Australia’s Clean Energy Council has announced that several inverter models from Canadian Solar (CSI-Solar) have been excluded from the CEC-approved solar product program.
Solar panels and inverters must be on the CEC’s approved products list at the time of installation for a solar power system to be eligible for Small Scale Technology Certificates (STCs). STCs are virtual pieces of paper that form the basis of Australia’s solar rebate. Some government incentives also require a CEC listing, and most (all?) power grids require grid connection permit status.
As of last Saturday (January 18), the following models have been suspended due to non-compliance with the Inverter Terms and Conditions: in particular, Canadian Solar’s importer is not registered with EESS as a responsible supplier:
- CSI-8K-S22003-E (AS4777-2 2020)
- CSI-5K-S22003-E (AS4777-2 2020)
- CSI-9K-S22003-E (AS4777-2 2020)
- CSI-7K-S22003-E (AS4777-2 2020)
“If remedial action is taken within three months, the suspension may be lifted,” the CEC said in an email sent on Wednesday. “If this is not the case, the products will be removed from the list.”
The affected models are exclusively single-phase string inverters with outputs of 5 kW, 7 kW, 8 kW and 9 kW. When checked early yesterday, the only Canadian solar inverter on the approved list was the CSI-5K-S22002-E (AS4777-2 2020). But another late afternoon email from the CEC said it intended to add this model to the suspension list on January 30, 2025; and for the same reason.
How does this impact Canadian solar inverter owners?
Assuming the inverter is already installed, this is not the case. The suspension only affects units yet to be installed. And since the reason for the suspension is not a hardware failure and nothing of the sort has been mentioned, current owners shouldn’t worry.
What is the EESS and a “responsible supplier”?
EESS stands for Electrical Equipment Safety System, a regulatory framework aimed at increasing the safety of Australian consumers in relation to household electrical appliances. It uses the Regulatory Compliance Mark (RCM) to allow consumers to easily identify EESS compliance.
In addition to the EESS, RCM also signals compliance with the Australian Communications Media Authority (ACMA) labeling requirements.
A responsible supplier is a legally identifiable Australian or New Zealand party that manufactures or imports electrical equipment covered by the EESS. While an overseas-based company such as Canadian Solar cannot register as a responsible supplier, these companies can either distribute their product through a party that does, or become an Australian or New Zealand legal entity and then register.
The CEC doesn’t mention who the importer is, but I was under the impression that Canadian Solar/CSI Solar imported their solar panels and inverters into Australia. The company has 4 warehouses and 5 offices here, as well as 10 currently registered Australian companies, according to an ASIC company search.
The situation has not impacted Canadian solar panels; Probably because the Clean Energy Council’s terms and conditions for inverters are different from the terms and conditions for PV modules – the latter do not address the requirements of responsible suppliers.
Are you thinking about installing solar energy in your home? The inverter is the real workhorse of a solar system, so special attention should be paid to the selection and not just the focus on the modules. Check out SolarQuotes’ guide to choosing a good solar inverter. There you will also find the brands that SQ currently recommends.
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