Hypothetical question: would you take a fixed 5 kW export limit, a dynamic 10 kW limit, or pay for a guaranteed 10 kW limit?

Interested to see what solar owners would choose in this situation.

You have a 10 kW+ solar PV system, but the local network is constrained. You have three choices:

A — 5 kW fixed export limit (free)
You can never export more than 5 kW.

B — 10 kW flexible/dynamic export limit (nominally free)
You can export up to 10 kW when network capacity is available, but the distributor can reduce the limit to 5 kW during constrained periods, most likely when solar generation is high and local demand is low.

There’s no charge for the flexible export option itself, but you’ll need a compatible inverter. If your existing inverter isn’t compatible, upgrading or replacing it would be an additional cost.

C — 10 kW fixed export limit (you pay)
You get a guaranteed 10 kW export limit, but have to contribute to any network upgrade needed to provide it.

The cost can vary wildly depending on the local constraint, but for the sake of the discussion assume somewhere between $900 to $7,200 (excluding GST).

Which would you choose: A, B or C?

If you’d choose C, how much would you actually be willing to pay before A or B becomes the better deal?

And what would drive your decision? Export rates, self-consumption, expected frequency of dynamic restrictions, batteries, future electricity use, how long you’ll own the property, or something else?

For the purposes of the hypothetical, adding a battery isn't a fourth option. You still have to choose A, B or C. If having (or planning) a battery changes which of those three you would choose, though, that’s part of the discussion.