When you’re hiring someone to install solar, it’s worth knowing who is actually legally allowed to do the work — because not everyone who offers solar installation can lawfully do every part of it. The short version: the electrical heart of the job must be done or certified by a registered electrician, with an independent inspection for a grid-tied system. Other parts, like the physical mounting, can involve other trades. Understanding who’s permitted to do what protects you from unqualified operators and an uninsurable install.
The electrical work: registered electrician only
The core legal rule is firm. Connecting solar to your home and the grid is prescribed electrical work, and in New Zealand that must be carried out — or directly supervised and certified — by an electrician registered with the Electrical Workers Registration Board (EWRB). That covers wiring the array, installing and connecting the inverter, the switchboard work, and tying it all into your home’s mains.
A registered electrician is legally required to issue a Certificate of Compliance (CoC) for that work, certifying it’s safe and built to standard. This isn’t optional paperwork — it’s the law, and it’s your evidence the job was done by someone qualified. Anyone offering to wire solar into your home without being (or using) a registered electrician and providing a CoC is operating outside the law, and you should walk away.
Grid-tied systems need an independent inspection
For a grid-connected system there’s an extra safeguard: the work generally requires an independent inspection by a registered inspector, separate from the electrician who did it. This second set of eyes verifies the installation is safe and compliant before it’s energised. It’s an additional layer of protection precisely because connecting generation to the grid carries real risks — so a compliant grid-tie isn’t just “an electrician did it”, it’s “an electrician did it and an inspector signed it off”.
What other trades can do
Not every part of a solar install is electrical work, so other people can be involved in the non-electrical portions:
- Mounting and racking — the physical fixing of rails and panels to the roof can involve roofers or installers working under the project, though it must still be done correctly and to the structural and weathertightness requirements.
- Labouring and access — scaffolding, carrying, and general site work.
But here’s the key point: the moment the work becomes electrical — connecting panels, the inverter, anything live — it crosses back into registered-electrician-only territory. A reputable solar company coordinates these roles so the electrical work is always done lawfully, with the electrician responsible for the compliant connection and certification.
Why this matters to you
Beyond it being the law, two practical reasons make this worth checking:
- Safety. Solar electrical work done by someone unqualified is a genuine fire and electrocution risk. The registration and inspection requirements exist to prevent exactly that.
- Insurance and resale. An install without proper certification can void your house insurance and cause problems when you sell. A non-compliant system is a liability you inherit.
So when vetting an installer, confirm that a registered electrician does the connection, that you’ll receive a Certificate of Compliance, and that a grid-tied system gets its independent inspection. (See how to choose an installer for the broader vetting checklist.)
The verdict
In New Zealand, the electrical work of a solar install — connecting the panels, inverter, and switchboard — must be done or certified by an EWRB-registered electrician, who issues a Certificate of Compliance, and a grid-tied system also needs an independent inspection. Non-electrical parts like mounting can involve other trades, but the live connection cannot. Insist on the registered electrician, the CoC, and the inspection: they’re the law, and they’re what make your system safe and insurable.
Get a free assessment for a system installed legally by qualified people.
Sources: Registration, prescribed electrical work, Certificate of Compliance, and inspection requirements per the Electrical Workers Registration Board (EWRB) and the Electricity (Safety) Regulations; grid connection per AS/NZS 4777.