Local Council & DAT Solar Requirements

Installing a DAT in a Rural environment:

At our last enquiry there is No permission or DA required for Rural installations, specially if Off-Grid.

A DAT unit is a lot easier & less complicated to install in a rural location, as commonly there is no dangerous buried infrastructure.

Possibly the most difficult part is digging a 60cm deep Trench, to an area clear of Shading from trees & buildings etc..

If structurally stable a DAT Mast can be tied back to a building Wall or anchored atop a concrete slab using a bespoke Spider Foundation, or the Simplest is a double flanged foundation Pole that you dig a 40~90cm post-hole, and then Cement the Pole in.

The second most difficult part is Assembling the DAT, this is like a Meccano Set, some people will need to Read the instructions & others can look at am Image & go from there. In a Rural location can be as simple as Cementing a single thick walled Foundation Pole into the Ground, this starts from a minimum 40cm diameter x 130cm Deep Hole for a DAT-4 units Foundation Pole, DAT-15 units or larger commonly used Cement block or Ground Screw Foundation that does not require Concrete.

All our DAT Foundation Poles & Masts come with over engineered to provide the best possible solution. Thick walled double flanged foundation poles and Masts, would be very similar to installing a old school Hills cloth hoist in the back yard, but a lot stronger!

Installing Solar Panels in a Town environment: (our ref: 8044801)

Solar panels and micro generation systems may be installed without DA consent provided they comply with NSW State Environmental Planning Policy (Infrastructure) 2007 (SEP), part 3 division 4 clause 39(3)  See link below.

https://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/#/view/EPI/2007/641/part3/div4/cl39

Any installation beyond the scope set out in the SEPP would require DA consent.

Local Town Council may want to have a say with Roof-Top solar, largely due to issues relating to any reflective sunlight that may cause traffic issues.

Installing ground mounted DAT in an URBAN or Town environment:

You don't require Council approval or as DA when Installing a DAT in your Back Yard, as there will be NO reflective sun-rays, as DAT solar panels face perpendicular/directly at the Sun.

So, other than a winging neighbour, the installing a DAT in Urban/Town installations should not need any permission, as on acreage or Rural properties, the addition falls under building improvements, in the event of badly fitted panels working loose due to incorrect installation, or a Cyclone, the panels would simply hang by the DC connectors or disconnect & fall and lay flat on the ground.

SAFTY:

As with all Roof-top and DAT installations, there will be the matter of safety relating to how secure the solar panels are fixed to the racking, predominately relating to high wind conditions where the panels may happen to be blown off, with a DAT unit this largely relates to a DAT unit being possibly blown over like a Tree, if incorrect Foundations are installed in the wrong ground type.

The Optional safety equipment like Anemometer (Wind Sensor), where in High winds the Wind Sensors automatically triggers the DAT to the stow position (horizontal-Flat position) to minimise damage, and Rotational Stop Sensors are there if the control box looses it's stored programmed memory.

Some customers configure there DAT night stow to face East, ready for the very first rays of sunrise the next morning, and if during the night if high winds exceed the programmed speed, it trigger the DAT will stow flat during the night;.

If you are aware of or run into any matters your Council tables in relation to safety, we would be very interested in hearing there arguments & assisting you in setting there concerns aside.