{"id":97691,"date":"2026-02-11T05:44:30","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T20:14:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=97691"},"modified":"2026-02-10T14:49:22","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T05:19:22","slug":"battery-garage-door-nsw","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/battery-garage-door-nsw\/","title":{"rendered":"NSW Finally Opens Up The Garage Door To Batteries"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Good news for battery customers in New South Wales – you can now join the rest of the country, installing battery systems within 600mm of garage door openings and other similar applications.<\/p>\n

What exactly does this mean? Simply that NSW has now adopted the pragmatic approach everyone else takes to interpreting the rules.<\/p>\n

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Can You Install A Battery Near A Garage Door?<\/h2>\n

The basic principle behind what we\u2019re explaining today is this; if there\u2019s a fire, you don\u2019t want it blocking an escape route from a building.<\/p>\n

The rule says batteries cannot be installed within 600mm of a doorway, which makes some sense when you\u2019re dealing with a personal access door that is around 800mm, or an additional 25% wider than the specified clearance.<\/p>\n

However, for years now, customers in NSW have not<\/i> been allowed to install a battery within 600mm of a garage <\/i>door.<\/a> The state authorities were blind to the fact a garage door might be 450% wider.<\/p>\n

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It seems the CEC specifically enlarged the most ridiculous part and NSW took the bait.<\/p><\/div>\n

While every other Australian jurisdiction said yeah, 600mm is irrelevant when you can get 2, 3 or 5 metres away from the hazard. NSW said a door is a door and an exit is an exit. Reasoning didn\u2019t come into the equation.<\/p>\n

Rules Is Rules<\/h2>\n

It is not without reason that some people think Australia is a nanny state of regulation and red tape but we\u2019re happy to report at least some of the apron strings have been loosened recently in an amendment to battery safety rules<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There are some pretty strict standards dictating just where you can install a home battery system, and for good reason. While battery fires are vanishingly small in number<\/a>, like any flame in a building full of plastic, modern house fires are difficult to control and emit toxic smoke.<\/p>\n

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Despite the bollard, until now, this wasn’t a compliant install position in NSW.<\/p><\/div>\n

We\u2019ve explained before<\/a> that the rules can make it hard to find a compliant location for battery installation. Many of them disappear if you\u2019re 300mm from a wall, but if you\u2019re really worried, an enclosure completely separate from the house might be the best plan.<\/p>\n

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Once cladding is installed around 3 sides, this little kiosk will afford excellent protection to the battery, well away from the house.<\/p><\/div>\n

Going In The Garage<\/h2>\n

In many instances it makes perfectly good sense to put your solar equipment in the garage, not least of which being you may have an EV to charge, so wiring up to a solar sub board reduces expense and increases efficiency. Regardless though, the same reasons apply for keeping your car in there. Many people lament that cars, whether they\u2019re full of flammable fossils or massive EV batteries, seem to have far fewer rules to comply with when parked in your garage.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s protected from the elements, which helps with:<\/p>\n