ESV recently issued an industry alert about DC Isolators - cancellation of a number of .
The certification of certain types of DC isolators has been cancelled and they can no longer be sold in Victoria until re-certification can take place.
Certification is a requirement for certain electrical products to be sold in Victoria.
The industry alert includes a list of the affected models.
Private certifiers SAA Approvals cancelled 18 certifications for DC isolators on 29 September. Suppliers are not allowed to supply the affected DC isolators until they are re-certified and re-registered.
The certificates were not cancelled due to safety concerns. An audit of the certification process found the certification body did not have the correct accreditation to provide certification for these particular models of DC Isolators.
The suppliers now have to get the affected DC Isolators re-certified.
Background
What are DC isolators
A DC isolator is a manual disconnection switch that stops electricity generated by a PV system flowing through the system to make the system safe in emergency situations or to allow for servicing and maintenance.
Why do they need to be certified and registered?
Certification is a safety requirement. DC isolators are classified as high risk (level 3) electrical equipment and are required to be certified and registered before they are supplied into the Victorian market.
The Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JASANZ) accredits private certifiers in Australia and New Zealand. Certification is a requirement for registration on the Electrical Equipment Safety System (EESS).
The EESS increases consumer safety for household electrical equipment sold in Victoria and all other participating jurisdictions. It harmonises various state legislation across Australia, provides the public with a national database of responsible suppliers and electrical equipment registrations.
The database ensures that electrical equipment is easily traced to the supplier and allow users to verify its legal supply in Australia and New Zealand.
Reviewed 14 December 2022