Regulators in Australia have dropped initial proposals that could have banned the introduction of on-site lithium-ion battery storage in homes.
The potential ban came to light earlier this year when Standards Australia launched consultations into draft fire safety regulations for the use of lithium-based batteries.
However, following talks with industry and government leaders, Standards Australia has now confirmed “provisions contained in the draft installation standard related to residential building regulation, beyond product placement, will be removed”.
Instead, Standards Australia said industry and government would work together to draw up new proposals for “appropriate building requirements that recognise current installation practices for battery systems that meet the international product standards”.
Australia’s Clean Energy Council (CEC) welcomed the move, which it said dropped a proposal that would have been “overly restrictive and require batteries to be installed outside of a house”.
CEC’s executive general manager of installation integrity Sandy Atkins (pictured) said the decision “will shift the primary responsibility for product safety on to the product manufacturers instead of installers”.
“The decision to review this requirement is an important one for the future of the Australian consumer storage industry,” Atkins added. “While consumer safety is paramount for the industry, such requirements are unnecessary if battery units meet appropriate international product standards and are installed by an accredited installer.”
There are no current Standards Australia regulations for in-home battery installations in the country.
