My GivEnergy solar and battery system is failing intermittently, GivEnergy is in administration and so is my installer, so it was a relief to get Ron’s expert advice.
Steve Trossell · Jun 2026 Google
Configuration · GivEnergy · G98 / G99
GivEnergy Export Limit — What to Set, Why It Resets & G98 vs G99
The export limit controls how much power your GivEnergy system is permitted to send to the grid. Set it wrong and you either violate your DNO conditions or silently lose export income. Set it to zero — which firmware updates do automatically — and you're generating power that goes nowhere.
Free remote diagnostic pay only if we fix it — remote fixes from £95
- Most UK single-phase systems: 3,680W
- Firmware resets this to 0W silently
- G98 and G99 conditions explained
Not sure what your export limit should be?
Your correct export limit is determined by your DNO connection conditions — not by what's convenient or what the installer set at commissioning. We can check your MCS documentation, confirm your G98/G99 status, and set the correct value remotely.
Book your free remote diagnosticGivEnergy hubNot affiliated with GivEnergy Ltd. Independent diagnosis and configuration.
What an Amazing service and so helpful . I have had problems with a faulty GivEnergy inverter and Ron has been so diligent in investigating and reporting on it . I’d give him more than 5 stars if I could for his help in diagnosis and potential solution. Thoroughly recommend .
Penny Ribbeck · Jul 2026 Google
Just had my whole givenergy system go down. Battery and inverter. Ron sorted me out today 3 hours to get it all sorted. Clear instructions and successful. Could not ask for better. Now that givenergy has gone bust i was concerned as to where to go for help. I have found it and can recommend them to all you givenergy users out there. Off for a cup of coffee now😄
Eaton Edwards · Jul 2026 Google
Our 3 year old GivEnergy batteries froze. They were showing 0% on the app, but they were fully charged. Some how Ron took over our inverter and remotely cured the problem. We live in King’s Lynn, he is in Leeds I believe. Very grateful.
David Lewin · Jul 2026 Google
Solar Tech Support is an absolute lifesaver. My solar and battery system stopped working completely, but after one quick phone call, they fixed the problem straight away. The original provider, GivEnergy, has gone into administration, leaving me entirely without support from the original installers. It was a terrible situation on GivEnergy’s part, but thankfully, Solar Tech Support came to the rescue!
sohaib maroof · Jul 2026 Google
Ron made more sense in 20 mins than our installer has done over the last 12 months There is a jungle out there and you need someone like Ron to give a comprehensive overview and solution
David · May 2026
Background
What the export limit setting does
The export limit tells the GivEnergy inverter the maximum power it is allowed to push onto the grid at any moment. The inverter actively enforces this — if solar generation minus household consumption would exceed the limit, the inverter throttles down output rather than exporting above it.
SET TO 0W
No export permitted
All generation is consumed by the house or stored in the battery. Any surplus above what the house and battery can absorb is curtailed — the panels back off and that energy is lost. Required for some DNO conditions and leasehold properties.
SET TO 3,680W
Standard single-phase
The G98 limit for single-phase UK connections. Correct for most residential installations. Excess generation above household consumption and battery capacity is exported at up to 3.68kW.
DNO-SPECIFIED LIMIT
Custom G99 limit
If your DNO issued a G99 approval with a specific export cap — e.g. 1,500W or 2,000W — this figure takes precedence. Your connection agreement will state the exact value. Never exceed your DNO-approved limit.
The export limit affects your MCS/G98/G99 compliance. Exporting above your DNO-approved level is a breach of your connection conditions. If your system has been exporting above the approved limit — for example because a firmware reset removed a restriction that was correctly set — you should notify your DNO and correct the setting promptly.
What value to use
Setting the correct value
What export limit should you set?
The correct value is determined by your DNO connection conditions — not by what your installer set, not by what seems reasonable, and not by the inverter's maximum capability. Check your documents before changing this setting.
Standard single-phase UK home
G98 — most common
Set to 3,680W. This is the G98 single-phase limit. Most residential UK solar installations fall under G98 — the system notifies the DNO but doesn't require prior approval. If your MCS certificate says G98 and no other export condition was set, 3,680W is correct.
Three-phase connection
G98 three-phase
Set to 11,040W (3 × 3,680W) if three-phase G98, or to your DNO-specified figure if G99 applies. Three-phase installations are less common in domestic settings but do occur on larger homes and properties with high electrical demand.
G99 with a DNO-specified cap
Check your approval letter
Use the exact figure stated in your G99 approval letter from the DNO. This may be lower than 3,680W — common values are 1,500W, 2,000W, or 2,500W depending on what the DNO assessed. This document was issued before or at installation — check your installer paperwork.
Zero export required
Leasehold / specific DNO condition
Set to 0W. Required if your lease, building consent, or DNO condition prohibits any grid export. Also used on some commercial-on-domestic installations. If set to 0W, you will not receive any export payments — ensure this is genuinely required before setting it.
Where to find your approved export level. Check your MCS certificate (issued at installation), your DNO connection agreement or G98/G99 notification receipt, or your original installation contract. If you can't find these, contact your installer — they are required to keep records. If your installer has gone bust, contact your DNO directly with your property address and MPAN.
Grid connection standards
G98 and G99 explained
G98 vs G99 — which applies to your installation?
G98 and G99 are the UK grid connection standards that govern how solar and battery systems connect to the distribution network. Which one applies determines your maximum export level and what the DNO must be told.
G98 — notification only
Up to 3.68kW single-phase export
Most UK residential solar installations fall under G98. The installer notifies the DNO that the system has been connected — no prior approval is required. The DNO cannot refuse connection under G98.
→Single-phase systems up to 3.68kW export
→Notification sent within 28 days of installation
→No DNO approval needed before connecting
→Export limit: 3,680W
G99 — prior approval required
Larger systems or higher export
G99 applies to larger systems, three-phase connections, or any installation the DNO determines needs assessment. The DNO reviews the application and may impose conditions — including a specific export cap — before issuing approval.
→Systems above 3.68kW single-phase export
→DNO approval required before energising
→DNO may specify a lower export limit than the inverter maximum
→Export limit: as stated in G99 approval letter
Battery storage and G98/G99. Adding battery storage to an existing solar installation can change its G98/G99 status if the combined export capability now exceeds the G98 threshold. If a battery was added after the original solar installation and the original was G98, confirm with your installer whether G99 now applies — the export limit in the GivEnergy portal must reflect any new conditions.
Common problem
Very common after updates
Firmware update reset the export limit to 0W
GivEnergy firmware updates regularly reset the export limit to 0W. When this happens, the system continues to generate and the battery continues to charge and discharge — but nothing is exported to the grid. On an export tariff, this means you stop earning export payments immediately, silently, until someone checks the setting.
How to tell if the export limit reset
→Portal power flow shows solar generating and battery charging, but grid arrow never shows export even when battery is full and solar exceeds consumption
→Export payments from your SEG or Octopus/other export tariff suddenly dropped or stopped
→Monthly energy statement shows zero or near-zero export after a period of normal exporting
→Timing coincides with a firmware update
The financial impact
In summer months, a well-sized system on a G98 connection might export 5–15 kWh per day. At Octopus Flux export rates or SEG rates of 4–15p/kWh, a blocked export limit costs £0.20–£2.25 per day — potentially £50–£300 over a lost summer season before the problem is noticed.
The system appears to be working normally in every other respect. The only sign is that export figures drop to zero in the portal and export payments stop — which many homeowners don't check frequently enough to catch quickly.
Check the export limit after every firmware update. Add it to your post-update checklist alongside system mode and charge window settings. See the firmware settings reset guide for the full list of settings to check after any GivEnergy update.
How to set it
Portal configuration
Setting the export limit in the GivEnergy portal
The export limit is set remotely via the portal. No site visit or physical access to the inverter is needed.
Steps to set the export limit
1
Log into givenergy.cloud
Sign in with your account credentials at givenergy.cloud. Go to My Inverter in the left sidebar.
2
Navigate to Advanced Settings
The export limit is found under Advanced Settings — not under System Mode Settings. Look for a field labelled Export Limit, Grid Export Limit, or similar. On some portal versions this may be under Battery Options or a separate Export section.
Portal version varies. The exact location of the export limit field depends on your GivEnergy portal version and inverter generation. If you cannot find it, contact GivEnergy support or book a remote session for model-specific guidance.
3
Enter the correct value in watts
The field takes a value in watts (W), not kilowatts. Enter 3680 for the standard G98 single-phase limit, or the exact figure from your G99 approval letter. Enter 0 only if zero export is genuinely required. Do not leave the field blank.
4
Press Submit and verify
After submitting, wait 2–3 minutes for the setting to propagate to the inverter. On a sunny day, check the portal power flow — if solar is generating above household consumption and the battery is full, you should see the grid arrow showing export up to your new limit.
Verification tip: The quickest way to verify the export limit is working is to check on a clear midday when the battery is at 100% SoC. The portal should show grid export. If it still shows zero, check whether the battery is genuinely full and solar is above consumption — the system will not export if the battery still has capacity to fill.
Export income
Export tariffs and SEG
Export tariffs — what the export limit affects
If you're on a Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), Octopus Outgoing, Octopus Flux, or any other export tariff, a blocked export limit directly reduces your income. The export limit is the single most important setting for export revenue.
How the export limit affects tariff earnings
→At 0W: no export payments at all, regardless of tariff or generation
→At 3,680W: full G98 export — your smart meter records actual export and the supplier pays accordingly
→At a DNO cap below 3,680W: export is capped at that level even if the inverter and panels could produce more
→The export limit in the GivEnergy portal must be set correctly for your smart meter to record the exports your tariff pays for
Timed export and the export limit
GivEnergy's Timed Export mode discharges the battery to the grid during a defined window — used on tariffs like Octopus Flux where export rates are highest at peak times. The export limit caps how fast this discharge can export, even in Timed Export mode.
If you use Timed Export on Octopus Flux and the export limit has reset to 0W, the battery will try to discharge but nothing will reach the grid — the timed export window will complete with zero actual export and zero income.
Related GivEnergy pages
Firmware issues
Firmware resets the export limit to 0W — full post-update settings checklist.
Battery not charging
System mode and tariff configuration — related settings to the export limit.
CT clamp direction
A backwards CT can make export appear to be happening when it isn't.
Monitoring setup
How to read portal data to verify export is working correctly.
This is a brand-specific version of our general export limit issues guide, which covers all brands.
Export limit questions
Three possible causes: the export limit is set to 0W (check Advanced Settings first — this is the most common cause, especially after a firmware update), the battery has capacity remaining so all excess solar is going into the battery rather than being exported, or the CT clamp is reversed and the inverter is misreading what's actually happening. Check the export limit first, then check the battery SoC when this happens.
Not without G99 approval from your DNO. 3,680W is the G98 limit for single-phase connections — exceeding this requires prior DNO approval under G99. Setting a higher limit in the portal without G99 approval would put you in breach of your connection conditions. If your system genuinely has higher export capability and you want to use it, apply to your DNO for G99 approval first.
Possibly — some installers set 0W as a conservative default during commissioning and never return to correct it. Others set 0W because your specific connection condition requires it (leasehold, landlord restriction, or DNO condition). Check your installation paperwork and MCS certificate first. If no zero-export condition is stated, it's likely an oversight and 3,680W is the correct G98 value for a standard single-phase connection.
Yes, directly. SEG payments are based on actual metered export recorded by your smart meter. If the export limit in the GivEnergy portal is set to 0W, nothing reaches the grid, nothing is recorded by your smart meter, and your SEG supplier has no export to pay for. The portal export limit is the gate that controls whether any export reaches the meter at all.
The export limit itself doesn't change when you switch tariff — 3,680W (G98) is still the correct limit for a standard single-phase connection regardless of which export tariff you're on. What does change is your System Mode settings and Timed Export windows to take advantage of Flux's peak export periods. Check that your export limit is set to 3,680W (not 0W), then configure Timed Export to discharge the battery during Flux's high-export-rate window.
The remote diagnostic is free — if we can't sort your export, there's nothing to pay. Checking your DNO and MCS paperwork, confirming your G98/G99 status and setting the correct export limit in the portal is a remote configuration job we do for a flat £95 — and only once it's working and exporting. No site visit needed for an export-limit fix. No fix, no fee. Full pricing →
Usually the same day. Once we've confirmed your permitted export level from your paperwork, the change is made in the portal in about 60 seconds and you should see export activity by the next day. The whole thing is a single 30-minute remote session.
Book
Not exporting? We'll find out why and fix it remotely.
Tell us what the portal shows for grid flow, whether you have an export tariff, and when the problem started. We'll identify whether it's the export limit, the CT clamp, the system mode, or something else — and restore it in one session.
- Not affiliated with GivEnergy Ltd
- Free remote diagnostic · pay only if we fix it
- Export settings corrected in a single session
GivEnergy support — STS
GivEnergy problems? No fix, no fee.
I’ve worked on hundreds of GivEnergy systems and know the kit inside out. If yours is playing up, my promise is simple — no fix, no fee: just £95 if we fix it, free if we don’t.
Ronald Director, Solar Tech Support
Remote first — most GivEnergy faults are solved without a site visit
Every GivEnergy unit — Hybrid, AC, AIO and three-phase inverters & batteries
Engineer-led — a direct line to someone who knows the kit inside out
We use cookies to measure traffic and improve our ads — including sharing limited, hashed details with Meta (Facebook) and Google to measure ad performance. Accept, or decline for essential cookies only. Privacy policy
STS Solar Tech Support
Usually replies within minutes
Hi there!
Got a solar fault or need a quick answer? Drop us a message — we usually reply within a few minutes. Mon–Fri, 9am–7pm.
Start WhatsApp Chat
Got a solar fault or need a quick answer? Drop us a message — we usually reply within a few minutes. Mon–Fri, 9am–7pm.
End-to-end encrypted