Skip to content
English - United Kingdom
Contact us
  • There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

What Is a DNO Export Limit? Explained with Examples

A DNO export limit is the maximum amount of electricity your solar or battery system can send back to the grid at any one time, set by your Distribution Network Operator to protect the local grid. It doesn’t affect how much energy you can generate or use at home, only how much you can export. If your export limit feels restrictive, you can maximise your self-consumption with options like adding battery storage, charging an EV, or heating water with excess solar energy — all of which typically deliver a better return than exporting.

A DNO export limit ⚡️ is the maximum amount of electricity your solar ☀️ or battery 🔋 system is allowed to send back to the grid 🌍, as set by your Distribution Network Operator (DNO). It protects the local network from overload.

The usable system size 🏠 is the total size of your solar or battery system, the amount you can generate or store for your own use, no matter the export limit.

⚠️ Export limits only impact the rate at which you can export energy, not the total amount. ⚠️ 

Simple Summary:

  • Usable system size = What you can generate/use yourself 🏡.

  • DNO export limit = How much energy you can send back to the grid at any one time ⚡️.

Here is a working example:

  • You install a 8kW solar system ☀️ (usable size)

  • The DNO sets an export limit of 6kW ⚡️

  • This means:

    • You can use the full 8kW generation at your property.

    • You can only export to the grid at a rate of 6 kW.

    • The extra 2kW need to be used, stored, or managed.

We understand that restricting the amount of electricity you can export to the grid isn't the ideal outcome.

However, if your export is lower than you were hoping for you do have options;

  1. You can get a bigger battery which allows you to use this extra electricity in your home.
  2. If you have an electric car, you can look at a solar compatible EV charger to charge your car for free.
  3. If you have a hot water tank, you can look at diverting some of your excess solar energy to pre-heat your tank.

You'll always get the best ROI by using your energy at home, rather than drawing it from the grid, instead of earning money by exporting electricity to the grid.

And if your inverter’s maximum capacity isn’t much higher than 3.68kW, this may not be much of an issue for you in the first place.