As households and businesses increasingly electrify and adopt renewable energy technologies, understanding switchboard capacity and compliance is becoming essential for electrical professionals.
With more homes and businesses adding solar panels, batteries, electric vehicle chargers and electric appliances, switchboards will need to safely manage higher electrical loads, accommodate new circuits and meet current safety and compliance requirements.
Assessing existing switchboards help ensure renewable energy systems can be connected safely and efficiently, while providing the capacity and flexibility needed for future electrification and energy technology upgrades.
About the switchboard training
These two interactive online modules build knowledge of switchboard compliance and electrification readiness, helping electrical professionals apply requirements confidently in real-world settings.
Learners will explore:
- how to assess whether an existing switchboard has the capacity to support new Distributed Energy Resources (DER) equipment
- how assessment findings are used to make informed decisions needed to achieve a safe and compliant installation and have effective customer conversations.
The training is free and available until end June 2027.
Who this training is for
For SAA accreditees
It is mandatory for all SAA accreditees to complete these modules prior to 1 June 2027.
If you have already met your annual CPD requirement, any points earned from completing these mandatory modules that exceed the 100-point requirement will be credited to your next CPD cycle.
For general electricians
This training is for anyone involved in assessing switchboards, not just those working with solar PV, battery storage or other DER technologies. This includes electricians, fourth-year apprentices, engineers, technical assessors, compliance personnel, regulators and auditors.
What you will learn
This online switchboard training is delivered in two modules. The modules are delivered self-paced online and each module takes approximately 60 mins to complete.
The modules are:
Switchboards — Assessing Existing Installations
- Evaluate switchboard capacity and suitability for proposed DER.
- Apply maximum demand and current summation principles to assess available capacity.
- Analyse protection, cable sizing and circuit ratings against installation requirements.
- Evaluate common switchboard non-compliances and their implications.
- Determine when upgrades may be required before installation.
Learning outcome: clear understanding of the switchboard's condition, capacity and suitability for additional equipment.
This module will earn SAA accreditees 10 CPD points.
Switchboards — Integrating Distributed Energy Resources (DER)
- Evaluate existing and future equipment requirements.
- Analyse how switchboard limitations affect DER integration.
- Develop a plan for safe and compliant DER integration.
- Determine upgrade requirements to be communicated to customers.
- Identify common non-compliances relating to labelling, RCD protection, testing and verification.
Learning outcome: clear understanding that effective DER integration requires practitioners to consider the entire electrical installation, coordinate all equipment operating behind the meter, and plan for both current and future customer requirements.
This module will earn SAA accreditees 10 CPD points.
How to enrol
To be eligible for SAA CPD points, accreditees must enrol and complete both modules via the SAA CPD Hub: Solar Accreditation Australia
General electricians and anyone involved in the assessment of switchboards can complete the modules through NECA Education and Careers.
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