LV Regulation Unlocks more DER — Hiko Accelerates Assessments
Hiko has turned the new connections request process from “something that used to take days and turned it into a one-click workflow,” says Product Manager Natasha Gillison.
Hiko Energy has released a new LV voltage management feature to help New Zealand EDBs transition confidently under the expanded LV regulation changes announced earlier this month.
The Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority (EECA) recently confirmed that New Zealand’s permitted LV operating range has been lifted from +6% to +10%, giving EDBs more headroom to accommodate distributed energy resources (DER) such as rooftop solar and EV charging infrastructure.
Hiko’s new voltage rise/drop calculation tool leverages smart meter data to speed up compliance checks on new DER connection requests — especially in already solar-intensive areas of the network.
“In some cases, LV networks move from near zero capacity to having tens of kWs available.” — Ryan Gilmour, Solutions Engineer
Voltage clarity at scale
Hiko developed its volt-drop algorithm primarily to streamline connection impact assessments for engineers. This existing capability has also made it straightforward to model the effects of the expanded voltage range, allowing us to quickly leverage real network data to support connections decisions under the new regulations.
“Some of our customers are dealing with parts of their network where +6% voltage limits mean networks cannot support new generation capacity without applying network changes,” says Ryan Gilmour, Solutions Engineer at Hiko. “With the change to +10%, we’re now able to model updated connection limits using existing data, and in some cases, LV networks move from near zero capacity to having tens of kWs available.”
The new functionality lets network teams run voltage impact checks based on actual measured voltage conditions across the feeder, using recent interval data from AMI meters. By drawing on real voltage baselines and accurate topology mapping, networks can now confidently approve or reject DER connections in seconds. With the expanded voltage range, constraints that were previously dominated by voltage limits may now shift to transformer or LV circuit thermal capacity.
“The goal was to make it easier to give a fast ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to new connection requests, without engineers having to pull out spreadsheets or wait on planning support,” adds Natasha Gillion, Product Manager at Hiko. “We’ve taken something that used to take days and turned it into a one-click workflow.”
For some networks, the shift in operable voltage range has unlocked substantial increases in solar hosting capacity, allowing residential customers to install beyond 10kW (vs 4 kW previously) without the need for augmentation or delays.
About Hiko Energy Insights
Hiko Energy Insights has been collaborating with New Zealand EDBs to unlock the power of their smart meter data for more than eight years.
Hiko offers scalable data processing capabilities, handling over 250 TB of meter reads daily while their ISO 27001 accreditation ensures the highest levels of data security.
There's no need to invest in IT infrastructure either — Hiko will store and process the data, which EDBs have full access to for as long as they need it. The team uses Amazon Web Services (AWS) for powerful, secure data processing that is scalable and robust.