Certification requirement issues for solar PV inverters that incorporate a DC isolator

ERAC and SCO member jurisdictions in Australia acknowledge issues related to DC isolator certification requirements, and the Northern Territory and other member jurisdictions have agreed to the following:

• Solar PV inverters incorporating DC isolators do not require certification to AS/NZS 4777.2:2020 to be able to be sold or installed.
• Suppliers of solar PV inverters are required to declare the inverter incorporating DC isolator complies with AS/NZS 4777.2:2020 (including the requirement in AS/NZS 4777.2:2020 that an inverter's installed DC isolators comply with AS 60947.3:2018).
• Suppliers of inverters incorporating DC isolators that have been declared by the supplier to meet AS/NZS 4777.2:2015 (the current standard being superseded) can also make declarations of compliance to AS/NZS 4777.2:2020 for electrical safety requirements, subject to any required additional tests of the new standard being met.
• Verification of compliance to certification of DC isolators installed within solar PV inverters, where the supplier has declared the inverter is compliant to AS/NZS 4777.2:2020, will not be requested by electrical safety regulators until 30 June 2022.
• NT WorkSafe and jurisdictional Electrical Safety regulators will continue to work with industry, test facilities and accredited certifiers to ensure suitable approved testing facilities are available to enable suppliers to obtain certification of DC isolators installed in inverters by 30 June 2022.
• Installers of solar PV inverters incorporating DC isolators can rely on the supplier declaration of compliance to AS/NZS 4777.2:2020 as evidence the inverter can be installed in accordance with AS/NZS 3000 The Wiring Rules and AS/NZS 5033 Installation and safety requirements for photovoltaic (PV) arrays.
• It remains the equipment supplier’s responsibility to ensure compliance to relevant safety standards and should any incident occur in any solar PV inverter claimed to be compliant to AS/NZS 4777.2:2020 action will be taken under normal electrical safety regulator investigative processes.

ERAC and SCO note the Clean Energy Council (CEC) has accepted this position and will not require further evidence than the above to enable solar PV inverters incorporating DC isolators to be able to be listed on the CEC list of compliant inverters and power conversion equipment (PCE) suitable for installation under the Small-Scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES).