Part 10Safety and technical issues

Part 10—Safety and technical issues Division A1—Preliminary 44F—Preliminary In this Part— contractor, in relation to an employed worker, means a licensed electrical contractor or licensed building work contractor (as the case requires) by whom the employed worker is employed or engaged to carry out the work or examinations and tests related to the issue of an electronic certificate of compliance; contractor's duly authorised agent means a person acting as the contractor's duly authorised agent who has or had a supervisory role in relation to the employed worker; designated employer means an employer designated by the Technical Regulator for the purposes of this Part; designated registered electrical worker means a registered electrical worker employed or engaged by a designated employer; electronic certificate of compliance means a certificate of compliance issued under this Part in electronic form in accordance with any requirements of the Technical Regulator under regulation 57; employed worker, in relation to an electronic certificate of compliance issued in relation to an electrical installation, means a registered electrical worker employed or engaged to carry out work or examinations and tests related to the issue of the certificate (whether or not together with other work or examinations and tests on the installation) by a contractor. Division 1—Safety and technical requirements 45—Purpose of Division The requirements contained in this Division and related Schedules are safety or technical requirements for the purposes of sections 59 and 60 of the Act. 46—Quality of electricity supply The operator of a distribution network must ensure that the network is designed, constructed, operated and maintained so that at a customer's point of supply— (a) the voltage is as set out in AS 60038; and (b) the voltage fluctuations that occur are contained within the limits set out in Parts 3.3 and 3.5 of AS/NZS 61000 or Part 4 of AS 2279 (as in force immediately before it was superseded); and (c) the harmonic voltage distortions do not exceed the values set out in Part 3.2 of AS/NZS 61000 or Part 2 of AS 2279 (as in force immediately before it was superseded). 47—General requirements for electricity infrastructure (1) No circuit in electricity infrastructure may be allowed to remain in service unless every part of the circuit functions in a safe manner. (2) Each active conductor of a high voltage powerline or other high voltage equipment must be protected by an automatic disconnecting device. (3) Metal components of electricity infrastructure not normally conducting electricity that may become energised must be connected to earth. (4) Electricity infrastructure must be adequately protected against earth faults. 48—Aerial lines (1) Aerial lines (including service lines) must be designed, installed, operated and maintained to be safe for the electrical service conditions and the physical environment in which they will operate. (2) Without limiting the effect of subregulation (1), line construction in a bushfire risk area must be suitable for the levels of hazard in the area. (3) Schedule 1 applies in relation to aerial lines (including service lines) installed after 1 July 1997. 49—Underground lines (1) Underground lines (including service lines) must be designed, installed, operated and maintained to be safe for the electrical service conditions and the physical environment in which they will operate. (2) Schedule 2 applies in relation to underground lines (including service lines) installed after 1 July 1997. 50—Powerlines other than aerial or underground lines (1) Powerlines, other than aerial lines or underground lines, must be designed, installed, operated and maintained to be safe for the electrical service conditions and the physical environment in which they will operate. (2) Schedule 2 (other than clauses 6, 7 and 9) applies in relation to such powerlines installed after 1 July 1997 in the same way as to underground lines. 51—Substations (1) Substations must be designed, installed, operated and maintained to be safe for the electrical service conditions and the physical environment in which they will operate. (2) Schedule 3 applies in relation to substations installed after 1 July 1997. 52—Earthing and electrical protection systems (1) Earthing and electrical protection systems must be designed, installed, operated and maintained to safely manage abnormal electricity network conditions likely to significantly increase the risk of personal injury or significant property damage. (2) Schedule 4 applies in relation to earthing and electrical protection systems installed after 1 July 1997. 53—Electrical installations (1) Electrical installations must comply with AS/NZS 3000 and any other Australian Standard or Australian/New Zealand Standard called up by AS/NZS 3000. (2) Despite any other regulation— (a) aerial lines, underground lines or other powerlines; and (b) earthing and electrical protection systems, that form part of an electrical installation and that comply with AS/NZS 3000 and any other Australian Standard or Australian/New Zealand Standard called up by AS/NZS 3000, will be taken to comply with these regulations. 54—Connection testing and inspection procedures (1) For the purposes of section 59(1b)(b), (1d)(d) and (1g)(b) of the Act, electricity supply from a transmission or distribution network must not be connected to an electrical installation unless the connection testing and inspection procedures of the operator of the network have been complied with. (2) The connection testing and inspection procedures of a network operator relating to the connection of electricity supply from powerlines designed to operate at a voltage of less than 11 kV must be procedures that have been approved by the Technical Regulator. (3) For the purposes of section 59(1g)(a) of the Act, the work of installing or replacing a meter, or examinations and tests relating to such work, must be carried out in accordance with— (a) the metering installation procedures of the metering provider; or (b) the metering installation procedures published by the Technical Regulator. (4) A person who personally carries out the work of connecting electricity supply from a transmission or distribution network to an electrical installation must— (a) make and sign a written record that— (i) specifies the place and date at which the work has been carried out and sets out the person's full name; and (ii) states that the person has complied with the connection testing and inspection procedures of the network operator relating to the work; and (b) provide the record— (i) to the network operator; or (ii) in the case of work carried out on behalf of a prescribed person (as defined in section 59 of the Act) other than the network operator, to that prescribed person. Maximum penalty: $2 500. Expiation fee: $210. (5) A network operator or other prescribed person who receives a record referred to in subregulation (4) must keep the record for at least 2 years. Maximum penalty: $2 500. Expiation fee: $210. 55—General requirements for electrical installation (1) For the purposes of section 60(1) of the Act, an electrical installation must be designed, installed, operated and maintained so as to comply with any applicable requirements of— (a) in all cases—AS/NZS 3000 and any Australian Standard or Australian/New Zealand Standard called up by AS/NZS 3000; and (b) if the installation is, or is to be, connected to a distribution network—the technical installation rules of the operator of the network. 55A—Electronic certificates of compliance (1) For the purposes of section 60(2) of the Act, an electronic certificate of compliance may only be relied on if— (a) the certificate certifies that— (i) the electrical installation to which the certificate relates complies with any applicable requirements set out in AS/NZS 3000 and any Australian Standard or Australian/New Zealand Standard called up by AS/NZS 3000; and (ii) the electrical installation to which the certificate relates has been examined and tested in accordance with the standards and requirements referred to in regulation 56; and (b) the certificate records the results of that examination and testing; and (c) the certificate is issued by a registered electrical worker. (2) Subject to subregulations (3) and (4), the following requirements apply to an electronic certificate of compliance issued under this regulation: (a) in the case of an electronic certificate of compliance issued by a registered electrical worker who is an employed worker— (i) the registered electrical worker must, before the electrical installation is made available for energisation, complete the electronic certificate of compliance to the extent required by the Technical Regulator under regulation 57 and issue the certificate to— (A) the contractor; or (B) the contractor's duly authorised agent; and (ii) the contractor or the contractor's duly authorised agent (as the case may be), if satisfied that the work or examinations and tests have been carried out in accordance with the standards and requirements referred to in subregulation (1), must— (A) complete the electronic certificate of compliance; and (B) within 30 days after the electrical installation was made available for energisation, provide the electronic certificate of compliance to the Technical Regulator and the owner or operator of the installation; (b) in any other case—the registered electrical worker must— (i) before the electrical installation is made available for energisation, complete the electronic certificate of compliance to the extent required by the Technical Regulator under regulation 57; and (ii) within 30 days after the electrical installation was made available for energisation, provide the electronic certificate of compliance to— (A) the Technical Regulator; and (B) the owner or operator of the installation. (3) Despite subregulations (1) and (2), for the purposes of this regulation, a designated registered electrical worker must issue to the designated employer a hard copy certificate of compliance approved by the Technical Regulator that certifies that work or examinations and tests have been carried out in accordance with the standards and requirements referred to in subregulation (1). (4) Despite subregulation (2), a registered electrical worker— (a) is not required to complete, or complete and issue, (as the case requires) an electronic certificate of compliance before an electrical installation is made available for energisation if it is not reasonably practicable to do so (for example, because the worker's electronic device cannot connect to a telecommunications network in the relevant location); but (b) must instead complete, or complete and issue, (as the case requires) the electronic certificate of compliance as soon as is reasonably practicable after the electrical installation is made available for energisation. 55B—Remote disconnection and reconnection of electricity generating plant (1) This regulation applies to a designated electricity generating plant that is, or is to be, connected to a relevant distribution network and that— (a) is installed on or after the relevant day; or (b) was installed before the relevant day if a declared component of electricity infrastructure or an electrical installation associated with the plant is replaced on or after that day. (2) From the prescribed day, the owner or operator of a designated electricity generating plant to which this regulation applies must ensure that the following requirements are complied with in relation to the plant: (a) the plant must be capable of being remotely disconnected from, and reconnected to, the relevant distribution network; (b) the owner or operator must give a relevant agent written authorisation to remotely disconnect the plant from, and reconnect the plant to, the relevant distribution network in circumstances where the owner or operator of the plant is lawfully directed to disconnect or reconnect the plant. (3) In addition, from 1 January 2021, the owner or operator of a designated electricity generating plant to which this regulation applies must ensure that the plant is capable of being remotely disconnected from, and reconnected to, the network by the relevant agent of the owner or operator of the plant. (4) The owner or operator of a designated electricity generating plant to which this regulation applies must notify their relevant agent if there is, or is to be, a change in the owner or operator of the plant as soon as practicable after becoming aware of the change (and in any event within 7 days after the change). (5) A designated electricity generating plant to which this regulation applies must not be connected to a relevant distribution network unless the requirements under subregulations (2) and (3) (as relevant) are complied with in relation to the plant. (6) The Technical Regulator may prepare and publish guidelines that set out methods for ensuring that a designated electricity generating plant is capable of being remotely disconnected from, and reconnected to, a relevant distribution network. (7) Guidelines published under subregulation (6) may indicate that a method is, or is not, appropriate for designated electricity generating plant with particular nameplate capacity. (8) For the purposes of this regulation, a particular designated electricity generating plant (installed plant) will be taken to be capable of being remotely disconnected from, and reconnected to, a relevant distribution network if the installed plant complies with a method that is appropriate for designated electricity generating plant with nameplate capacity of the installed plant set out in guidelines published under subregulation (6). (9) The Technical Regulator must maintain an up to date list of declared components for the purposes of subregulation (1)(b) on a website determined by the Technical Regulator. (10) The Minister may— (a) by notice in the Gazette, designate an electricity generating plant as a designated electricity generating plant for the purposes of this regulation; and (11) The Technical Regulator may— (a) by notice in the Gazette, declare that a distribution network is an excluded distribution network for the purposes of this regulation; and (12) In this regulation and regulations 55C and 55D— declared component—see subregulation (9); designated electricity generating plant—see subregulation (10); excluded distribution network—see subregulation (11); prescribed day means a day specified by the Minister by notice in the Gazette for the purposes of subregulation (2); relevant agent means a person who is authorised by the owner or operator of the designated electricity generating plant to be their relevant agent and who meets the requirements set out in regulation 55C; relevant day, in relation to a designated electricity generating plant, means— (a) the day on which the Minister publishes the first notice under subregulation (10)(a); or (b) in the case of an electricity generating plant that is designated as a designated electricity generating plant after the day referred to in paragraph (a)—the day on which the electricity generating plant is so designated; relevant distribution network means a distribution network other than an excluded distribution network. 55C—Relevant agents (1) A person may be authorised, on or before 31 December 2020, to be a relevant agent by an owner or operator of a designated electricity generating plant to which regulation 55B applies if the person— (a) is suitably qualified in accordance with the requirements set out in any guidelines under subregulation (4); and (b) nominates, in accordance with any guidelines under subregulation (4), the technology they will use to remotely disconnect plant from, and reconnect plant to, the relevant distribution network; and (c) gives a written undertaking to the Technical Regulator, in the form determined by the Technical Regulator, that the person will— (i) complete, on or before 31 December 2020, all actions necessary to allow the person to remotely disconnect plant from, and reconnect plant to, the network; and (ii) demonstrate, on or before 31 December 2020, that the technology nominated by them under paragraph (b) is capable of remotely disconnecting plant from, and reconnecting plant to, a relevant distribution network to the satisfaction of the Technical Regulator. (2) A person may be authorised, on or after 1 January 2021, to be a relevant agent by an owner or operator of a designated electricity generating plant to which regulation 55B applies if the person— (a) is suitably qualified in accordance with the requirements set out in any guidelines under subregulation (4); and (b) has nominated, in accordance with any guidelines under subregulation (4), the technology they will use to remotely disconnect plant from, and reconnect plant to, the relevant distribution network; and (c) has completed all actions necessary to allow the person to remotely disconnect plant from, and reconnect plant to, the network; and (d) has demonstrated that the technology nominated by them under paragraph (b) is capable of remotely disconnecting plant from, and reconnecting plant to, a relevant distribution network to the satisfaction of the Technical Regulator. (3) A person must not act contrary to, or fail to comply with, a written undertaking given under subregulation (1)(c). (4) The Technical Regulator may prepare and publish guidelines that set out the requirements for, and role and responsibilities of, a relevant agent. 55D—Register of relevant agents (1) The Technical Regulator must keep and maintain a register of relevant agents for the purposes of regulations 55B and 55C. (2) The requirement under subregulation (1) will be taken to be satisfied if the Technical Regulator adopts a register maintained by another person or body that the Technical Regulator is satisfied contains the information specified by subregulation (3). (3) The register must contain the following information: (a) the location and size of each designated electricity generating plant to which regulation 55B applies; (b) the name and contact details of the relevant agent for each designated electricity generating plant to which regulation 55B applies. (4) Information contained in the register may be provided to the following persons: (a) a person with lawful authority to direct that a designated electricity generating plant be disconnected from, or reconnected to, a relevant distribution network; (b) the operator of a relevant distribution network. 55E—Export limits for electricity generating plant (1) This regulation applies to a designated electricity generating plant that is, or is to be, connected to a relevant distribution network and that— (a) is installed on or after the relevant day; or (b) was installed before the relevant day if a declared component of electricity infrastructure or an electrical installation associated with the plant is replaced on or after that day. (2) The owner or operator of a designated electricity generating plant to which this regulation applies must ensure that the following requirements are complied with in relation to the plant: (a) the plant's inverter is remote communications capable; (b) on or after the prescribed day— (i) the plant is capable of being export limited; and (ii) the export limits of the plant are capable of being updated remotely. (3) A designated electricity generating plant to which this regulation applies must not be connected to a relevant distribution network unless the requirements under subregulation (2) are complied with in relation to the plant. (4) The Technical Regulator must prepare and publish guidelines that set out the requirements for ensuring that an inverter is remote communications capable. (5) The Technical Regulator may prepare and publish guidelines that set out methods for ensuring that— (a) a designated electricity generating plant is capable of being export limited (export limiting methods); and (b) the export limits of a designated electricity generating plant are capable of being updated remotely (without a person being required to attend the site of the designated electricity generating plant) (remote updating methods). (6) Guidelines published under subregulation (5) may indicate that a method is, or is not, appropriate for designated electricity generating plant with particular nameplate capacity. (7) For the purposes of this regulation— (a) a designated electricity generating plant (generally) is capable of being export limited if the electricity exported to a relevant distribution network from the plant can be programmed to not exceed thresholds (export limits), which may vary at different times of the day; and (b) a particular designated electricity generating plant (installed plant) will be taken to be capable of being export limited if the installed plant complies with an export limiting method that is appropriate for designated electricity generating plant with nameplate capacity of the installed plant set out in guidelines published under subregulation (5); and (c) the export limits of a designated electricity generating plant (installed plant) will be taken to be capable of being updated remotely if the installed plant complies with a remote updating method that is appropriate for designated electricity generating plant with nameplate capacity of the installed plant set out in guidelines published under subregulation (5). (8) The Technical Regulator must maintain an up to date list of declared components for the purposes of subregulation (1)(b) on a website determined by the Technical Regulator. (9) The Minister may— (a) by notice in the Gazette, designate an electricity generating plant as a designated electricity generating plant for the purposes of this regulation; and (10) The Technical Regulator may— (a) by notice in the Gazette, declare that a distribution network is an excluded distribution network for the purposes of this regulation; and (11) In this regulation— declared component—see subregulation (8); designated electricity generating plant—see subregulation (9); excluded distribution network—see subregulation (10); prescribed day means a day specified by the Minister by notice in the Gazette for the purposes of subregulation (2)(b); relevant day, in relation to a designated electricity generating plant, means— (a) the day on which these regulations come into operation; or (b) in the case of an electricity generating plant that is designated as a designated electricity generating plant after the day referred to in paragraph (a)—the day on which the electricity generating plant is so designated; relevant distribution network means a distribution network other than an excluded distribution network. 55F—Voltage ride through for low voltage inverters of electricity generating plant (1) Subject to subregulation (2), this regulation applies to an electricity generating plant that is, or is to be, connected to a distribution network through a low voltage inverter and that— (a) is installed after the commencement of this regulation; or (b) was installed before the commencement of this regulation if the plant's inverter is replaced after the commencement of this regulation, unless the inverter is replaced under warranty. (2) Despite subregulation (1)(a), this regulation— (a) does not apply to an electricity generating plant installed after the commencement of this regulation where a written application to connect the plant to the distribution network was received by the operator of the distribution network on or before 10 August 2020; but (b) does apply to such an electricity generating plant if the plant's inverter is subsequently replaced, unless the inverter is replaced under warranty. (3) The owner or operator of an electricity generating plant to which this regulation applies must ensure that the low voltage inverter of the plant— (a) on or before 31 March 2021—is a designated inverter; or (b) has been tested in accordance with both of the following procedures relating to voltage ride through: (i) a procedure published from time to time by AEMO; (ii) a procedure in Australian Standard AS/NZS4777.2. (4) An electricity generating plant to which this regulation applies must not be connected to a distribution network unless the requirements under subregulation (3) are complied with in relation to the plant. (5) The Technical Regulator must, from the commencement of this regulation until 31 March 2021, keep and maintain a publicly available register of designated inverters, being inverters that meet the following requirements: (a) the manufacturer of the inverter has provided the Technical Regulator with a test report that demonstrates that the inverter meets a procedure published from time to time by AEMO relating to voltage ride through, excluding any requirement in the procedure that the test be conducted at an appropriate testing facility; (b) the manufacturer of the inverter has given a written undertaking to the Technical Regulator, in the form determined by the Technical Regulator, that— (i) they will complete the testing referred to in subregulation (3)(b) through an appropriate testing facility on or before 31 March 2021; and (ii) if the inverter fails to pass a test referred to in subregulation (3)(b) through an appropriate testing facility, they will— (A) replace any such inverter supplied after the commencement of this regulation with an inverter that passes the tests referred to in subregulation (3)(b) through an appropriate testing facility; or (B) upgrade any such inverter supplied after the commencement of this regulation so that the inverter passes the tests referred to in subregulation (3)(b) through an appropriate testing facility; (c) the importer of the inverter (if any) has given a written undertaking to the Technical Regulator, in the form determined by the Technical Regulator, that, if the inverter fails to pass a test referred to in subregulation (3)(b) through an appropriate testing facility, they will— (i) replace any such inverter supplied after the commencement of this regulation with an inverter that passes the tests referred to in subregulation (3)(b) through an appropriate testing facility; or (ii) upgrade any such inverter supplied after the commencement of this regulation so that the inverter passes the tests referred to in subregulation (3)(b) through an appropriate testing facility. (6) A person must not act contrary to, or fail to comply with, a written undertaking given under subregulation (5)(b) or (c). (7) In this regulation— appropriate testing facility means a testing facility that meets any requirements set out in a procedure published from time to time by AEMO relating to voltage ride through; designated inverter—see subregulation (5); importer means a person who imports an inverter into Australia. 55G—Meters A meter installed at premises on or after the commencement of this regulation must— (a) be capable of separately measuring and controlling an electricity generating plant and controllable load from essential load (whether or not there is electricity generating plant or controllable load at the premises); and (b) be installed in accordance with any guideline prepared and published by the Technical Regulator in respect of wiring, meter configurations and other installation requirements.