Sunny Portal remote update

As an Australian company, SMA Australia ensures that its products comply with applicable Australian laws and standards, including having the capability to meet the DER Technical Standard under the National Electricity Rules (NER) (which incorporates AS/NZS4777.2:2020).

The Australian Energy Market Operator (“AEMO”) has identified an industry-wide issue with inverter settings selected at installation often not fully conforming with the requirements of AS/NZS4777.2:2020. AEMO has asked SMA and other inverter suppliers, on a voluntary basis, to remotely update the settings, codes and/or firmware of internet-connected inverters installed since December 2021 to help increase compliance with AS/NZS4777.2:2020. This will help ensure the stability of the power system.

More information about AS/NZS4777.2:2020 can be found here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my system need to be remotely updated?

If your inverter (model listed below) is installed after 19/12/2021 and the country code was not selected correctly during commissioning, it will be remotely updated.

Offgrid systems are not affected and will not be remotely updated.

Affected inverters:

SB1.5-1VL-40, SB2.5-1VL-40, SB3.0-1AV-41, SB4.0-1AV-41, SB5.0-1AV-41, SB6.0-1AV-41, STP3.0-3AV-40, STP4.0-3AV-40, STP5.0-3AV-40, STP6.0-3AV-40, STP8.0-3AV-40, STP10.0-3AV-40, STP 12-50, STP 15-50, STP 20-50, STP 25-50, STP50-41

Will remote update allow DNSP to control or shut off my inverter?

No, updating to AS4777.2:2020 does not provide DNSP with an additional channel to control or shut off your inverter.

However, if you live in a state where remote disconnection is required, additional settings/software/hardware will be required to comply with the local regulation.

How will remote update affect my inverter’s settings?

Your inverter’s country code will be remotely updated from legacy country code such as “AS4777.2:2015” to one of the mandated country code, “AS4777.2:2020 Region A/B/C” for inverters installed from 19/12/2021 onwards.

The exact country code to be applied will depend on your DNSPs.

Region A – applicable for majority of Australian DNSPs except for those specified below
Region B – applicable for Western Power
Region C – applicable for Horizon Power and TasNetworks

No additional settings will be adjusted.

What are the differences between AS4777.2:2020 Region A, B and C?

All 3 Regions share the same underlying grid connection requirements stated in AS4777.2:2020, the main differences are power quality response modes, passive anti-islanding, disconnection voltage and frequency response limits.

The differences are critical to ensure that your inverter operates within your local grid condition while also contributes to grid stability and provide fault ride-through during voltage/frequency disturbances.

How will my feed-in be affected after the update?

For inverters set to legacy standards such as AS/NZS4777.2:2015, the most common issues seen are inverter disconnections due to overvoltage, this reduces yield and increases wear and tear on the inverter.

Where AS/NZS4777.2:2020 is designed to maintain operation and support of the local grid. From customers who have manually chosen to go to the latest standard they have seen considerable improvement when compared to AS/NZS4777.2:2015 and thus resulting in more stable production.

What will happen to my inverter during remote update?

Generally, the switchover to the new country code will be completed in less than 5 minutes and your inverter will continue to function as usual during this period.

But if your inverter’s firmware does not contain the latest country code, SMA will initiate the inverter to update its firmware before switching over to the new country code.

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