Plug in to power up - consultation on plug-in solar and batteries

Overview

The Departments of Energy and Economic Diversification (DEED) and Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety (LGIRS) are seeking feedback on a proposed legalisation pathway for plug-in solar and battery systems. 

We welcome feedback from all stakeholders. Due to the technical nature of the consultation, we are also seeking feedback specifically on technical and safety controls needed to guarantee safe consumer access to plug-in systems.

The proposal would mean plug-in systems are classed as standard electrical appliances through a new Technical Bridging Standard (TBS), published alongside our consultation paper.

The TBS proposes to enable plug-in systems:

• with solar PV panel combinations up to a rated capacity of 2 kW (DC)
• with inverters up to a rated capacity of 800 VA (AC)

The TBS does not propose to set an upper limit on plug-in battery storage capacity.

Why your views matter

Your feedback will help us to develop a final certification pathway for plug-in solar and batteries, including the final TBS, so that consumers can safely use the systems.

After the submission period closes, we will analyse and consider all feedback. We will use your feedback to develop and then publish:

• A consultation summary
• Updated certification route, and
• Updated technical standard (TBS version 2).

Subject to consultation analysis and cross-agency technical work, we anticipate completing this by February 2027.

We will then prepare regulatory changes to legalise plug-in solar and battery systems.

DEED and LGIRS will continue to work with safety experts, other states and territories, and the Australian Government to support nationally consistent requirements for plug-in systems. For this reason, the final TBS is likely to have two separate parts, one each for product-specific requirements and another for installation requirements. This would make the TBS more consistent with AS/NZS technical documents.