Renewable energy has become a key area of growth for the government, with policies and roadmaps to promote widespread adoption of it. Standards Australia is committed to developing standards to support the uptake through providing guidance with a focus on safety.

Switching focus to solar

With an increased focus on renewable energy, more households across Australia are installing rooftop solar panels. Since 2001, over 2.8 million solar PV panel systems have been installed across the country[1].

Rooftop solar panels consist of three essential components: solar photovoltaics (PV), the inverter, and the direct current (DC) isolator. DC isolators are designed to safely switch off direct current between the solar panel and the inverter, safeguarding buildings from the direct current.

DC isolators have been of particular interest to industry recently as there have been calls to develop standards that support better overall safety.

With the increased uptake of solar PV panel systems, it’s important that Australian Standards are developed to support the manufacturing, installation, and overall safety of solar panels.

Standards Australia Technical Committee EL-042, Renewable Energy Power Supply Systems and Equipment, is in the final stages of revising AS/NZS 5033:2041, Installation and safety requirements for photovoltaic (PV) arrays.

The revision aims to provide clear and relevant guidance to support safe systems and safe practices for industry professionals and consumers. Some updates will see the standard align with existing standards AS/NZS 3000:2018, Electrical installations, and IEC 62548:2016, Photovoltaic (PV) arrays — Design requirements.

EL-011 sparks adoption of international standards

The Australian Energy Market Operator has laid out a plan to see National Energy Market reach 75% renewable energy by 2025[2] and worked with Standards Australia previously on a roadmap for advanced metering standards.

As part of this roadmap, Standards Australia adopted a suite of IEC 62053 standards for electricity metering equipment that aim to improve readability, ensure better understanding and usability, drive better compliance, and improve safety for consumers.

In 2020, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) updated the standards to better address the requirements for modern metering systems and the needs of distributed energy resources. To ensure Australia’s energy market is well placed to benefit from this modernisation, Standards Australia Technical Committee EL-011, Electricity Metering Equipment, has kicked off a project to adopt the updates across several parts in the AS 62053 standards series. Some of the updates include new requirements and tests and changes in safety requirements.

The project will fulfil requirements set out by government policy and the goals within the roadmap. Additionally, it will help ensure that NEM benefits from uniquely Australian Standards, guided by international best practice.

Roadmap for electrical vehicles

Electrical vehicles (EVs) have been gaining popularity worldwide. In 2019 2.1 million EVs were sold, raising the global stock to 7.2 million[3].

While EVs are well known in Australia, uptake is slow, as they contribute to less than 1% of car sales nationwide. However, projections from the 2020 Australian Energy Market Operator’s (AEMO) report, Electricity Statement of Opportunities,  estimates that EVs could make up 20–50% of car sales by the early 2030s.

In late May, AEMO’s Distributed Energy Integration Program (DEIP) – Electric Vehicles Grid Integration Working Group published the key findings of its Vehicle-Grid Integration (VGI) Standards Taskforce. The report, titled Vehicle-Grid Integration Standards Taskforce – Key Findings reviews how the development of Australian Standards or adoption of international standards will be integral to the integration of electric vehicles into Australia’s electricity grid.

A lack of vehicle grid integration (VGI) standards could run the risk of an inefficient transition to EVs for Australian consumers, resulting in frustration, additional cost and slow uptake. The formation of the taskforce by the DEIP, which has included Standards Australia as a key partner, has helped to identify areas of development surrounding VGI standards and potential gaps that may currently exist.

The taskforce focused on three key areas: charging interoperability, energy and services market integration and disturbance performance and grid support. In short, the focus is on how to prevent Australia’s electricity system from being overloaded due to increased use through the charging of EVs and their current inability to stop drawing power from the grid once their batteries are ‘full’, causing additional demand and waste.

The report now sits with Standards Australia’s Electric Vehicle committee, EM-001, Electric Vehicle Operation, which will develop a list of actions items and future international adoptions.

EV grid integration remains a key area of work for Standards Australia going forward, with the belief that VGA standards will assist with a smooth transition of EVs into the electricity grid.

[1] Postcode data for small-scale installations (cleanenergyregulator.gov.au)

[2] https://arena.gov.au/blog/75-renewable-nem-possible-by-2025-aemo/

[3] https://www.iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2020