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Forum Index : Solar : New standard for renewable energy battery storage installations
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RFburns Regular Member  Joined: 21/07/2017 Location: AustraliaPosts: 43 |
Link New standard for renewable energy battery storage installations AS/NZS 5139 Electrical installations—Safety of battery systems for use with power conversion equipment outlines safety requirements for installation of renewable energy battery storage equipment. The Electrical Safety Office investigated a fire in a battery installation in a home in December 2018 that caused significant damage. The battery installation was of poor design and there have been other fires in battery systems throughout Australia. While such fires are not epidemic in Australia, they highlight a need for consistent application of requirements for battery storage installations. Designers and installers in Queensland have a duty under the Electrical Safety Act 2002 to ensure their battery storage installs are, as far as is reasonably practicable, electrically safe. As such the information in AS/NZS 5139 should be considered immediately for new battery storage installations. This standard should be read in conjunction with other relevant standards including AS/NZS 3000 wiring rules, AS/NZS 4777 series for grid connect systems or AS/NZS 4509 series for standalone systems. AS/NZS 5139 will be referenced in AS/NZS 3000 in due course. This new standard provides: • requirements for safe installation of battery systems connected to power conversion equipment (inverters) for the supply of power to an electrical installation • a risk-based process to ensure appropriate installation methods are applied depending on identified hazards • requirements for grid connected inverter energy system and standalone power system installations • requirements if the battery system is constructed on site and used in conjunction with an inverter • requirements if the battery system is a pre-assembled integrated battery energy storage system (BESS) (e.g. a pre-built battery and inverter integrated in one equipment enclosure) • requirements if the battery system is pre-assembled battery system equipment (BS) (e.g. a self-contained pre-built battery box to be connected to an inverter) • a substantial number of informative components so that the level of knowledge and understanding in this new field of technology and its application is increased. Designers and installers should consider using a pre-assembled integrated battery energy storage system (BESS) and pre-assembled battery system equipment (BS) that are shown to comply with the Best Practice Guide: battery storage equipment – electrical safety requirements, V1.0 2018. The installation requirements in AS/NZS 5139 are streamlined for equipment that complies with the guide. Independent evidence of battery equipment complying with the guide could be a certificate from an Australian accredited certifier or be on an industry association listing such as the CEC approved batteries list. Strong like horse smart like tractor! |
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| Solar Mike Guru  Joined: 08/02/2015 Location: New ZealandPosts: 1138 |
Thanks for the info, I downloaded it and had a quick browse. Amazing how much waffle it takes to bulk out one page of common sense. I wonder how many 10's of thousands it cost to get it drawn up. Mainly applies to Lithium storage technology, so 0.1% of installations perhaps. Pity we cannot also download the actual regs that are referenced here by that document, well guess one can if you want to spend about a grand in fees. Mike |
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SimpleSafeName Guru Joined: 28/07/2019 Location: United StatesPosts: 319 |
Yeah, I can relate, our NEC codebook is 888 pages long. But the problem is that common sense is an uncommon thing. And each and everyone of us electricians parsed the language in the code like jailhouse lawyers. :) I frequent a solar forum where homebrew systems range from neat and tidy, to anything goes. I pointed out to the group that the entire US NEC thing became a thing after a bunch of home enthusiasts managed to burn down their homes with that new-fangled phenomenon called "electricity". It won't be long before the hammer falls in the US as well. |
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mackoffgrid Guru Joined: 13/03/2017 Location: AustraliaPosts: 460 |
Mike, lithium storage maybe 0.1% of all solar installs but as a percentage of new battery storage systems I would think lithium technology would be the majority, imo. My big peeve is how they expect the likes of me to comply when they won't make the documentation "freely" available. In other words they want me to pay to be legal. |
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| RFburns Regular Member Joined: 21/07/2017 Location: AustraliaPosts: 43 |
I maybe able to assist if anyone really wants the referenced standards Strong like horse smart like tractor! |
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| noneyabussiness Guru Joined: 31/07/2017 Location: AustraliaPosts: 512 |
Yes please, im in Queensland.... Question 1, do i have to allow the electricity provider to install a smartarse meter, if all my current equipment is working fine ?? Kinda don't want to lose my " spinny " meter if i don't have to... Question 2, wiring my solar setup on a break before make change over switch, do i switch both active and neutral before MEN earth system from incoming mains, or after ?? (Kinda sure on this one, but just confirming). I wish the regs were freely available, if the intention was purely for " safety " it would... but that isn't a very good business model... Thank You in advance for your advice Edited 2019-10-28 19:01 by noneyabussiness I think it works !! |
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| Warpspeed Guru Joined: 09/08/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 4406 |
A lot of this stuff is usually just common sense and straightforward good engineering practice. If you read and follow the battery manufacturers recommendations you cannot go too far wrong IMHO. Cheers, Tony. |
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| noneyabussiness Guru Joined: 31/07/2017 Location: AustraliaPosts: 512 |
Sorry warp, i have to agree but disagree at the same time... In the real world, you are spot on, simple common sense and practice is ever important, but as someone pointed out once , these things are written by lawyers so common sense is more a passing thought and legal recourse is paramount.. I hope i make sense, sheesh i should learn this law stuff.. I think it works !! |
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| Warpspeed Guru Joined: 09/08/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 4406 |
I think you will find that the metering device belongs to the power utility. Its 100% theirs, to supply fit and maintain. And replace with something else, any time they feel like doing so. Cheers, Tony. |
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| Warpspeed Guru Joined: 09/08/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 4406 |
I have only had very little exposure to forming and writing Australian standards, but it is fairly long and complicated process. It starts off with recommendations from all interested parties and stake holders such as manufacturers, installers and end users. The basic idea is to keep it as simple as possible, not too harsh and expensive, not too free and dangerous, but based on very long industry experience with inputs from outside sources such as coroners courts, insurers, fire brigade experience etc... Lawyers never come into it, except maybe to eyeball the final draft before publication. What would a lawyer know about fuse ratings or cable sizes anyway ? Cheers, Tony. |
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| Davo99 Guru Joined: 03/06/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1578 |
I'm afraid I have to disagree with that too. I know a little of the rules and regs and some of them are completely Contradictory! There is no way to meet one reg and not be in contravention of some other ones the way some of the rules are written. Not every one of course but I am aware of a few. I would also argue the common sense of Putting a disconnect for solar panels up on a roof. If there is an emergency, who the FK is going to get up on the roof to turn it off? THe Fire Brigades WILL NOT. The Victorian FB for one is dead against rooftop isolators which are documented with over 100 cases as being the sole cause of solar related fires. They have even refused to allow rooftop isolators on any of the properties they own or control. Still, to pass regulations you HAVE to have one. I won't and Don't. My isolators are at ground level where my wife and daughter and anyone else can reach them without a ladder and the requirement of a harness going by rules and regs. They are also under cover and completely out of the weather to avoid deterioration and water ingress which is what causes them ALL to fail. If I want to work on anything between the array and the disconnect, I have left provision for an easily accessed MC4 connector which I can undo and the whole thing, even between the panels which an isolator as prescribed can't do, is dead. This bit of regulation is a Known and significant danger and cause of fires but the idiot regulators insist on having them even when the people they say they are there to protect will NOT use them and want them removed themselves. I'm sure that are a lot of other Hypocrisy built into the regs that I don't know about and few people would be aware of them all given the bloated and unnecessary rubbish in them. MY systems are built to MY standards and that's not a standard of minimum safety with fastest Installation and lowest cost which are parameters of the rules and regs written by the industry. |
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| noneyabussiness Guru Joined: 31/07/2017 Location: AustraliaPosts: 512 |
Ok, just to i suppose start to answer my own question, https://www.qld.gov.au/housing/buying-owning-home/energy-water-home/electricity/digital-meters Has a "comprehensive" write up, of course only the pros are included.. but to cut a long story short, " You may refuse an offer from an electricity retailer to replace a working accumulation meter with a digital meter " obviously with limitations as they see fit, Age being one of them, so does that mean 2 years or 20 ?? Ambiguous wording again.. im going to bite the bullet and ring ergon, but does anyone have experience with this ?? I think it works !! |
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| noneyabussiness Guru Joined: 31/07/2017 Location: AustraliaPosts: 512 |
Again, some i agree, but experience with government policy changes (admittedly in an entirely different area) is there is recommendations made in the above process, a report written ( drafted is the buzz word i believe) and presented to the powers at be, then its ether aproved or ignored ( and surprisingly, ignored most of the time, how many " feasability " studies or " inquiries " are ignored everyday, that we know of). If approved, it is then passed to a very bloated team of solicitors, who make sure there is no " legal recourse " and is then presented to the governing body of that dept. To be " legalized ".. now, my experience is education dept, not electricity, but i would safely assume its similar, and would be VERY surprised if the lawyers don't have there fingers in the pie from the start... I think it works !! |
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| Warpspeed Guru Joined: 09/08/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 4406 |
Oh there will be lawyers, and bean counters, and career bureaucrats, and hundreds of faceless public servants involved for sure. Like something out of the TV program "Yes Minister". But you can be absolutely certain that most of the Australian standard written for something like drains or septic tanks came from real hands on plumbers, builders, architects, and people with decades of industry experience. Some of the requirements may seem a little odd, even crazy, unless you knew the background and reasons behind a particular ruling. I am as radical as the rest of you guys, maybe even more so, about doing things my own way and "stuff the government". But I have also had a peek at what goes on over the other side of the fence, at least very slightly. Cheers, Tony. |
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| noneyabussiness Guru Joined: 31/07/2017 Location: AustraliaPosts: 512 |
Ok.. to answer my own question, if it has reached a " certain age " it must be changed, although she couldn't tell me that exact " age "... she also proceeded to tell me everyone is going to have them in the next 2-3 years.. Oh i remember that show... good memories, funny, if it weren't so true  ..I think it works !! |
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