{"id":33572,"date":"2019-09-18T12:45:38","date_gmt":"2019-09-18T02:15:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=33572"},"modified":"2019-09-18T12:45:38","modified_gmt":"2019-09-18T02:15:38","slug":"tasmania-electricity-meters-solar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/tasmania-electricity-meters-solar\/","title":{"rendered":"How An Oddly Placed Switchboard Spoiled A Tasmanian Solar Install"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Solar

When you get solar power installed you often need a new meter. The rules governing this meter are made by the local network. The electricity retailer organises installation and readings, then a third party company installs the meter. This can cause frustration when there is a metering issue – as Margie in Tasmania found out recently.<\/p><\/div>\n

In this week\u2019s post, we\u2019re hoping we can help resolve a problem for a customer named Margie, who found herself falling between the cracks after installing new solar panels in Tasmania.<\/p>\n

It started with a phone call to ABC\u2019s Nightlife, where Finn was doing a spot with Philip Clark (you can listen here<\/a>, with Margie\u2019s call starting at 39:23).<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a cautionary tale about how decades-old decisions made by a previous owner of a home (and the electricity authorities of long ago) can come back to spoil things for a later buyer of a property. There\u2019s also a warning for front-line solar installers, because they\u2019re always going to be the face of the project, even if it\u2019s not always fair.<\/p>\n

The decision in question is easily seen in the photo below.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Who \u2026 I have to restrain myself from worse language here \u2026 the hell decided to put the meter there<\/em>? Or, alternatively, when a previous owner had to replace a staircase, did they ever imagine that halving the width of the staircase would cause as much trouble as it eventually did?<\/h4>\n

Because you can easily see from the meter\u2019s location the problem that was going to sting Maggie: nobody\u2019s OH&S rules – nor their insurance, I\u2019d guess – would okay replacing an electricity meter where that one\u2019s located.<\/p>\n

The rules governing electricity meter location (provided by TasNetworks and linked at the end of this post) are so clear about what’s acceptable, it’s hard to see why nobody complained before:<\/p>\n

“The metering position is the location provided for the installation of metering equipment. Meters shall be located in a position with unhindered access for installing, reading, testing, adjustment and removal, without difficulty or hazard.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And:<\/p>\n

“Access to meter locations via platforms, walkways, stairways or ladders shall comply with Australian Standard (AS 1657). If there is any dispute about the suitability of the structure, the Metering Provider may request a certificate of compliance from a building surveyor.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And it\u2019s not just the meter\u2019s location that stalled the project. As Margie told us in an e-mail:<\/p>\n

\u201cMetering Dynamics, the sole contractor for Aurora Energy for meters, attended 12 July, took one look and left, indicating issues with asbestos and location of meter, and referring us to contact Aurora.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Again, fair enough: asbestos is a no-go area for good reason, and it must be handled by experts.<\/p>\n

However, what happened next was Margie found herself being redirected from company to company: the installer (I Want Energy) wasn\u2019t responsible for the meter, nor was TasNetworks who pointed to Aurora, Aurora pointed to Metering Dynamics, and Metering Dynamics appeared unhelpful (we also tried to contact Aurora and Metering Dynamics, without success).<\/p>\n

Eventually – we\u2019re into August now – I Want Energy put Margie in touch with another electrician who was able to replace the asbestos panel and lodge the necessary paperwork.<\/p>\n

However, with the meter still in that bonkers location, Metering Dynamics still wasn\u2019t interested. Their next visit was September, when:<\/p>\n

\u201cThey say they have to be able to stand in front of the switchboard with both feet on the ground. I note that rules do say switchboards should be between 120-180cm above the ground … but we never put it where it is! They wouldn\u2019t contemplate using either this scaffold or a more substantial one with railings,\u201d Margie wrote to us.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

We can\u2019t fault Metering Dynamics adhering to safety rules, but we agree with Margie that it took her too long to get to this point.<\/p>\n

Who’s To Blame? Probably Everyone<\/h2>\n

To us, it looks like there\u2019s a little bit of fault for everyone to dine on: because of the thousands of dollars moving the electricity meter, the customer is hoping to leave it where it is; the installer should probably be aware of meter location rules; and Metering Dynamics was unresponsive.<\/p>\n

I Want Energy comes off the best: the solar retailer has agreed to split the cost of relocating the meter with Maggie, but she\u2019s still worried about the delay. Getting the project wrapped up will need a third request for metering works to be lodged with (and okayed by) Aurora; and the electrician, TasNetworks and Metering Dynamics need to be teed up to attend the job at the same time, which will probably take weeks.<\/p>\n

It could well be October before things are cleared up, which means a wait of four months from panel installation to switch-on.<\/p>\n

Props to I Want Energy<\/a> for concluding it would split the cost of the metering move with Margie – that decision will eat substantially into its margin for the project.<\/p>\n

Here at SolarQuotes, we\u2019re hoping two things: first, that relating the story will prod the arm\u2019s-length participants (TasNetworks, Aurora and Metering Dynamics) into more energetic movement; and second, as a bit of an object lesson to solar installers about paying attention to details; especially in older buildings.<\/p>\n

TasNetworks yesterday responded to our query about electricity meter location rules, pointing us to this PDF document<\/a> – which should be useful to other customers and solar installers in Tasmania.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In this week\u2019s post, we\u2019re hoping we can help resolve a problem for a customer named Margie, who found herself falling between the cracks after installing new solar panels in Tasmania.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":33602,"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":[57],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33572","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-solar-installation","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nUpgrading Your Meter For Solar Power in Tasmania: A Cautionary Tale<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If your old switchboard does not meet your local network's rules, then make it compliant before your solar panels are installed. 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If your switchboard isn't up to the latest standards, you'll need to shell out for an expensive upgrade. But don't fret\u2014there's a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Solar Installation"","block_context":{"text":"Solar Installation","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-installation\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"New electricity metering rules in Tasmania","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/tassie-metering-rules.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/tassie-metering-rules.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/tassie-metering-rules.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/tassie-metering-rules.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/tassie-metering-rules.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":41519,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/bell-bay-solar-tasmania-mb1613\/","url_meta":{"origin":33572,"position":1},"title":"Another Proposed Solar Farm For Tasmania’s George Town","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"July 23, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Another solar farm proposed for George Town is pretty small by utility-scale standards, but would provide a big boost for Tasmania's solar energy credentials. Victorian-headquartered Climate Capital is seeking approval for the construction of Bell Bay Solar Farm, which would be up to 4.99MW capacity and situated on the outskirts\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":"Bell Bay Solar Farm - Tasmania","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/bell-bay-solar.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/bell-bay-solar.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/bell-bay-solar.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/bell-bay-solar.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/bell-bay-solar.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":58021,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/devonport-council-solar-mb2323\/","url_meta":{"origin":33572,"position":2},"title":"Microinverter Solar System For Devonport Council Arts Centre","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"January 20, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Tasmania's Devonport City Council is getting busy in making good on its Cities Power Partnership pledges. The Advocate reports a 55kW microinverter-based solar power system consisting of 148 solar panels is being installed by DES Electrical Contractors on the roof of the paranaple arts centre in Market Square. The centre\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 in Devonport Tasmania - paranaple arts centre","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/devonport-solar-power.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/devonport-solar-power.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/devonport-solar-power.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/devonport-solar-power.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/devonport-solar-power.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":86872,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/australia-smart-meters-mb3015\/","url_meta":{"origin":33572,"position":3},"title":"Australian Smart Meter Rollout: When Will It Be Complete?","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"September 25, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Smart meters are transforming how Australians monitor and manage their electricity usage, especially for solar system owners. But how close are we to a full rollout, and what challenges remain? The Australian Energy Regulator published its 2024 electricity and gas networks performance report last week, which included an update on\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":"Smart meters - Australia","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/smart-meters-australia.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/smart-meters-australia.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/smart-meters-australia.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/smart-meters-australia.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/smart-meters-australia.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":48218,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/time-of-use-tariffs-solar\/","url_meta":{"origin":33572,"position":4},"title":"Don’t Let Retailers Force You On To Time-Of-Use Tariffs When You Go Solar","author":"Ronald Brakels","date":"March 15, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"When you get solar panels installed, your old electricity meter is replaced with a smart meter.\u00a0 Unless you already have one.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 This isn't a bad thing in itself, as smart meters provide some advantages.\u00a0 But there is a problem if installing a smart meter is used as an excuse to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Solar Installation"","block_context":{"text":"Solar Installation","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-installation\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"australian dnsps","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/dnsps.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/dnsps.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/dnsps.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/dnsps.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/dnsps.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":62836,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/electricity-prices-tasmania-mb2519\/","url_meta":{"origin":33572,"position":5},"title":"Electricity Price Hike, Solar Feed-In Tariff Boost For Tasmania","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"June 20, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The bad news on electricity prices continues, with Tasmanian households and businesses also hit by power cost increases.\u00a0But solar owners will see a better feed-in tariff. Following in the footsteps of\u00a0 regional Queensland, SE QLD, SA and NSW,\u00a0 Victoria, and to a lesser degree Western Australia, Tasmanians will see electricity\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":"Electricity price rise in Tasmania","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/electricity-prices-tasmania.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/electricity-prices-tasmania.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/electricity-prices-tasmania.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/electricity-prices-tasmania.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/electricity-prices-tasmania.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33572","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\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33572"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33572\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33617,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33572\/revisions\/33617"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33602"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33572"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33572"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33572"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}