Install the power room and wiring
Install batteries, controllers, inverter, protection and distribution in the prepared room, following the design pack exactly.
How
- Build to the codes in your design pack, not only the maker's manual. Examples: NEC 706 and 710 (US), IEC 62548-1 for PV arrays, AS/NZS 5139 for batteries (Australia and New Zealand).
- Mount equipment on non combustible backing with the clearances the makers specify.
- Install batteries last, with the main fuse and disconnect open.
- Torque all battery and lug connections to the maker's values and mark them so loosening can be spotted.
- Install the battery shunt (for monitoring) in the negative cable as the last item before the bank.
- Label every disconnect, fuse and cable.
- Keep the design drawings in a waterproof pocket in the power room.
- Make the single neutral-earth bond exactly where the design shows it (power-19).
Safety: Remove rings and watches, use insulated tools and wear eye protection when working on batteries.
Sources
- Wiring Unlimited: DC wiring. Victron Energy, accessed 2026-11
- NEC Requirements for Energy Storage Systems. EC&M, accessed 2026-11
- Articles 702, 705, 706, 710: Optional Standby Systems, Stand-Alone Systems, Energy Storage Systems. North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal, accessed 2026-11
- IEC 62548-1:2023 Photovoltaic (PV) arrays: Design requirements. International Electrotechnical Commission, accessed 2026-11
- Changes to the battery standard (AS/NZS 5139:2019 Amendment 1, December 2025). NSW Government, Building Commission NSW (Australia), accessed 2026-11