esv.vic.gov.au
A new Victorian Government incentive package for solar includes a strong
safety regime designed to protect installers.
The Victorian Government’s Solar
Homes Package provides rebates on
residential solar PV and solar hot water
systems installed after 19 August 2018.
Support for battery systems, no-interest
loans and solar PV for renters and not-
for-profit community housing are to follow.
The 1.24-billion-dollar program will
put 650,000 solar PV systems, 60,000
solar hot water systems and 10,000
solar batteries on or in Victorian homes
across the 10-year program.
In October 2018, around 365,000
Victorian homes had solar PV systems.
When the Solar Homes program is
delivered in full, more than one-million
Victorian homes will have solar PV
systems.
For the electrical industry, there is no
shortage of opportunities through the
program which has been designed
to maximise safety and quality while
delivering grid support, long-term
job creation and cheaper energy for
consumers.
Safety and work quality
paramount
Central to the Solar Homes program
is that solar PV and hot water systems
are installed safely with quality
workmanship and equipment.
To be part of the program, installers
must fulfil a range of eligibility
requirements, which will help to
ensure safety and that high quality
work is delivered, using installers with
the right qualifications and training.
In accordance with the Electricity
Safety Act 1998 and Electricity
Safety (Installations) Regulations
2009, complete installation of a grid-
connected solar PV system qualifies
as prescribed electrical installation
work, which must be carried out by a
licensed electrician. As such, solar PV
installers taking part in the program
must be A-grade electricians.
Installers must also hold current
Clean Energy Council accreditation
which ensures the electrician has
completed industry-specific training,
is taking part in continuous professional
development, and is subject to a
compliance and enforcement regime.
Such accreditation is already required
under the Federal Small-Scale
Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES)
and by similar programs in other
states and territories.
Under Solar Victoria’s program,
installers are required to sign a Solar
Providers Statement which confirms
their qualifications, certifies that there
are no prosecutions registered with
WorkSafe Victoria (or an equivalent
authority in another Australian
jurisdiction) in the past three years.
This will help to ensure a high standard
of expertise by installers and electricians
developing safe operating procedures,
and health and safety risk reduction
strategies is maintained.
Subsided training and auditing
to build the solar sector
To support safe working outcomes, the
Solar Homes program includes funding
for subsidised industry-specific safety
training and will help to ensure solar
workers – particularly those new to the
industry – have access to appropriate
and current skills development
opportunities.
Solar Victoria is also implementing
a two-part inspection and audit
program to ensure installed systems
are safe and meet all relevant standards
and industry guidelines.
An inspection program involving
WorkSafe and Energy Safe Victoria is
underway with consumers asked to
provide details of their installation date.
A statistically significant number of
post-installation audits will be carried
out from March 2019, following the pilot
program launched in December 2018.
The comprehensive audits cover
checking installer’s qualifications, the
quality of wiring and basic electrical
safety, through to confirmation that
solar modules and inverters are on
the Clean Energy Council’s list of
approved products.
Feedback from industry on auditing
has been positive with many quality
installers stating that more should be
done to crack down on non-compliant
work in this fast-growing market.
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