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Get permits and professional sign-off

Even off-grid, most countries regulate electrical installations, battery storage, towers and water use. Approval protects you, later buyers and anyone who works on the system.

How

  1. Ask your building code office what permits and inspections apply before buying equipment.
  2. Prepare a single line diagram, equipment datasheets, cable and fuse schedule, and battery room plan for the inspector.
  3. Example (US): NEC Article 690 (PV), 706 (energy storage) and 710 (stand-alone systems), plus 2021 IRC R328 and NFPA 855 for residential batteries. Ask which NEC edition your area has adopted.
  4. Example (international): IEC 62548-1 for PV array design. Example (UK): BS 7671 with IET codes of practice, including the IET Code of Practice for Electrical Energy Storage Systems.
  5. Example (Australia and New Zealand): AS/NZS 5139:2019 with Amendment 1 (December 2025) for battery installations. Example (international): IEC 62485-5:2020 for stationary lithium-ion installations and IEC 62619 for the batteries themselves.
  6. Check who may legally do the work. Many places require a licensed electrician for any fixed wiring.
  7. Keep all approvals and test records with your estate documents (see the legal module).

Do these first

Sources

  1. Planning a Home Renewable Energy System. US Department of Energy, Energy Saver, accessed 2026-11
  2. ESS separation and maximum quantities: 2021 residential requirements. UL Code Authorities, accessed 2026-11
  3. NEC Requirements for Energy Storage Systems. EC&M, accessed 2026-11
  4. Articles 702, 705, 706, 710: Optional Standby Systems, Stand-Alone Systems, Energy Storage Systems. North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal, accessed 2026-11
  5. IEC 62548-1:2023 Photovoltaic (PV) arrays: Design requirements. International Electrotechnical Commission, accessed 2026-11
  6. Code of Practice for Electrical Energy Storage Systems, 3rd edition. The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), accessed 2026-11
  7. Changes to the battery standard (AS/NZS 5139:2019 Amendment 1, December 2025). NSW Government, Building Commission NSW (Australia), accessed 2026-11
  8. IEC 62485-5:2020: Safety requirements for stationary lithium-ion battery installations. Battery Design (summary of the IEC standard), accessed 2026-11
  9. IEC 62619 (ed. 1 2017, replaced by ed. 2 2022): Safety requirements for secondary lithium cells and batteries for industrial applications, including stationary. International Electrotechnical Commission (listing via Genorma), accessed 2026-11

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