SMARTER EXPORTS = better feed-in tariffs
If you have rooftop solar, you’ve taken the first step. The next step is to make sure you’re exporting electricity at the best possible times – when the grid needs it the most.
The economics of export
Australia is a world leader in rooftop solar installations, with up to 25% of energy supplied to the grid coming from rooftop solar.
But this presents a new challenge to our energy market.
Over the course of a day large amounts of solar generation is exported into the grid. This causes a sharp drop in the supply required from other generators, lowering the wholesale price. As the sun sets, solar generation wanes … and evening electricity demand peaks. Most of this demand has to be met by more expensive fossil fuel generation, which drives the wholesale price up.
What this means for the renewable energy transition is we should try to use clean energy as we generate it and use technology such as batteries to increase clean energy supply outside of times of high solar generation.
Managing your energy exports
At Flow Power, we’re driving the energy transition by incentivising customers to use and/or export their solar-generated electricity at the times the grid needs it most.
This means that to be successful on our energy plans, our users need to pay attention to the times that they export energy so that they are supporting the grid at times it needs energy (when prices are high) and not putting excess energy into the grid when prices are low.
Our electricity plan is best for solar customers that:
- consume most (or all) of their solar generation,
- can store excess energy in a battery, and
- have west-facing solar panels (so can produce energy later in the day than typical north-facing panels).
How is the FPEA calculated?
The FPEA is calculated based on when you use your
electricity, wholesale energy prices, and your network
tariffs. Click below to learn exactly how we do it.
Get into it
The Feed-In PEA is great, but might not suit everyone.
If you have rooftop solar, the most effective way to save money is to use the electricity it generates instead of buying electricity from the grid.
The Feed-in PEA is most rewarding if you have a solar battery storage system, so you can export excess electricity at times of high wholesale prices.
It may also suit those who can use most of their solar at the time of generation (during the day) and avoid exporting to the grid at this time.
If this doesn’t sound like you, then this product might not be right for you.
* Each user will vary depending on the generation, usage and export of your generated electricity.
Common questions about the FPEA
For a small number of customers, yes. If you are exporting only at times of very low and negative price periods on the wholesale market, your Feed-in PEA could reduce your FiT and, in a small number of cases, become an additional charge.
We understand you might not be at home and using your appliances every day.
So, for those that typically use most of their solar energy but are out, you can use the smart tools that come with Flow Home and Flow Business. For example, you can use the Flow Power app to see when your solar array is generating electricity, and your smart plug to turn on devices that can use this energy.
Or, if some of your energy-intensive devices – such as dishwashers, washing machines and pool pumps – have timers on them, you can delay their start time to coincide with your typical solar generation period (when the sun is shining).
Our electricity plans may not be the right one for you if you can’t control when you export energy (i.e. you don’t have a battery), or you don’t use much of your solar as it’s being generated, and you’re not planning to get a battery.
The Feed-in PEA is additional to the standard PEA and is only applicable to customers with rooftop solar and / or batteries installed.
The Feed-in PEA appears as a line item on your bill underneath your base rate and PEA. Our guide to understanding your bill explains where these items are located and how to read them.
If you have rooftop solar, the most effective way to save money on your energy bill is to use the free electricity it generates instead of buying electricity from your retailer. To do this you need to use the electricity as it is being generated, when the sun is shining.
Your PEA will be impacted by your home’s solar because you will have less demand for grid energy at the cheapest times in the wholesale market (which our electricity plans are linked to). Typically, your home will also use more energy at times when the grid is constrained and powered by more fossil fuels, because the sun has gone down.
This means if you don’t have a battery and you export more electricity than you consume in the middle of the day, it will be challenging to get a PEA that provides a discount on your base energy rate.
For sure! This product is a great fit for you if you can store your excess solar energy (which is typically generated when wholesale prices are low), and either use it then or export it to the grid when wholesale prices are high (typically, early evening).
So, if you can control when you use your energy – Flow Power is a great product for you.
Use your power for good
Help us grow the number of Aussie homes powered by 100% GreenPower.
Sign up to Flow Power via our app.
Have more questions? we’re here to help
There’s no such thing as a stupid question in our eyes. From ‘what if I don’t have a battery?’ to ‘how can I improve my FPEA?’, we’re here to provide answers, information and money saving tips.