‘Substandard’ Battery Installs Trigger Inspection Blitz

Solar battery installers will face new requirements starting in March, as Clean Energy Regulator (CER) inspections ramp up amid a surging home battery market. Nearly two-thirds of home batteries inspected to date have fallen foul of the regulator (usually related to labelling issues), with 0.9% found to be unsafe.

Why Are Home Battery Install Inspections Ramping Up?

The CER is dialling up its inspections programme to keep up with a surge in battery installs expected over the next two months, as buyers look to get in ahead of May changes to the federal battery rebate, when the incentive will taper down for larger batteries.

CER Executive General Manager, Carl Binning, says that the industry is on notice:

“This is a busy period for the industry, and our focus is on making sure standards stay high and consumers stay safe. I’m putting installers on notice that unsafe and non-compliant work will be identified, and we won’t hesitate to use our compliance powers. This could result in installers being removed from the SRES (Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme),” he said.

What Requirements Are Changing?

Starting from March 1, installers will face additional photo requirements to address common issues with labelling, on top of existing on-site verification photos.

The CER says that installers will be required to take clear, geotagged and timestamped photos of mandatory labels.

What Are The Most Common Problems With Battery Installs?

As of of 19 February 2026, the CER had conducted 846 solar battery inspections on installations that have received STCs. Of these inspections, 350 have been finalised. The number of inspections represented a stastically significant portion of the 225,000 solar batteries installed under the Cheaper Home Batteries scheme to date.

Of the inspections:

• 0.9% of installs were unsafe;
• 62.8% were substandard (technically non-compliant but safe to remain in operation);
• 36.2% were adequate and safe.

Queensland in particular featured a higher rate of installs that breached regulations.

The issues related to unsafe installs were all related to:

• Wiring: loose connections in pre-assembled battery systems and associated wiring with signs of heat.
• Protections: neutral continuity was not maintained for all circuits operating on an alternative supply.

In its recent solar battery inspection results report, the CER said that as of 17 December 2025, only one eligible product under the SRES has been recalled – the voluntary electrical safety recall for Sigenergy single phase 8/10/12 kW energy controllers, which as revealed by SolarQuotes had suffered a spate of overheating issues. It is not clear how many of the safety issues uncovered by inspectors related to Sigenergy systems.

Labelling Issues Dominate

Labelling issues – represented in red – were the major issue uncovered in inspections.

The most common reason for technical non-compliance was due to labelling issues, triggering the additional photo requirements:

• Incorrect or missing warning label: warning labels must be installed at the main switchboard and all intermediate distribution boards to show a multimode inverter with alternative supply has been installed and to follow the shutdown procedure for safe isolation. The sign must also include the text ‘Neutral and earth circuits may be live under fault conditions’.
• Incorrect labelling of backed-up circuits: Battery systems may have a back-up supply feature, leaving all or partial electrical circuits energised. Some battery systems have a time delay before re-energising back-up circuits after the main switch is turned off. To reduce the risk of electric shock, it’s important that this is clearly labelled so that electricians or other trades are aware before they begin work. Backed-up circuits must also be grouped together to make it easier for anyone working on the switchboard to identify any sources of back-up power.
• Incorrect labelling for emergency services: A green reflector sign with the letters ‘ES’ to signify energy storage must be installed on or next to the meter box and switchboard so that emergency services are aware there is a solar battery connected to the solar PV system at the property. This is important for emergency services to be aware of during an emergency response.

The CER argues that labelling is key to supporting the safety of installers, emergency responders and tradespeople who might need to interact with a solar battery system in future.

SolarQuotes founder Finn Peacock last year lamented authorities becoming overly focused on labelling issues, fearing that this distracted from more serious safety lapses.

The most common wiring issue for substandard technically non-compliant installations was for an incorrectly configured or missing residual current device (RCD), which is designed to protect against electric shock and fire by cutting off power when an electrical fault occurs.

What Consequences Are There For Breaking The Rules?

Binning said that the CER is “committed to continuous improvement across the industry”.

“We’ll use sophisticated artificial intelligence as part of our assessment process to ensure all claims are meeting the new requirements. The message to installers is do it once and do it well. Installers are required to return to site to rectify non-compliant work and failure to provide the required photos will result in claims for small-scale technology certificates being delayed or rejected,” Binning said.

For guidance on how to check your installer’s labelling and other issues, read these tips from inspector Pat Southwell. For suggestions on how to make sure your battery is working properly, read Finn Peacock’s piece on the five tests to do before your installer leaves.