{"id":31153,"date":"2019-06-17T08:20:02","date_gmt":"2019-06-16T21:50:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=31153"},"modified":"2019-06-18T06:27:05","modified_gmt":"2019-06-17T19:57:05","slug":"rooftop-dc-isolator-mb1097","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/rooftop-dc-isolator-mb1097\/","title":{"rendered":"Continuing Push For Rooftop DC Isolator Requirement Review"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Rooftop

Image via ProductSafety.gov.au<\/p><\/div>\n

There is a growing call for an end to the very unpopular rooftop isolator requirement for solar power system installations in Australia.<\/p>\n

What Is A Rooftop DC Isolator?<\/h2>\n

Pictured above, a rooftop DC isolator is manually operated switch situated adjacent to a solar panel array that shuts off DC current between the array and the solar inverter. It was intended as an additional safety mechanism as there are also isolator switches at ground level adjacent to the inverter or enclosed within the inverter itself.<\/p>\n

Solar power system owners don’t have a choice as to whether a rooftop isolator is installed – it is currently required. The reasoning behind the requirement was primarily to help better protect emergency services. But fires occurring in rooftop solar arrays have been rare and the use of the switch by emergency services, given its location, has apparently been even rarer.<\/p>\n

What’s The Issue With Rooftop Isolators?<\/h2>\n

The isolators have caused more problems than they have solved, particularly when installed incorrectly.<\/p>\n

“Rooftop DC isolators were made mandatory through AS\/NZS 5033 in 2012,” states the Clean Energy Council. “Since then, rooftop isolators have been proven by inspection data to be the largest single source of PV system failure.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

An interesting point is while AS\/NZS 5033 also applies in New Zealand, there is an exception for Kiwi installations in this regard – they do not require a rooftop DC isolator (nor is it a requirement in some other countries).<\/p>\n

These devices have to operate for years in what is a particularly harsh environment. Aside from installation issues, there have been a number of recalls of various isolator devices<\/a> due to issues such as the potential for water ingress or other faults that can cause the isolator to overheat and subsequently pose a fire\/electrocution hazard. In some of the fires that have occurred in rooftop solar installations, the isolator has been the culprit.<\/p>\n

It turns out that instead of reducing risks, rooftop isolators seem to increase risk and appear to be just an unnecessary potential point of failure in a solar power system.<\/p>\n

Then Why Are They Still Required?<\/h2>\n

In a nutshell, because the Standards Committee is yet to undertake a full review and arrive at a decision as to whether the installation of rooftop DC isolators should continue to be mandatory; or other changes to the requirement made. In March last year, the CEC submitted a proposal to the Standards Committee EL-042 to review AS\/NZS 5033 in relation to the devices and other issues, but that proposal wasn’t accepted.<\/p>\n

The CEC says it is continuing to lobby all state electrical safety bodies and the review is gathering widespread support. The CEC states it is also communicating with emergency services to express its concerns regarding rooftop isolators and the need for a review.<\/p>\n

Should You Be Worried?<\/h2>\n

If your solar power system was recently installed by a competent installer using good quality components, then there is little to be concerned about from a safety perspective. However, in SQ founder Finn Peacock’s book The Good Solar Guide<\/a>, he strongly suggests getting an inspection and system test<\/a> performed every five years by a suitably qualified professional. The rooftop isolator will be checked as part of this inspection.<\/p>\n

The rooftop DC isolator situation is another reason why installation inspections<\/a> need to be beefed up in Australia.<\/p>\n

Update 18 June:<\/strong> in a communication sent yesterday afternoon, the Clean Energy Council stated members have given in-principle support to a proposal to also get rid of wall-mounted DC isolators by requiring the use of an isolator enclosed within the inverter, shifting some of the onus of responsibility from installers to product manufacturers.<\/p>\n

In addition to pursuing changes to standards, the CEC says it aims to move the industry away from wall-mounted DC isolators through its product listing procedures and eligibility requirements associated with government rebates.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There is a growing call for an end to the very unpopular rooftop isolator requirement for solar power system installations in Australia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":31154,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[678],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31153","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-solar-battery-news","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nContinuing Push For Rooftop DC Isolator Requirement Review<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"There is a growing call for an end to the very unpopular rooftop isolator requirement for solar 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Yesterday, Fire and Rescue New South Wales reported it had attended an incident at a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Solar & Storage News"","block_context":{"text":"General Solar & Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Solar rooftop DC isolator switch fire","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/isolation-switch-fire.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/isolation-switch-fire.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/isolation-switch-fire.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/isolation-switch-fire.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/isolation-switch-fire.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":43809,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-isolator-fire-mb1713\/","url_meta":{"origin":31153,"position":2},"title":"Another Rooftop Solar DC Isolator Up In Smoke","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"October 8, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"A problem child of solar installations - rooftop DC isolators - are continuing to demonstrate why they should no longer be required. Early yesterday afternoon, Fire and Rescue NSW crews attended a residence in the Newcastle suburb of New Lambton following reports of a house fire. Crews arriving on the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Solar & Storage News"","block_context":{"text":"General Solar & Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Rooftop solar panel fire","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/solar-panel-fire.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/solar-panel-fire.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/solar-panel-fire.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/solar-panel-fire.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/solar-panel-fire.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":40836,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-power-safety-mb1578\/","url_meta":{"origin":31153,"position":3},"title":"Australian Solar Power System Safety Improving","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"June 25, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"A report released yesterday on electrical safety risks in Australian solar power system installations indicates great improvement, but there's still work to be done. Published by Australia's Clean Energy Regulator, the report is based on analysis of Small-scale Renewable Scheme (SRES) inspection data by Master Electricians Australia (MEA). The good\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Solar & Storage News"","block_context":{"text":"General Solar & Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Solar power system electrical safety in Australia","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/solar-safety-australia.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/solar-safety-australia.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/solar-safety-australia.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/solar-safety-australia.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/solar-safety-australia.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":44491,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/cer-annual-report-mb1746\/","url_meta":{"origin":31153,"position":4},"title":"Clean Energy Regulator Annual Report Released","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"November 3, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"The Clean Energy Regulator\u2019s 2019-20 Annual Report tabled last week indicates it was another busy year for the CER. Among its responsibilities, the Regulator oversees programs operating under Australia\u2019s Renewable Energy Target; one of which is the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES). The SRES is the mechanism that provides Australia's\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Solar & Storage News"","block_context":{"text":"General Solar & Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Clean Energy Regulator annual report","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/clean-energy-regulator.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/clean-energy-regulator.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/clean-energy-regulator.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/clean-energy-regulator.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/clean-energy-regulator.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":95384,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/ant-invasion-solar-isolator-mb3296\/","url_meta":{"origin":31153,"position":5},"title":"Ant-icipating Issues: Importance Of Solar System Inspections","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"October 22, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Various critters can potentially make a home among or inside the components of your solar power system, including ants. It's another reason why visual checks where possible and regular professional solar system inspections are so important. How Can Tiny Ants Cause Big Solar Problems? Ants can cause issues in electrical\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Solar Installation"","block_context":{"text":"Solar Installation","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-installation\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Ant infestation in solar rooftop DC isolator.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/dc-isolator-ants.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/dc-isolator-ants.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/dc-isolator-ants.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/dc-isolator-ants.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/dc-isolator-ants.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31153","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31153"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31153\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31205,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31153\/revisions\/31205"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31154"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31153"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31153"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31153"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}