Why networks limit solar exports
Local networks were built to carry power one way. On sunny days, rooftop solar can push more power back into a street than the lines and transformers were designed for, raising the voltage. Export limits keep the voltage within safe limits and stop solar in one street from crowding out the neighbours.
The limit applies to exports, not to the size of your panels. Many homes install more panels or inverter capacity than the export limit and use the extra themselves, or store it in a battery.
Fixed and flexible export limits
Fixed limit
Traditional- Simple, no internet connection needed
- Same limit all year
- Set for the worst case, so often lower than needed
- Solar wasted on mild sunny days
Flexible or dynamic limit
Newer- Higher limit most of the time
- Adjusts to the real capacity in your street
- Needs a compatible internet-connected inverter
- Can drop to a low fall-back limit when the network is busy
| Network | Fixed option | Flexible option |
|---|---|---|
| SA Power Networks | 1.5 kW per phase (0 kW in SWER areas) | Up to 10 kW per phase, falling back to 1.5 kW |
| Energex | 5 kW per phase | Up to 10 kW per phase, with at least 1.5 kW when exports are reduced |
| AusNet | Lower fixed limits in constrained areas | Flexible exports offered to eligible customers |
South Australia has gone furthest: SA Power Networks has offered Flexible Exports across every council area since 17 July 2025, and most eligible customers have chosen it. Other networks are trialling or rolling out similar options.
What the 2021 rule changed
In August 2021 the AEMC made export services a core service networks must provide. Networks must now give a household that asks to export a limit above zero, unless an exemption applies, and must plan for more solar in their spending proposals. The same rule allowed export pricing, covered in our guide to solar export charges.
Before you install
Ask your installer what export limit your network will approve, whether a flexible option is available and whether a battery would let you use more of what the limit cuts off. Also check the emergency backstop rules in your state.
Common questions
It depends on your network and address. A fixed limit of 5 kW per phase has been common, with lower limits in congested areas. Flexible export options can allow up to 10 kW per phase in some networks.
Usually, yes. The limit applies to what you send to the grid, not to the size of your system. Your inverter is set to stop exports going over the limit, and you use or store the rest.
The inverter reduces output so exports stay under the limit. Power you use in the home at the same time is not affected. A battery or shifting usage to the middle of the day helps use what would otherwise be curtailed.
Sources
Every rate on this page comes from the regulator or the regulated retailer. Last checked October 2026. Prices include GST unless we say otherwise.