedback.

Further Information

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

What is Happening?

We’ve made some recent changes to Power Lines Pro to improve Digital Asset Management capability and your user experience.

A technical update available on Essential Engagement under Digital Asset Management for March 2021 details the following changes:

• Drag coefficients
• Simplification of left and right types of pin constructions
• Creating a transverse mirror of a pin construction
• Acquisition of Full Swath LiDAR data

What do you need to do?

1. Review the Power Lines Pro Technical Update March 2021 on Essential Engagement.
2. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.

Further Information

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

A recent influx of Design Information Applications (DIA) has resulted in a backlog and associated processing delays.

We are putting plans in place to process your requests as soon as possible.

To help ensure your DIA is processed with minimal delay, please make sure you include all relevant details and attach documents applicable to the type of project:

• Electrical Concept plan
• Full details of your project in the ‘description of works’ field
• Survey or DP plans
• Staging plans
• Notice of Determination / DA
• Photos

Please submit your application via the BetterConnect portal or Contestable Works inbox.

In the meantime, we apologise for any inconvenience current processing delays may cause.

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?

Essential Energy’s Asset Label Request Form (CEOF6708 – Operational Form – Contestable Works – Asset Label Request) has been amended to accommodate predrilled pillars.

Please use the guide below when ordering labels for pits and pillars:

• For Pit and Streetlight – order NP Small
• For Predrilled Pillars – order NP Large for Poles and Pillars

Please use the labels you currently have for open projects and order the new size for future projects via the form or for Level 3 ASPs through the BetterConnect Portal.

What do you need to do?

1. Review the above form and be aware of the change for Pillar labels.
2. Download the latest issue 3 of CEOF6708 - Operational Form – Contestable Works – Asset Label Request from the Document Library.
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 has made further improvements to Power Lines Pro to enhance the user experience for Accredited Service Providers (ASPs).

A quick reference guide has been developed to assist you to fix incorrectly rendered reports.

What do you need to do?

1. Review the user guide on fixing incorrect rendered reports on Essential Engagement under the Digital Asset Management section.
2. 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?

Further to our communication on 24 September 2020 we would like to provide an update on the ASP Connections and Quality Manager role. 

Hamish Wheatley will take on the role of Acting ASP Connections and Quality Manager from 1 March 2021. We would like to thank Kevin Miller for his contribution while in this role over the past 6 months.

You can contact Hamish via email hamish.wheatley@essentialenergy.com.au.

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

Essential Energy is making changes to the approval process for all single phase urban domestic embedded generation connection applications. These changes will improve compliance and turn-around times and, where certain criteria are met, eliminate the need to manually sign and return connection offers.

What is changing?

Under the NSW Service and Installation Rules (section 8.6.8 – maximum phase imbalance requirements), all single phase urban domestic embedded generation systems connected to a three-phase network must be export-limited to 5kW.

To comply with this requirement, from 1 March 2021 all connection applications received for single phase embedded generation systems greater than 5kW and equal to or less than 10kW in an urban domestic area will be expedited and a connection offer will be provided with a 5kW export limit condition.

What do you need to do?

If you are installing a single phase embedded generation system in an urban domestic location, please ensure that all details within the application are completed correctly, including the premises type in section 2.0. A single line diagram will still be required within the application documents, together with a voltage rise calculation for any urban systems greater than 5kW.

Ensure that the connection offer provided by Essential Energy is thoroughly reviewed, and any site-specific conditions or export limits are understood prior to commencing the installation.

If you are installing a three phase embedded generation system and would like an assessment completed for export availability above 5kW, please deselect the ‘request to expedite’ option in section 5.0 of the application form and the application will be reviewed by Essential Energy’s connections team.

Please communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.

Questions and Answers

Q. What will happen if I forget to deselect the expedite button in section 5.0 of the application form for an urban domestic embedded generation site?

A. Your application will be processed and a 5kW export limit applied.

If your connection application is for a three phase embedded generation system and you would like an assessment completed for the export availability above 5kW, please resubmit the application and deselect the expedite option in section 5.0. The application will be reviewed by Essential Energy’s connections team.

Q. Will I receive a greater export capability if a premises is converted to three phase?

A. Three phase embedded generation systems will be reviewed by Essential Energy against the existing distribution network capacity. If an export greater than 5kW can be accommodated without distribution network augmentation, details will be provided in the connection offer. In some cases, 5kW is the maximum export available at premises regardless of the number of phases specified. A connection application must be submitted to initiate the review process.

Q. How can I confirm if a customer’s premises is urban or rural?

A. Land zoning information can be confirmed using the NSW planning portal by click on the link https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/spatialviewer/#/find-a-property/address.

Q. I have received a connection offer with a 5kW export limitation. What does this mean?

A. The total solar export for this premises, including all combined connected solar systems must be export limited to 5 kW. If a connection offer relates to a three-phase system, 5kW is the total export at site balanced across 3 phases (e.g. 1.67kW per phase).

Q. What if I am installing a single phase embedded generation system greater than 5kW and equal to or less than 10kW system within an urban domestic embedded network (e.g. townhouse complex, lifestyle village)?

A. The application must include details of all the embedded generating systems within the embedded network connected to the same low voltage connection point, and the voltage rise calculations with all generating systems. The application will be reviewed by Essential Energy’s connection team, with consideration given to all existing and proposed generation at the connection point.

Further Information

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

What is Happening?

Essential Energy has made further improvements to Power Lines Pro to enhance the user experience for Accredited Service Providers (ASPs).

Composite poles are now available in Power Lines Pro, as per Essential Energy drawing no. CEOM7101.90 within the Network Automodel pole library section of the platform.

Note: Not all composite poles have been created. Essential Energy will automatically update the Network Automodel pole library on the Power Lines Pro platform with the remaining composite poles when the technical parameters are available.

What do you need to do?

1. Review the Network Automodel pole library in Power Lines Pro to access the updated information
2. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.

Further Information

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

Design Criteria for the application of additional load to existing poles.

Our current CEOM7097 Overhead Design Manual section 3.5.10 design requirements apply full design loads and a strength reduction factor of 0.5 to existing distribution poles. While this often results in only a modest tip load increase, it requires existing pole replacement.

To limit the need for existing pole replacements, the following changes will be made to CEOM7097 section 3.5.10 Timber pole assessment for additional loads:

• For evaluating the suitability of retaining existing poles for additional loads, a Strength Reduction Factor (ǿ) of up to 0.7 can be applied for existing preservative treated poles only. All new poles and existing natural round (untreated) poles shall use a Strength Reduction Factor of 0.5 as per Essential Energy Overhead Construction Manual drawing CEOM7101.03.
• Wind loads and drag coefficients shall correspond to the values shown in clause 3.5.6.8 – Table 3.5.6.8.2 (Regions A1-A7) and Table 3.5.6.8.3 (Region B) as applicable for a 50 Year Design Working Life and 50 Year Wind Return Period.

These changes are effective immediately and will be updated in the next release of the design manual.

Please note:

These changes apply to distribution poles only, not sub-transmission poles.

When determining the ultimate limit strength of existing wood poles all ASPs are required to calculate the residual pole strength using the Wall Thickness, the lower of either the Critical Zone diameter or Above Ground diameter and the Fibre Stress of the wood pole as defined by the pole species in conjunction with AS2878. These inputs are all found in Essential Energy’s GIS or alternatively residual pole strengths are automatically calculated for each pole when using the Power Lines Pro platform and Essential Energy’s Network Automodel.

Two examples of residual pole strength are shown in the table below for existing wood poles.

• Pole 1 is an existing Preservative Treated 17 m, 6 kN Stress grade S2 (85 MPa) timber pole.
• Pole 2 is an existing Natural Round 17 m, 6 kN Stress grade S2 (85 MPa) timber pole. Pole 1 and Pole 2 have different Ground line diameters (GD) and Wall thickness (W).

The available capacity value in the table is compared against the total design load on the structure determined by design assessment.

These new requirements have been updated in Essential Energy’s Network Automodel for Asps who use Power Lines Pro, as shown in the diagram below:

What do you need to do?

1. Review the above additional load on existing poles.
2. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.
3. View this communication via Essential Engagement at engage.essentialenergy.com.au/ASP

Further Information

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