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Solar panels and batteries after a storm or flood
Treat a rooftop solar system and its battery as live after a storm or flood, even when the street’s power is off, and stay away from the panels, batteries and wiring until an electrician has checked them. Queensland’s Electrical Safety Office is specific about one more thing: after a storm, flood or cyclone, do not attempt to turn the system off.
General information from electrical safety regulators’ and networks’ own pages, each labelled with its state. Your state’s electrical safety regulator and your system’s installer are the places to check.
Why the panels don’t go dark with the street
Energy Safe Victoria: “Solar panels can produce energy during daylight hours. This means they can be a potential safety risk even if the power is turned off.” Queensland’s Electrical Safety Office says the same of the whole system: “Even if the network supply is turned off, PV systems will continue producing voltages during the day, and batteries may hold charges, so the PV cells, batteries and associated wiring will be still live.”
After a flood, Essential Energy, in New South Wales, says solar panels can generate a current whether or not the electricity has been turned off, and that if you are unsure about the state of your installation, you should contact your installer or a licensed electrician before turning the equipment on.
Off before, hands off after
The advice changes with the moment. Before a storm, Queensland’s regulator asks you to shut the system down using its safe isolation procedure; after a storm, flood or cyclone, it says not to attempt to turn it off, to stay away, and to have an electrician check it.
| Moment | What the source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Before a storm or wet season | “Shut down your solar PV system using the safe isolation procedure.” | Electrical Safety Office, QLD |
| Your home loses power in a storm | “Shut down your solar PV system using the safe isolation procedure located at the solar inverter.” | Energy Safe Victoria, storms page |
| Before a flood | Turn the system off at the inverter and at the switchboard, and turn off any battery as well. | CitiPower and Powercor, VIC |
| During an outage | Among its outage tips: no need to turn off solar inverters, which should turn off and back on by themselves. | Essential Energy, NSW |
| A planned interruption | The solar system does not need to be adjusted before or during it. | SA Power Networks, SA |
| After a storm, flood or cyclone | “Do not attempt to turn off the system after a storm/flood/cyclone.” | Electrical Safety Office, QLD |
| After a flood reached the home | “do not switch on solar at the mains nor the inverter.” | Energy Safe Victoria, floods page |
Queensland’s solar section, in full
This is the solar and battery section of Queensland’s page on electrical safety during storms, every line in order. The same page’s clean-up list adds one more line: “If you have a solar power generating system, avoid getting on the roof unless absolutely necessary and keep away from solar panels and their cables.”
Electrical Safety Office, Queensland
“Solar PV systems and battery energy storage systems”
“If your solar PV system or battery energy storage system has been damaged, get a licensed electrical contractor to inspect it, make any repairs and check it’s electrically safe before it is re-commissioned. This check needs to be done before other clean-up work starts around the PV cells, batteries and associated electrical wiring.”
“Even if the network supply is turned off, PV systems will continue producing voltages during the day, and batteries may hold charges, so the PV cells, batteries and associated wiring will be still live.”
“During a clean-up:”
- “Do not attempt to turn off the system after a storm/flood/cyclone.”
- “Stay away from the solar panels, batteries and wiring.”
- “Have an electrician check the system.”
- “If your system has been checked and is safe, follow the start up procedure.”
“While the sun is out, your solar PV system is generating electricity. Assume batteries are charged. Always treat the system and associated wires as live.”
Victoria’s flood steps for solar and batteries, in full
Energy Safe Victoria’s floods page opens with: “For life-threatening emergencies, call 000.” Its solar and battery sections, before evacuating and on returning home, are below, every line in order.
Energy Safe Victoria, Victoria
“Before evacuating”
“Solar”
“Turn your solar system off at the inverter and then turn off at the switchboard (all switches on the switchboard should be in the off position).” “The solar system will have information on shutdown procedures.”
“Batteries”
“Turn solar batteries off.” “Follow the shutdown procedure which will be close to the battery system.” “Do not attempt to disassemble the battery or open any of the panels.”
“On return to your property”
“Solar systems”
“If your home has been impacted by floodwater, do not switch on solar at the mains nor the inverter. The solar system and battery must be inspected by a licensed electrician before it can be re-energised.” “You should treat a solar system as live until it is inspected by a licensed electrician.” “If your solar panels appear to have sustained damage, do not go near the equipment or cables, even if the power to the house is turned off. The system may still be energised.” “Call a licensed electrician to test and make it safe.”
“Batteries”
“If your property has been flood affected, do not switch on your battery. Call a licensed electrician to check your battery system.” “You should treat a battery system as live until it has been inspected by a licensed electrician.”
A home battery is electrical work too
Energy Safe Victoria: “DIY home battery installations expose households to a serious fire risk. Don’t DIY electrical work – always hire an electrician.” Its power outage page adds: “Do not switch on a solar battery if it has been damaged in any way.”
After a flood, where water did not enter the property, CitiPower and Powercor ask you to contact your installer or a licensed electrician to check rooftop solar or a battery before turning the system on. Where water did enter, they say not to operate electrical appliances or switch on the power, not to plug in or use any appliance that has been in flood water until a licensed electrician has checked it, and that a licensed electrician needs to check and reconnect your electricity.
Once the weather has passed and everyone is safe, a licensed electrician can inspect the panels, the inverter, the battery and the wiring between them, and tell you when the system can be started again.