Site activity and installation work
Public liability may respond to covered third-party injury or property damage arising from installation work, subject to the policy terms and exclusions.
Solar & Battery Installer Insurance
Professional indemnity and public liability arranged around the full job: advice, design, supply, installation, commissioning and maintenance.
PI
Professional advice
PL
Work on site
D&C
Design responsibility
Recognition
THE SHORT ANSWER
What insurance should a solar installation business consider?
A solar installer will commonly consider public and products liability for covered injury or property damage, and professional indemnity or design and construct cover where it gives advice, specifies equipment, produces or adopts designs, or accepts contractual design responsibility. Tools, vehicles, contract works, cyber and workers compensation may also be relevant to the wider business.
The correct structure depends on the declared services and policy wording. Cover is subject to limits, excesses, exclusions and the insurer accepting the risk; it is not a guarantee that every defect, loss or contractual promise is insured.
- Site exposure
- Public and products liability
- Professional exposure
- PI or D&C wording
- Key disclosure
- Full scope of services
- Wording check
- Damage to work performed
FROM SCOPE TO SUBMISSION
One contractor, several risk categories
A useful insurance submission follows the job from the sales conversation to commissioning and identifies which responsibilities sit with your business.
01
Design
System selection, calculations, layouts, specifications and adopted consultant work.
02
Supply
Panels, inverters, batteries, mounting systems and other products entering the contracting chain.
03
Installation
Roof access, penetrations, cabling, switchboard work and interaction with existing property.
04
Handover
Testing, commissioning, documentation, monitoring, maintenance and fault response.
PI, PL AND THE GAPS
What each section is being asked to do
A guide to policy architecture, not a statement that a particular event is covered.
Usually Covered
Public and products liability for covered third-party injury or property damage
Professional indemnity for covered allegations arising from declared professional services
Design and construct PI where professional responsibility is integrated with contracting
Legal defence costs where they fall within the relevant insuring clause
Not Typically Covered
A blanket guarantee of faulty workmanship or rectification costs
Undisclosed activities, products, territories or professional services
Every contractual penalty, output promise or fitness-for-purpose obligation
Tools, vehicles, work in progress or employee injury unless separately insured
This is a general guide only. What is and isn't covered depends on the terms, conditions, limits and exclusions of your specific policy.
Solar contractors can cause physical injury or property damage while installing equipment, and can also be accused of an error in selection, layout, yield assumptions or technical advice. One policy section does not automatically replace the other.
Advice, specification and design
Professional indemnity may be relevant where the allegation concerns professional advice, calculations, documentation or a design service rather than the physical work alone.
Products after handover
Supplying panels, inverters, mounting systems or batteries can create products liability exposure. Confirm how completed work and supplied products are treated.
Property being worked on
Damage to the part of a building being worked on is frequently restricted. This needs a wording check, especially for roofs, switchboards and existing electrical systems.
Direct residential work
Set out typical system size, roof types, annual turnover, use of subcontractors and whether the business supplies the equipment.
Commercial and industrial projects
Disclose project values, highest contract value, work at height, live-site procedures and any performance obligations in customer contracts.
Subcontracted design
Using an external designer does not necessarily remove your exposure. A claimant may still pursue the contracting entity that promised the finished system.
Maintenance and fault finding
Ongoing inspection, monitoring, repair and recommissioning should appear in the declared business description if those services are provided.
HOW WE ASSESS THE RISK
What Solar Enquiries Show Us
Tank's enquiry history includes solar businesses that combine activities such as retail, design, installation and subcontractor management, and one with a separate software activity. We separate those activities before approaching the market because occupation descriptions and underwriting outcomes can change with the mix.
This is a fact-find method, not a promise of insurer acceptance.
The Service Mix
Retail, design, installation, commissioning, maintenance and monitoring software are listed separately.
Who Does the Work
Employees, subcontract installers or both, and how subcontractors are engaged.
Limits and Contracts
The limit a contract or accreditation body asks for, checked against the work you perform.
Services and revenue split
Break down design, supply, installation, battery work, maintenance and any electrical contracting outside renewable energy.
Qualifications and licences
Provide the relevant business and trade credentials, locations of work and who performs regulated electrical tasks. Requirements vary by state and project.
Contracts and warranties
Flag guaranteed output, liquidated damages, broad indemnities, fitness-for-purpose promises or responsibility for consultants before cover is placed.
Claims and circumstances
Disclose known allegations, complaints, defects or events that could lead to a claim. Claims-made PI policies commonly require timely notification.
CASE STUDIES
Solar placements we've handled
Anonymised past placements from Tank's records. They are not quotes: your premium and terms depend on your work, claims history and the insurer's assessment.
Premiums and outcomes described are specific to each client and indicative only. Your own terms will depend on your circumstances and the insurer.
Technical and accreditation context checked 9 September 2026; SAA insurance evidence requirements checked 10 October 2026: Clean Energy Regulator, Solar Accreditation Australia and business.gov.au insurance guidance.
PRACTICAL QUESTIONS
Solar Installer Insurance FAQs
For new accreditation applications, Solar Accreditation Australia says installers must provide a public liability certificate of currency with at least $5 million cover. Design Only applicants can instead provide professional indemnity evidence with at least $1 million cover. An employer policy is acceptable if it covers the applicant.
They address different allegations. Public liability is generally concerned with covered third-party injury and property damage, while professional indemnity is generally concerned with covered errors in professional services. Whether both are appropriate depends on the services, contracts and insurer wording.
It should not be treated as a workmanship guarantee. Policies commonly restrict the cost of correcting defective work, even where resulting damage to other property may be considered. The exact wording matters.
Do not assume it is. Battery storage changes the equipment, fire exposure, commissioning work and sometimes the insurer's appetite. Declare battery supply and installation specifically.
A policy may cover the insured's liability arising from subcontracted work, but it does not necessarily insure the subcontractor itself. Insurers usually ask about subcontractor use, controls and certificates.
This guide is for contractors that advise on, supply or install solar and battery systems. If you own the panels and want to insure them as part of your property, start with business insurance or speak with your home insurer, depending on the property.
SOLAR AND BATTERY INSURANCE LIBRARY
Follow the risk from design desk to energisation
Put the Full Scope in Front of the Market
Tell us what you design, supply, install, commission and maintain. We can then identify which liability sections may be relevant and approach insurers with an accurate description of the work.