How do I have my say on WA's plug-in solar rules?

The consultation is run by the Department of Energy and Economic Diversification (DEED, through Energy Policy WA) and the Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety (LGIRS, through Building and Energy). It is open to anyone. The departments say they welcome feedback from all stakeholders, and they are particularly after views on the technical and safety controls. This page explains how to take part. It does not tell you what to say.

What are the three ways to send a submission?

Online, by email or by post. The consultation paper says the online form is the best way, “So that we can analyse your feedback as quickly as possible”.

Method	Details
Online form	The “Have your say” link on the consultation hub: jtsi.citizenspace.com, “Plug in to power up”. The FAQ also points to www.wa.gov.au/balcony-solar.
Email	balconysolar@deed.wa.gov.au
Post	DER Team - Balcony Solar Consultation, Energy Policy WA, Department of Energy and Economic Diversification, PO Box Z5044, St Georges Terrace, PERTH WA 6831

The postal address above is the one printed on page 3 of the consultation paper. The government’s consultation web page also gives the street address, Level 1, 66 St Georges Terrace, with the same PO Box.

What does the online form ask for?

The form runs over six pages and has a “Save and come back later” option. The first page asks for:

• your name (required)
• your email address (required)
• your organisation, if you have one
• whether you agree to your response being published
• how you heard about the consultation

For publication you pick one of three options: “Yes”, “Yes, but keep my name/organisation private”, or “No, I want this submission to be confidential”. The form says only your name, organisation and responses are published, never your email address.

Will my submission be made public?

Probably, unless you say otherwise. The paper says: “For transparency, we usually publish all submissions on our website.” It asks people to say if anything they provide is confidential and, where possible, to keep confidential information separate from the rest.

The paper also notes that anyone claiming confidentiality “should consider the Freedom of Information Act 1992, which imposes obligations in respect to the release of documents.” In plain words, marking something confidential keeps it off the website, but my reading is that it may still be released if someone makes a successful freedom of information request. It also says: “We will not publish contact details like your phone number or email address.”

What are the 13 questions, in plain English?

The paper asks you to give reasons for your answers. You can comment on any of them, and question 13 is open. Below, the wording is my plain-English version, and the clause numbers come from the paper.

Questions 1 to 5: the overall approach (paper page 7)

The background: WA proposes to treat plug-in kits as ordinary electrical appliances. Makers would get type tests from NATA-accredited labs, build a compliance folder, register the product and use the RCM mark, as they do for other appliances. Unlike rooftop inverters, the kits would not go to the Clean Energy Council for approval. The departments say they looked at using existing grid connection rules instead, but that would make access harder than the proposed “install, then notify” approach.

1. Do you support legalising plug-in solar and batteries through the existing appliance safety system, instead of through grid connection rules or a product class exemption?
2. Before someone first uses a plug-in system, should the standard require an electrician to check the wiring, protection devices and suitability of the home’s electrical installation?
3. Could using the RCM approach for compliant systems cause any problems or unintended effects?
4. Is it reasonable to skip Clean Energy Council approval and rely on standard appliance type testing instead?
5. Do you support keeping the WA standard generally in line with Germany’s DIN VDE V 0126-95?

Questions 6 to 12: the technical standard (paper pages 8 to 10)

The background, in brief: kit mounts would only be type tested for wind up to region B, with cyclone regions C and D in the north excluded from mandatory testing (see regional WA). The paper also flags a safety issue called RCD blinding, where DC current leaking from a plug-in system during a fault could stop some type AC safety switches, common in Australian switchboards, from working properly. Instead of mandatory inspections, it proposes more lab tests on this. More on that in plug-in solar safety.

6. On wind: (a) is testing mounts up to wind region B enough to balance safety with access for consumers? (b) would you prefer a two-tier specification, with kits rated either up to region B or up to region D?
7. Is AS/NZS 62852 the right standard for the DC connectors in plug-in kits?
8. Are the safety controls in the standard’s RCD section (section 5.7) enough to make these systems safe for consumers?
9. Are the safety controls in the battery section (section 6.5) enough?
10. Would the proposed list of lab tests properly measure how plug-in systems affect older and existing electrical installations, before the standard is finalised?
11. Is anything in the standard likely to stop makers offering safe kits in WA, such as (a) type tests that clash with other requirements, (b) AS/NZS references where an equivalent international IEC standard would be simpler because kits are already certified to it overseas, (c) sections that ask for too much or too little, or (d) anything else?
12. Is any safety control missing for (a) solar panels, (b) inverters, (c) batteries, including thermal safety, clearance, placement and ventilation, (d) the ongoing safe use of sockets, RCDs and the conditions they are used in, or (e) likely user behaviour, such as using extension cords?

Question 13: anything else (paper page 10)

13. Any other feedback on the proposal, including things the departments should pay particular attention to.

What should I read before I write?

The consultation paper is 11 pages and is the best place to start. The draft Technical Bridging Standard (DR EPWA-TBS-75-001) has the detail behind questions 6 to 12. Both are linked from the consultation page and the consultation hub. The rules page summarises what the draft proposes.

What happens after 9 December?

The departments will “analyse and consider all feedback”, then publish a consultation summary, an updated certification route and version 2 of the standard. They “anticipate completing this by February 2027”, subject to analysis and technical work, and will then prepare the regulatory changes to make plug-in solar legal. The consultation hub also lists “Results expected 20 Jan 2027” without saying what that will be. The FAQ says the government will keep talking with consumers, safety regulators and industry. Dates are tracked on the timeline.

Plug-in solar stays illegal in WA while all of this happens. See is plug-in solar legal in WA.