THE head of Western Australia's biggest electricity utility has warned limits might need to be placed on the amount of power roof-top solar panels can feed into the state's grid to ensure it does not blow its capacity.
Western Power managing director Doug Aberle, who oversees the state's network of poles and wires that transmits power to homes, said the government-owned utility would need to ensure that investment in the state's grid kept pace with soaring demand for renewable technology, such as solar panels, in order to keep the voltage of the system stable.
Large clusters of solar panels have the potential to create a surge in power at peak times of the day. This would cause a jump in the network's voltage, which is meant to be maintained around 240V, and cause household appliances to fail, The Australian Financial Review.
"The way forward given the existing [40-year-old] network is to invest in smart meters to let people with solar panels connect so there is no constraint on connecting," Mr Aberle said.
Smart meters are being tested in Perth's eastern suburbs. They let consumers see how much power they are using, but also allow utilities to regulate the amount of power solar power panels feed into the electricity grid.
