Hunt launches new attack on rooftop solar industry

Federal environment minister Greg Hunt has launched a new attack on Australia’s solar industry, this time alleging that the percentage of substandard rooftop solar installations around the nation is too high, and must be investigated.

In Hunt’s second missive to solar industry leaders in five days, the minister quoted statistics from the Clean Energy Regulator that 15 per cent of Australia’s 1.3 million rooftop solar systems of were substandard quality.

“Whether the true number is higher or lower,” Hunt wrote, “I believe the incidence of non-compliant installations is too high. For that reason I have asked State and Territory Governments to work with the Commonwealth to address the persistent issues that have been identified as underlying causes of unsafe and substandard solar PV installations.”

As we reported earlier this week, these “persistent issues” Hunt refers were based on media reports that interviewed a handful of solar installers in various states, and came to the conclusion that “cheap and dodgy” PV panels were flooding the Australia market and causing quality and safety problems for consumers.

In his first letter – sent only to the Clean Energy Council and the Australian Solar Council – Hunt focused on the safety part of the equation, and demanded the CEC lead an “immediate and urgent” investigation into the matter.

Figures from the Clean Energy Regulator – Hunt’s own senior bureaucrats – had the effect of hosing down the minister’s overblown safety concerns. He has now switched focus, and the latest letter has been sent to his department, the Clean Energy Regulator, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and state and territory consumer affairs organisations.

The CEC, which issued a brief statement on Monday in response to Hunt’s first letter, on Friday released a longer statement, again rejecting claims of any systemic safety problems in the sector. It has also released a paper on best practice regulation in the industry.

“The solar industry rejects any notion of lax safety standards in the sector, especially those based on isolated accounts that ignore the industry’s strong track record,” CEC CEO Kane Thornton said in today’s statement.

“The current regime of product standards, accreditation, audits and inspections ensure rigorous standards when it comes to safety.

“This robust compliance scheme is overseen by a number of bodies including the Federal Government Clean Energy Regulator, state government electrical bodies, Standards Australia and the Clean Energy Council.

“Like any other electrical product, isolated quality issues will arise from time to time. The industry continues to work with key government, regulatory and industry stakeholders to address these, and ensure the regulation regime continues to be refined and keeps pace with the latest developments in the sector.”

But the head of the Australian Solar Council, John Grimes, responded to Hunt’s latest correspondence – which was also sent to consumer affairs ministers in all states and territories – by reportedly accusing the environment minister of trying to “kill the industry” and calling for his resignation.

“This is nothing but a political scare campaign and I think the minister should resign,” Grimes told Fairfax Media on Friday. “How can you preside over an industry in your portfolio that you are trying to kill? This is beyond the pale. The government is out of control,” he said.

Grimes said under the Abbott government a safety advisory committee of the regulator had not sat once. He said Hunt was not across his portfolio. Hunt, in his letter, said the safety and quality issues were only likely to get worse.