RAISING STANDARDS FOR
ROOFTOP SOLAR PV SYSTEMS
CLEAN ENERGY COUNCIL BRIEFING PAPER
OCTOBER 2016
RAISING STANDARDS FOR ROOFTOP SOLAR PV SYSTEMS
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Safety and quality are essential elements in the continued success of the Australian solar industry.
Together these elements ensure the continued confidence of consumers to invest in solar power
systems as a way of reducing their power bills, increasing their energy independence and reducing
their carbon footprint.
Safety and quality have been a constant focus of the Clean Energy Council since it was formed in
2007, and consequently the solar industry has developed a good reputation across both these
areas. Continued efforts are required to ensure the market can expand confidently beyond its
current levels.
The Clean Energy Council believes there are three key pillars that uphold the quality and safety of
rooftop solar systems. They are:
•
Quality of installation and the training and oversight of designers and installers
•
Product standards and quality assurance
•
Retailing and after-sales service.
This paper explores some recent initiatives that continue to lift the bar across the sector.
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QUALITY OF INSTALLATION
The Clean Energy Council places a strong emphasis on professional development and compliance
by installers. We provide support and advice to more than 4220 CEC-accredited installers across
Australia. A very active program of continuous professional development (CPD) for installers
includes a total of 198 accredited CPD courses, educational events for installers, webinars,
professional development days and other CPD opportunities.
The Clean Energy Council also takes compliance seriously, and in 2015-16 took action against 107
installers who were required to prove competency, with 14 installers having their accreditation
suspended as a result.
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PRODUCT STANDARDS AND QUALITY ASSURANCE
The Clean Energy Council works collaboratively with its members and the Clean Energy Regulator
(CER) to improve consumer and safety standards for inverters and PV modules in Australia.
In 2015 the Clean Energy Council introduced new terms and conditions for listing an inverter on the
CEC Approved Product List and a new safety standard, known as IEC 62109. On Sunday 9
October 2016 the new product standard for inverters (AS/NZS 4777.2:2015, Grid connection of
energy systems via inverters - Inverter requirements) became compulsory.
The new inverter standard will specify requirements and tests for low-voltage inverters, for the
injection of electric power through an electrical installation into the grid. There are many differences
between the new standard and the previous edition, including:
•
the inclusion of a balance requirement for multiple phase systems
•
revised set-points and limits to match electricity distributor requirements
•
provision for demand response and power quality response modes
•
electrical safety requirements in accordance with IEC 62109-1 and IEC 62109-2
•
requirements for multiple mode inverter operation and for systems with energy storage to
meet electrical safety requirements in accordance with AS 62040.1.1
The result of these changes will be smarter inverters, enabling distributed generation and storage
systems to provide services that better assist with management of the grid.
Prior to the introduction of the new standard, the CEC Approved Product List contained 1526
inverters listed by 95 suppliers. As of 10 October 2016, immediately following the commencement
of the new standard, the CEC Approved Product List contained 253 AS4777.2:2015-compliant
inverters listed by 19 suppliers.
On 11 March 2016, new terms and conditions were introduced for listing of a PV module on the
CEC Approved Product List, which oblige module suppliers to:
RAISING STANDARDS FOR ROOFTOP SOLAR PV SYSTEMS
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•
ensure their products are compliant with all relevant requirements as specified by
Australian standards, regulations and legislation
•
provide details of the listed importer/responsible supplier, including an Australian
address and ABN
•
acknowledge that their product could be the subject of a testing program and that nonconformances with certification could lead to removal from the CEC Approved Product
List
•
include full disclosure of country of manufacture in their customer documentation
•
keep records of the serial numbers of all modules supplied to the Australian market and
make this information available as required by CEC and the CER
•
comply with various other requirements as outlined in the terms and conditions, details of
which are available at www.solaraccreditation.com.au/products/approved-product-listingchanges.html.
In order to ensure independent governance and procedural fairness in the administration of the
Approved Product List, an independent committee known as the Product Listing Review Panel has
been given responsibility for hearing appeals against decisions made by the CEC to refuse to list or
to de-list a product on the Approved Product List. The Product Listing Review Panel consists of
three members, all of whom are independent of suppliers of CEC listed products and is chaired by
Dr Penelope Crossley from the University of Sydney.
From 31 October 2016, the CEC will require all PV modules on the Approved Product List to
demonstrate compliance with amendments to the international standard IEC 61730, which were
introduced in 2011 and 2013. There are many listed PV modules that are no longer exported to
Australia. The requirement to demonstrate compliance with the 2011 and 2013 amendments to the
international standard is expected to lead to removal of a significant number of outdated product
lines from the Approved Product List. At this stage we anticipate that PV module listings on the
Approved Product List could be reduced by as much as two thirds.
These are positive changes that we are confident will significantly improve the quality of PV
modules and inverters sold in Australia.
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RETAILING AND AFTER-SALES SERVICE
The Solar Retailer Code of Conduct is the third pillar to ensure quality and safety of rooftop solar
systems. Launched in 2013 by the Hon. Greg Hunt MP, the Solar Retailer Code of Conduct is a
voluntary scheme and is the only solar industry code of conduct authorised by the Australian
Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
The primary objective of the Code is to improve standards in the solar industry. The code makes the
process of buying solar simpler and safer for consumers by enabling them to choose from a list of
solar retailers who have been through a rigorous screening process. The code aims to ensure that
retailers are fully accountable for the actions of sub-contracted parties, so every aspect of the solar
purchasing experience is guaranteed.
Approved Solar Retailers:
•
provide a five-year, whole-of-system warranty on all solar PV systems
•
use only CEC-accredited designers and installers
•
provide honest and accurate information about the best system for the customer, based
on a site-specific system design and performance estimate
•
properly advise their customers on grid connection procedures
•
ensure their customers receive essential information when they buy their PV system
under a finance agreement
•
use contracts that have been verified as compliant with Australian Consumer Law
•
have been vetted to ensure that their directors have not been directors of previously
failed companies.
Last year the ACCC authorised new provisions that add consumer finance protections to the code,
making it relevant to innovative pricing models for solar. New provisions protecting consumer
privacy were also authorised.
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The Clean Energy Council administers the code. An independent Code Review Panel oversees the
administration, provides direction for development of the code and hears appeals of decisions made
by the Code Administrator.
Several state, territory and local governments have utilised the Solar Retailer Code of Conduct to
provide quality assurance for their programs and tenders. The Victorian Government, for example,
requires that all tenderers for government-assisted solar programs must be signatories to the Solar
Retailer Code of Conduct. There are many examples of local governments and government
agencies that have utilised the Solar Retailer Code of Conduct for quality assurance purposes.
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