The Clean Energy Council has announced a staged transition to new technical requirements for battery products listed on its approved batteries list, following the publication of a new national technical specification by Standards Australia.
According to the Clean Energy Council, Standards Australia released SA TS 5398: Electrical Energy Storage Equipment – Safety Requirements in October 2025.
The new specification updates and is intended to replace the Best Practice Guide: Battery Storage Equipment – Electrical Safety Requirements, which has been used since 2018 to assess the safety and suitability of battery storage equipment in Australia.
The council said it will phase SA TS 5398 into the requirements for its approved batteries list over a two-year period, with the aim of reducing disruption for manufacturers, suppliers and installers while allowing products to align with the updated guidelines.
During this transition period, both the new technical specification and the existing Best Practice Guide will be accepted under certain conditions.
From 1 January 2026, the Clean Energy Council will accept applications to join the approved batteries list under either SA TS 5398 or the Best Practice Guide.
Applications assessed under the Best Practice Guide will be given an expiry date no later than 31 December 2027, while applications approved under SA TS 5398 will receive an expiry date three years from the date of approval.
The council also stated that, by 31 January 2026, expiry dates for existing battery listings previously approved under the Best Practice Guide will be updated to expire no later than 31 December 2027.
From 1 January 2027, only applications assessed against SA TS 5398 will be accepted, and any remaining batteries approved under the Best Practice Guide will be removed from the approved batteries list when they expire on 31 December 2027.
The Clean Energy Council noted that, while it is introducing SA TS 5398 gradually into its own requirements, other organisations may move more quickly.
It said entities such as the Electrical Regulatory Authorities Council, Standards Australia, electricity networks and government programs may choose to align their requirements with SA TS 5398 earlier than the council’s timeline.
The council said it is engaging with these groups to align requirements where possible and advised industry participants to ensure they comply with all relevant guidelines when installing battery products.
Under the previous arrangements, batteries were assessed against the Best Practice Guide, a document developed by industry organisations and safety regulators and used as a reference for compliance with Australian installation standards, including AS/NZS 5139.
The Clean Energy Council said SA TS 5398 introduces several changes compared with the Best Practice Guide.
These include specific requirements for modular assemblies and their components, the inclusion of lead acid battery technologies, and a clearer structure that allows for additional energy storage technologies to be incorporated in the future.
The new specification also consolidates the four compliance pathways previously available under the Best Practice Guide into a standard method based on Method 3, alongside an alternative method based on Method 2, and updates technical terminology.
SA TS 5398 is available for free download from Standards Australia.
