What is the building compliance process in the Northern Territory if you're installing solar power?
Synopsis
The Australian government has implemented regulations that require solar installations to comply with state and territory building regulations, including obtaining a building permit. This process can become more expensive if not completed at the time of installation. A section 40 inspection is required for the equipment on the roof, followed by obtaining a building permit, inspection and submission of a certificate of occupancy. This ensures the quality of the system and panel.
It is important to note that if a homeowner wants to sell their house, a building permit and certificate of occupancy must be obtained, which can be costly if not done at the time of installation. A good quality system with good quality panels should not have any issues with passing the inspection and obtaining the necessary permits.
Video Transcript
They legislated through the federal government that every solar install had to comply to state and territory building regulations. Well here in the Northern territory that means, especially here in the top end, you have to have a building permit. So then all the panel testing came into it to comply. So there are systems out there now that do comply, but they don't have a building permit. So people want to sell the house. Unfortunately, they're going to have to get a building permit and certificate of occupancy to get all signed off. And that can be done, but quite a bit more expensive getting it done now than what it would have been back when it was done. We do a section 40, that's the equipment that goes on the roof on how it's done. Then there's the building permit and then there's once it's been installed it's then an inspection happens, tick boxes, and the certificate of occupancy is then submitted. So they're the process that happen. When you're looking at the section 40, this is the part where everything all fits in to your wind loading. If they're a good quality system, good quality panel, you're not going to have a problem.