will I also be given a copy of the network map and they show me exactly where my power caused the “traffic jam”.
i have no info about the regulator part in this...
the 'traffic jam' will most likely be conductor size to the transformer (TX) or the transformer itself...
in a lot of cases, whole streets/housing estates are hooked up to solar, and the 'jams' occur because the conductor installed (to the TX or from TX to TX) was never designed to handle the loads produced by solar on houses.
generally, the network has been designed in such a way that conductor size gets smaller, as you transition through from generation (biggest), transmission (smaller) and distribution (smallest for 240V).
to alleviate the solar export issues, conductor sizes have to get bigger, especially in the distribution space (ie: from house to distribution TX, and from distribution TX to zone TX, to a lesser degree).
if the conductor is too small for the solar load pushing back through it, there will be a consequence (ie: heat and higher voltages, which the conductor and the network is not built to handle)
even powerlines stringing from pole to pole are affected by this higher heat and voltage, because when they heat up due to higher voltage, they will sag (sometimes to a great degree, 5+ metres in some cases) causing a safety issue as well as a voltage issue.
the transformer itself may not be capable of handling the power coming back into it (think of it like a dam wall, with a full dam behind it, and then an equal amount of water hits the dam wall from the other/dry side). the consequences of that happening to a large distribution TX or a zone TX could be catastrophic.
these types of issues are being rectified over time, but this isn't an instant fix. it's possible a 20-40 year job to re-configure the entire QLD network.
I think we all understand and agree that our power network is old and wasn’t originally designed for so much (if any) domestic solar production.
and that is a huge part of this issue. the expectation is that the network can just be modified on a whim, or in a very short time frame. it just isn't possible. and to make these changes costs $$$.
where does that extra $$$ come from? and it is extra $$$, not just the existing maintenance $$$ provided by the regulator, which are reducing over every 5 year span.
in the end, this inability for the network model to be changed quickly (through no fault of it's own) is a perfect reason why the original 44c tariff scheme was misguided and poorly thought out in the early stages.
