Powercor's 1.5kW export limit and flexible exports, explained
If Powercor is the distributor named on your electricity bill, its rules decide how much of a new solar system's output can be sent back to the grid. Over 2026 to 2031 those rules change. Here is what Powercor's approved policy says, and what to check before you sign.
The 1.5kW number
Powercor's connection policy for 2026 to 2031, published by the Australian Energy Regulator with its April 2026 decision, says Powercor will lower the maximum static export limit to 1.5kW per phase during that period. It will not impose a zero static limit: those customers move onto flexible exports instead[1].
A static limit is fixed. 1.5kW is the most it can be under the new policy, not the number every address gets, and a customer in a severely constrained part of the network who chooses a static limit may get less[1].
Flexible exports
A flexible connection lets a household export up to 10kW per phase, subject to network constraints[1]. Powercor already offers it to customers whose pre-approval comes back at 0kW: they choose between a flexible connection and a 0kW static limit, and on flexible can export up to their inverter's capacity or 10kW. In Powercor's trial, participants exported freely more than 90% of the time. It needs a CSIP-AUS capable inverter and a reliable internet connection[2].
Flexible is not unlimited. The policy lists when it can be turned down below the static limit: minimum demand emergencies, minimum demand tests ahead of spring, loss of contact with the inverter, and local or upstream network constraints[1].
Why the phase matters out of town
Powercor sets export limits per phase, and pre-approval covers inverters up to 10kW on a single-phase supply or 30kW on three-phase[1]. Some rural and acreage properties have three-phase power, and on those the same per-phase limit applies on each phase. Find out which you have before you get quotes, because it changes how big an array is worth installing.
Who sets your limit, and when
Powercor, at pre-approval, before anything goes on the roof. Your installer lodges the pre-approval through Powercor's eConnect portal before a contract is signed, and Powercor assesses local network capacity and sets the limit for the address[3]. Ask to see that number.
What it means for a system and a battery
With a 1.5kW static cap, a house can export no more than 1.5kW per phase at any moment, so on a sunny afternoon much of a larger array's surplus may be curtailed. What the house uses itself, and what a battery stores for the evening, carries the value. That is a reason to size panels to the house, to stay connected so the system can use a flexible limit, and to look harder at a battery.
Powercor's area takes in Geelong, the Surf Coast and the Bellarine[4], among other places. The area guides below cover towns on its network, with what the numbers look like town by town.
What to ask the installer
What limit the pre-approval came back with, whether it is static or flexible, and whether it is per phase. Whether the inverter is CSIP-AUS capable. Whether the house has internet reliable enough to stay online. And how the design changes if the static limit is 1.5kW.
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Common questions
What is Powercor's solar export limit?
Powercor's 2026 to 2031 connection policy lowers the maximum static export limit to 1.5kW per phase during that period, and offers flexible exports up to 10kW per phase, subject to network constraints. The limit for your address is set at pre-approval.
What happens if Powercor gives me a 0kW export limit?
You can choose a flexible exports connection, exporting up to your inverter's capacity or 10kW, instead of a 0kW static limit. You need a CSIP-AUS capable inverter and reliable internet.
Does the 1.5kW limit apply per phase?
Yes. Powercor sets export limits per phase, so a three-phase property's limit applies on each phase.
Sources
- Australian Energy Regulator, final decision April 2026, Powercor Connection Policy 2026-31 (Attachment 16, Appendix A). Read 2026-10-26.
- Powercor, Flexible exports. Read 2026-10-26.
- Powercor, Rooftop solar. Read 2026-10-26.
- Powercor, lodged with the Australian Energy Regulator, Powercor map of distribution system (RIN017). Read 2026-10-26.