When will plug-in solar be legal in WA?

The short version is that WA is still at the draft stage, and the government has been careful not to promise a start date. Below, each date is marked with where it comes from, and dates that are only expected or called for are labelled that way. This page is updated when something new is announced.

WA and Australia: what has happened and what is expected

Date	What happened or is expected	Status
11 September 2026	Australia’s energy ministers “agreed to explore pathways to support the safe deployment of plug-in consumer energy resource (CER) devices”. The Commonwealth and the states will report back to ministers “this year on next steps”.	Happened (ministers’ communique)
27 to 28 October 2026	Energy and Decarbonisation Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson and Commerce Minister Dr Tony Buti announce WA intends to legalise plug-in solar and batteries. The consultation paper (dated 28 October) and draft Technical Bridging Standard are published, and the online consultation opens on 28 October.	Happened (media statement, paper, consultation hub)
5pm AWST, 9 December 2026	Public submissions close.	Firm (consultation paper)
December 2026	The ministers’ communique refers to a December meeting of the energy ministers’ council. Solar Citizens wants “a firm time-line and deadline” set there.	Meeting expected; outcome unknown
20 January 2027	The consultation hub lists this as “Results expected”. The page does not say what will be released on that date.	Listed on the hub, not explained
By February 2027	WA expects to publish a consultation summary, an updated certification route and version 2 of the standard, “subject to consultation analysis and cross-agency technical work”.	Expected (consultation paper)
After February 2027	WA “will then prepare regulatory changes to legalise plug-in solar and battery systems.”	No date given
1 July 2027	Solar Citizens’ target for plug-in solar and batteries to be legal across Australia.	A campaign call, not a government plan
Not known	The date plug-in solar becomes legal in WA, and the date certified kits are on sale.	Not announced

A note on the announcement date: the WA media statement’s web address carries 27 October 2026, but the page itself is dated 28 October, and the ABC reported it on 28 October. I have shown both.

What has to happen between February 2027 and legal kits?

Four steps, according to the consultation paper’s proposed pathway:

1. Amend the Electricity System and Market Rules so the WA Coordinator of Energy can set plug-in solar and battery standards.
2. Publish the final standard as formal technical and safety requirements.
3. Have it accepted as a standard within the national Electrical Equipment Safety System (EESS), so products can carry the RCM tick like other appliances.
4. Set up simple notification forms so households can tell Western Power or Horizon Power about their system.

Then each maker has to get its kit tested by a NATA-accredited lab, compile a compliance folder and register the product before it can be sold as compliant. How long that takes will depend on the brands. That is my reading of the published process, not a government timeline. The steps are explained in the rules.

What happened overseas first?

WA’s draft is based on Germany’s standard, and the consultation paper says the departments closely considered the UK Government’s lab safety study. These dates give useful context:

Date	Where	What happened
1 April 2024	Germany	Registration of balcony systems in the national register cut to five details about the device (from about 20).
16 May 2024	Germany	Solarpaket I takes effect: inverter limit raised to 800 VA, panels up to 2,000 W, no notice to the network operator needed, only registration.
17 October 2024	Germany	Tenants and apartment owners get a legal claim to permission for a plug-in solar device, which can only be refused in justified cases.
December 2025	Germany	DIN VDE V 0126-95, the first product standard for plug-in solar devices, is published. WA’s draft is based on it.
15 April 2026	UK	BS 7671 Amendment 4, the latest version of the UK wiring rules, is issued.
16 June 2026	UK	The UK Government consults on plug-in solar rules.
16 July 2026	UK	The regulations (SI 2026/848) are made and the final interim product specification is published.
Late July 2026	New Zealand	A Ministry for Regulation review recommends legalising plug-in solar.
27 August 2026	Great Britain	Plug-in solar becomes legal, capped at 800 W AC output.
End of September 2026	Germany	1,529,612 plug-in systems recorded as operating in the national register.

The detail is in Germany’s balcony solar story, UK plug-in solar and the national picture.

Why might it take longer than people hope?

Because the February 2027 date is only the end of the drafting stage. The UK took about ten weeks from its consultation opening (16 June 2026) to plug-in solar being legal (27 August 2026), but it had no battery section and no new appliance certification route to set up. WA is doing both. That comparison is my own, and it does not mean WA will take a set amount of time.

Will other states follow WA?

Possibly, but none has published its own plan that I could find as at 5 November 2026. WA says it will keep working with “other states and territories, and the Australian Government to support nationally consistent requirements”, and expects the final standard to be split into a product part and an installation part to fit AS/NZS documents. Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen has said “This is not happening overnight, we have to get it right, and the work on the standards is very important.” More in plug-in solar in Australia.

Can I use a kit before the dates above?

No. Plug-in solar cannot be used legally in any Australian state or territory today, and the FAQ says using imported systems remains illegal. See is plug-in solar legal in WA.