Solar industry guidance

This guidance complements information in our Notice to Market.

Use this guidance and our Solar PV Audit Checklists, Battery Audit Checklist and Hot Water Audit Checklist to ensure installations under our program 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 Victoria and WorkSafe Victoria 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 practice and ESV electrical technical guidelines and determinations.

Australian Standards

Solar Homes installers 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. We may suspend or cancel an installer or retailer from its programs for non-compliance.

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 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 guidance is available on the Energy Safe Victoria website:

How to ensure you have a compliant PV installation.
Working safely when installing photovoltaic (PV) systems.
Identifying mismatched d.c. connectors in PV installations
Solar for Apartments industry guidance
Clean Energy Council advice on repairs and alterations
Grid connected inverter requirements from 18 December 2021.

Also see:

PV d.c. isolators and systems for guidance in addition to the requirements of AS/NZS 3000, AS/NZS 5033 and all other applicable standards.
EIS 004: Battery Installation – Neutral continuity and MEN Connection for guidance on eliminating the risk of electric shock relating to battery system installations providing backup power in the event of a grid outage.
EIS 008: Multi Mode Inverters – RCD protection requirements for guidance on what to do if any circuits have been altered to be backed up by the MMI installation, or if there are no RCDs on the existing non-backed-up circuits.

Technical solution and guidance sheets

Series 1: Working safely at height

Use this series developed in collaboration with WorkSafe Victoria to plan safe systems of work while installing photovoltaic systems.

Risks increase when you are working at height, and particularly on multi-level buildings eligible through our Solar for Apartments Program. Different equipment may be used to control risk in these scenarios.

To ensure you eliminate the risk of working at height with appropriate controls in every scenario, please follow the guidance below alongside information on the WorkSafe Victoria website.

Edge protection is a passive fall prevention system used to protect workers when working at heights. It acts as a physical and visible barrier around the perimeter of a work area to help prevent employees, tools, and equipment from falling.

Download Working safely at height – Technical solution sheet 1.2
PDF 752.94 KB

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Manual handling is work such as manually lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling, carrying, moving or holding solar panels and other heavy and bulky items. During solar installations, injuries can occur while undertaking hazardous manual handling.

Download Working safely at height – Technical solution sheet 1.3
PDF 1004.88 KB

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Employers have a duty to provide and maintain, so far as is reasonably practicable, a working environment that is safe and without risks to health. The use of portable ladders presents a risk of fatal or serious injury for anyone needing to gain access to a roof or conduct light tasks.

Download Working safely at height – Technical solution sheet 1.4
PDF 1.28 MB

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Asbestos-containing material (ACM) is any material or object that contains one or more of the mineral silicates, chrysotile (often called white asbestos), crocidolite (often called blue asbestos) or amosite (often called brown asbestos).

Download Working safely at height – Technical solution sheet 1.7
PDF 945.1 KB

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Series 2: Battery installation safety

Developed by TechSafe Australia and Grey Sky Solar Consulting, and reviewed by Energy Safe Victoria, to support installers’ understanding of applicable requirements in AS/NZS 5139:2019 Electrical installations – Safety of battery systems for use with power conversion equipment.

Go to Battery audit checklist and guidance

Series 3: Solar PV installation safety

Developed by Grey Sky Solar Consulting, and reviewed by Energy Safe Victoria, to support installers’ understanding of applicable requirements in:

• AS/NZS 3000:2018 Electrical installations “Wiring Rules”
• AS/NZS 4777.1:2016 Grid connection of energy systems via inverters Part 1: Installation requirements
• AS/NZS 5033:2021 Installation and safety requirements for photovoltaic (PV) arrays

Go to Solar PV audit checklist and guidance

Series 4: Hot water installation safety

Developed by TechSafe Australia, and reviewed by the Victorian Building Authority, to support installers’ understanding of the safe drainage of temperature pressure relief valves in reference to these standards, codes and regulations:

• Plumbing Regulations 2018
• National Construction Code volume 3
• Plumbing Code of Australia
• AS/NZS 3500.2:2021 Plumbing and Drainage Part 2: Sanitary Plumbing and Drainage
• AS/NZS 3500.4:2021 Plumbing and Drainage Part 4: Heated Water Services

Go to hot water audit checklist and guidance

Series 5: Managing electrical risk

Use this series developed in collaboration with Energy Safe Victoria and TechSafe Australia to plan safe ways of working with electrical risk while installing solar systems.

Solar workers such as registered electrical contractors (REC), licensed electrical workers (LEW) and licensed electrical inspectors (LEI) have a primary duty under the Victorian Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that workers, apprentices and others are not exposed to electrical risks while undertaking photovoltaic (PV) system installations, testing, commissioning, repairs or rectification work.

Download Managing electrical risk – Technical solution sheet 5.1
PDF 2.9 MB

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Electrical workers, including those working in the renewable energy sector, have responsibilities under the Victorian Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 and Electricity Safety Act 1998 and associated regulations to ensure all electrical circuits or electrical equipment (including renewable energy systems handled in the course of that work) are:
- disconnected from the electricity supply, or
- adequate precautions taken to prevent electric shock or other injury while undertaking photovoltaic (PV) system installations, testing, commissioning, repairs or rectification work.
Download Managing electrical risk – Technical solution sheet 5.3
PDF 942.34 KB

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How to manage end-of-life solar PV

Installers and retailers in our program are required to responsibly manage solar PV and comply with the Victorian Government’s ban on e-waste entering landfill.

Read about what e-waste is, what your obligations are and what you can do .

Solar industry links

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

WorkSafe Victoria provides guidance and assistance to ensure all employers and employees have a safe workplace in the electrical and solar industry. See Electrical and Roofing guidance.

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

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