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Solar installers installing a solar panel to the roof
Solar installers installing a solar panel to the roof

Use this guidance to help keep workers and customers safe and put industry leading standards into practice.

The guidance on this page complements information in our Notice to Market, which sets out the mandatory and recommended requirements for retailers and installers to participate in the Solar Homes and Solar for Business programs.

Use this guidance along with our Solar PV Audit Checklists and Battery Audit Checklist to ensure installations under our programs are compliant and meet the high standards we have set.

Legislation and regulations

Commonly identified legislation and regulations within the solar industry include:

A full list of legislation and regulations related to the solar industry is listed on the Energy Safe VictoriaExternal Link and WorkSafe VictoriaExternal Link websites.

Compliance codes and codes of practice also play an important role. They explain your duties or obligations under legislation in practical ways that are aimed to help you comply.

See WorkSafe compliance codes and codes of practiceExternal Link and ESV electrical technical guidelines and determinationsExternal Link .

Australian Standards

Installers in our solar programs must adhere to current and relevant standards for the design and installation of solar and battery storage systems.

These are made mandatory through:

  • legislation and/or regulations; and/or
  • normative reference from a mandated standard (commonly AS/NZS 3000 – Wiring Rules); and
  • are required by the Solar Victoria Notice to Market

Penalties for failing to meet Australian Standards vary. Solar Victoria may suspend or cancel an installer or retailer from its programs for non-compliance. See Installer terms and conditions and Retailer terms and conditions.

Commonly identified AS/NZS Standards within the solar industry include, but are not limited to:

AS/NZS 1170 Series Structural Design Actions(All parts)
AS/NZS 1768 Lightning Protection
AS/NZS 3000 Electrical Installations (known as Wiring Rules)
AS/NZS 4509 Series

Stand-alone power systems

  • Part 1: Safety and installation
  • Part 2: System design
AS/NZS 4777 Series

Grid Connections of Energy Systems via Inverters

  • Part 1: Installation Requirements
  • Part 2: Inverter Requirements
AS/NZS 5033 Installation of photovoltaic (PV) arrays
AS/NZS 5139 Electrical installations – Safety of battery systems for use with power conversion equipment

Guidance

Industry guidance informs retailers and installers of leading practice. It may be voluntary in nature or made mandatory through the Solar Victoria Notice to Market.

Energy Safe Victoria, WorkSafe Victoria and Solar Victoria develop guidance to inform installers and retailers of non-compliances found within installations.

The following solar industry guidance plus installation guidance news can be found on the Energy Safe Victoria websiteExternal Link :

  • How to ensure you have a compliant PV installation.
  • Working safely when installing photovoltaic (PV) systems.
  • Identifying mismatched d.c. connectors in PV installations
  • Grid connected inverter requirements from 18 December 2021.

Also see:

Technical solution and guidance sheets

Series 1 – Technical solution sheets: Working safely at height

We developed this series of technical solution sheets in collaboration with WorkSafe Victoria to help installers in our programs work safely in the solar industry. Use this series to plan safe systems of work while installing photovoltaic systems.

Series 2: Technical guidance sheets: Battery installation safety

These technical guidance sheets are part of a series we commissioned TechSafe AustraliaExternal Link to develop. Energy Safe VictoriaExternal Link has also reviewed this guidance. To help installers maintain standards, they include installation advice and examples of compliance and non-compliant installations relating to the following:

  • This guidance provides further information to support installers’ understanding of applicable requirements in AS/NZS 5139:2019 Electrical installations - Safety of battery systems for use with power conversion equipment.

  • This guidance provides further information to support installers’ understanding of applicable requirements in:

    • AS/NZS 5139:2019 Electrical installations - Safety of battery systems for use with power conversion equipment
    • AS/NZS 1530.1-1994 Methods for fire tests on building materials, components and structures, Part 1: Combustibility test for materials
    • AS/NZS 4777.1:2016 - Grid connection of energy systems via inverters, Part 1: Installation requirements.
  • This guidance provides further information to support installers’ understanding of applicable requirements in:

    • AS/NZS 5139:2019 Electrical installations - Safety of battery systems for use with power conversion equipment
    • AS/NZS 3000:2018 Electrical installations (known as the Australian/New Zealand Wiring Rules).

Electrical Regulatory Authorities CouncilExternal Link provides resources and publications about electrical products, installations and solar/small scale generation resources.

WorkSafe VictoriaExternal Link provides guidance and assistance to ensure all employers and employees have a safe workplace in the electrical and solar industry. See ElectricalExternal Link and RoofingExternal Link guidance.

Reviewed 22 March 2023

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