An Australian court has fined a solar installation company $9,000 after it pleaded guilty to the unsafe installation of residential energy storage systems at five properties, including one that caused a small house fire.
Melbourne-registered solar installer Greenova Pty Ltd has been fined without conviction by the Seymour Magistrates Court after admitting unsafe installation of battery energy storage systems at five Victorian properties between December 2023 and July 2024.
Greenova pleaded guilty to three charges under the Electricity Safety Act 1998 for failing to comply with electrical installation requirements and failing to have the battery systems assessed by a recognized electrical inspector before they were connected.
Energy Safe Victoria said it became aware of the non-compliant installations after the Country Fire Authority attended a fire at a property near Toolomba, in the state’s Goulburn Valley region.
The energy safety regulator said investigations found that improper installation exposed the battery to uncontrolled voltage, causing it to overcharge and ignite. The fire destroyed the battery and damaged the exterior of the house.
Further investigation revealed that Greenova had also installed battery systems at properties in Caveat, Doncaster, Marong and Launching Place without arranging statutory inspections.
In sentencing, the magistrate said the fire “could have had catastrophic consequences”, adding it was a clear example of why Victoria’s electrical safety laws require independent inspections before connecting battery systems.
The magistrate also stated that had the company not cooperated with Energy Safe and entered an early guilty plea, it would have imposed a fine of AUD 15,000 ($10,066), instead of AUD 9,000 ($6,029). No conviction was recorded.
Energy Safe Chief Executive Leanne Hughson said independent electrical inspections are mandatory when installation work is carried out on all or part of a battery energy storage system to identify defects before connection.
“Safely installing battery systems is not optional and neither is arranging required electrical inspections before switching on,” she said.
“These laws are in place to prevent fires and protect Victorian households, and failure to comply can have serious consequences.”
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