Battery install standard needs to change, claims CEC

The energy storage industry is calling for changes to a draft technical standard released for comment by Standards Australia that requires energy storage units to be installed outside the home, the Clean Energy Council (CEC) stated yesterday.

According to the council, changes to the draft Australian Standard for installing home battery units are essential, but it is also important to ensure appropriate technical standards are in place to ensure consumers are protected. The recent introduction of international standards for products provides an appropriate benchmark for quality, the council said; thus, the requirement to house home battery units outside is unnecessary.

“As long as home energy storage units meet strong international standards and are installed by an accredited professional to clear guidelines, requiring units to be installed outside of a house is unnecessarily restrictive,” CEC Executive General Manager of Installation Integrity Sandy Atkins said.

“However, it remains important for the energy storage industry to work towards an agreed technical standard to ensure consumers are protected from all potential risks.

“A large proportion of the submissions to the installation standard focused on a single issue — the requirement to house batteries outside the home. There are many positives in the rest of the document which can be fixed with some tweaks and collaboration across industry experts.

“In the meantime, the Clean Energy Council has updated our installation guidelines for home storage units to ensure installers are aware of the requirements when installing home battery units. Additionally, the CEC is working closely with state and territory electrical regulators and industry representatives towards the rapid implementation of an industry guide on battery product standards.”

Atkins said the introduction of a mandatory accreditation scheme, such as the one which covers the solar power industry, will ensure consumers are protected. He noted, “Close to 1.7 million solar power systems have been installed across the country, and these products have a low rate of incidents compared to the broader electrical industry.”