September 2026, Compiled by MEDA Off Grid + Solar Solutions
Since our June roundup, Victron has shipped the release we have been waiting on all year. Venus OS v3.80 went stable on 22 September, and its headline feature, GX Opportunity Loads, finally gives the GX device a built-in way to put surplus solar to work instead of curtailing it. On the app side, VictronConnect v6.40 landed in July with two genuinely useful changes: Bluetooth on Windows and a proper dark mode. Hardware was busier than usual. The RS platform went rack-mount with the Multi RS19 Solar and lost its MPPTs with the Multi RS 230V, the Nucleo GX arrived as a cheaper and faster GX device for RS-based systems, the GlobalLink 530 started shipping on 4G, and the VM-3P5A energy meter opened up commercial-scale metering. There is also a quiet label change, the new Compatibility ID, that changes how you stock spares for parallel systems. Closer to home, the biggest news is not Victron at all: the EWRB mains parallel generation endorsement went live on 1 September, and the cited-standards deadline is 12 November. Here is the full rundown, and what it means for NZ installers and DIYers heading into summer.
Jump to a section
- Venus OS v3.80 and Opportunity Loads (Major Update)
- New Hardware
- Software & Firmware Updates
- Discontinuations & Changes to Watch
- NZ/AU Market Notes
⚡ Venus OS v3.80: Opportunity Loads Turns Surplus Solar Into Useful Work
In June we covered Opportunity Loads as a beta-only feature and said we would write it up properly once it reached stable. That happened on 22 September 2026. If you run an off-grid or self-consumption system and you have ever watched an MPPT throttle back at midday with a full battery and nothing to do with the power, this is the release that fixes it.
What It Actually Does
Opportunity Loads lets the GX device switch controllable AC loads on whenever there is solar surplus that would otherwise be curtailed or exported. Victron's own use cases are EV charging, water heating, pool pumps and e-bike charging. The GX behaves as an energy coordinator, continuously weighing PV production, battery charging requirements, household consumption, available inverter capacity and grid availability, and rebalancing the controlled loads as conditions change.
The important part: this is native. Until now, surplus-driven load control on a Victron system meant building it yourself in Node-RED. Now it is a settings menu.
What You Need
- Venus OS v3.80 or newer
- The New UI only. Victron is explicit: "Opportunity Loads is only available in the New UI. The Classic UI is not supported."
- A supported GX device: Ekrano GX, Cerbo GX, Nucleo GX, MultiPlus-II GX or EasySolar-II GX
- A supported inverter/charger: MultiPlus and MultiPlus-II, Quattro and Quattro-II, Multi RS and Multi RS Solar, Multi RS19 and Multi HS19
- Battery monitoring: Lynx Smart BMS, VE.Bus BMS, a SmartShunt or BMV Smart on VE.Direct, or a supported third-party BMS over CAN bus
- All PV production monitored in real time. An unmonitored array will confuse the surplus calculation
What It Can Switch
Two families of device, and the list is specific:
- Victron EV Charging Station, including the NS and V2 variants, via MQTT
- Shelly Gen2 and newer, but only models with power measurement: Plus Plug S, Plug S MTR Gen3, Mini 1PM Gen4, 1PM Gen3 and Gen4, Pro 1PM, Pro 4PM
A plain relay Shelly with no metering will not work, and Shelly ECO mode has to be off. Note also that Opportunity Loads controls AC loads only, DC loads are not supported.
How It Decides, and Why That Is Clever
You put your loads in a priority list, and the battery sits in that list too. Loads placed above the battery run whenever there is surplus, regardless of state of charge. Loads placed below the battery only run once the battery's charging needs are satisfied. That single design choice covers most of what people actually want: hot water before the battery on a sunny day, pool pump after it.
It is not a naive top-down list either. Victron calls it Priority-Aware Best Fit: if the available surplus is not enough to start the highest-priority load, the system may temporarily run a smaller lower-priority load instead rather than waste the energy. Each load also gets a minimum run duration (stops short-cycling compressors and pumps) and a minimum rest duration (stops it chattering on a cloudy-bright day).
The Quirk Your Customers Will Ask About
On off-grid and zero-feed-in systems there is a behaviour worth understanding before the phone rings. As the battery nears 100% the system has to curtail PV, which hides the array's true output. To find out how much surplus is really available, Opportunity Loads deliberately lets the battery discharge to around 97% by switching loads on, then measures. So on a bright day a customer may see state of charge sitting just off full. That is the system probing, not a fault.
The One Big Limitation
Opportunity Loads and Dynamic ESS cannot both be enabled. The GX blocks it outright, with the message "Opportunity loads cannot be enabled while Dynamic ESS is running. Disable Dynamic ESS first." This is deliberate, not a bug, and it is an either/or choice per site. If a customer is on Dynamic ESS to chase spot pricing, they cannot also run Opportunity Loads, and vice versa.
Before You Update: One Open Regression
v3.80 is days old and there is an acknowledged issue in the release build. On systems using an external current transformer on a MultiPlus-II GX current sense input, grid measurements on AC Input can disappear from VRM, although they remain visible on the MultiPlus device page. Victron has bumped it to the team but there is no fix yet. v3.79 is unaffected. If you have a site in that configuration, hold at v3.79 for now.
MEDA's Take
- For off-grid customers with a diversion load (hot water especially), this is the most useful Venus OS feature in years, and it replaces a Node-RED flow that most owners could never maintain themselves.
- Check the Shelly model before you quote it. Only the power-measuring Gen2 and newer units in Victron's list will work, and that is the detail that will trip people up.
- The Dynamic ESS conflict is the design decision to make up front, not later. Talk to us before committing a grid-tied customer to one or the other.
- Explain the 97% probing behaviour at handover. It is the single most likely "is my system broken?" call from this release.
- Opportunity Loads needs the New UI, so any site still on the Classic UI needs that conversation too.
References: Venus OS v3.80 announcement • GX Opportunity Loads manual • Grid measurement regression thread
🔧 New Hardware
Inverters & Chargers
Multi RS19 Solar 48/6000 (New, 14 July 2026)
The first Victron inverter/charger that drops straight into a standard 19 inch rack. Electrically it is the existing Multi RS Solar 48/6000: 6kVA high-frequency inverter/charger, 100A charger, two independent MPPT trackers at 3kWp each for 6kWp total, 65 to 450V per tracker. The difference is the 3U rack form factor. Order number PMR482602030.
Why it matters here: if you are already building on rack batteries, the whole ESS can now be one cabinet instead of a rack plus a wall-mounted inverter beside it. For a tidy plant room or a container build, that is worth the roughly EUR 180 premium over the wall-mount version.
NZ availability: MEDA already supplies the wall-mount Multi RS Solar 48/6000. Talk to us about the rack version, we will confirm lead time.
Source: Victron Professional news
Multi RS 48/6000 230V (New, 14 July 2026)
The same RS platform with no built-in MPPTs. 6kVA, 100A charger, wall mount, order number PMR482604000. This is the retrofit model: if a site already has MPPTs or an AC-coupled PV inverter, you are no longer paying for solar inputs you will not use. It is also the model Venus OS v3.79 was released to support, so it needs v3.79 or newer on the GX and Multi RS firmware v1.32.
NZ availability: Newly released globally and in stock at European distribution. Check current NZ lead time with MEDA before quoting.
Source: Victron Professional news
Multi HS19 Solar 15k (Update: now shipping, supply tight)
We flagged this in June as announced only. It has since moved onto the price list with a July availability date and is being sold in Europe, but supply is tight and at least one distributor's restock date has already slipped once. Confirmed specs: 15kW continuous and 22kW peak for 5 seconds, three-phase 400V, four independent MPPT trackers at 8kW each for up to 32kW of PV, and a 650 to 1000V CAN-bus managed high-voltage battery. 19 inch rack, 26.5 kg.
Two limitations straight from Victron are worth repeating, because neither has been lifted: parallel operation is not available at launch, and generator support is still to come. Note also that the 650 to 1000V figure is the battery range, not the MPPT range, and Victron does not make a battery in that class, so that is a third-party item.
NZ availability: Not in the NZ range. Contact MEDA to register interest.
Source: Victron product page
Phoenix Inverter 1600VA, Now in 24V and 48V With an AS/NZS Socket
Easy to miss because it never got a news item, but it turned up in the Q3 2026 price list: the 1600VA Phoenix inverter is now available in 24V and 48V, and both come in an AU/NZ (AS/NZS 3112) socket variant alongside the IEC, Schuko and UK versions. Order numbers PIN242161300 and PIN482161300.
Until now, if you wanted 1600VA with a socket outlet on the front you were largely looking at 12V. For NZ sheds, pump sheds and small off-grid setups running a 24V or 48V bank, that is a genuinely useful gap filled.
NZ availability: Newly listed globally with an August 2026 availability date. Ask MEDA for current stock.
EasySolar-II 48/4k5 and 48/6k5 GX
Also new to the Q3 price list without an announcement. These are the watt-rated MultiPlus-II generation arriving in EasySolar form: a MultiPlus-II 48/4500W or 48/6500W, plus a SmartSolar MPPT 250/70 or 250/100, plus a GX device, prewired in one enclosure. The 6k5 sits at almost the same list price as the existing 5000VA EasySolar-II with more continuous output, which makes it the obvious pick of the two.
NZ availability: Not yet confirmed in NZ. Contact MEDA.
GX Devices & Monitoring
Nucleo GX (New, 3 July 2026)
A new GX device that Victron describes as bringing "Ekrano GX-level speed at a lower cost, thanks to a focused set of I/Os". Order number BPP900453100. It is the cheapest GX in the range and roughly twice the processing speed of a Cerbo GX MK2.
What it has: quad-core processor, 2x VE.Can, 2x VE.Direct, 3x USB, Ethernet, WiFi, Bluetooth, micro SD, generator auto start/stop, and full VRM. It supports up to 25 devices over VE.Direct and USB.
What it deliberately does not have: no VE.Bus port, no tank inputs, no digital inputs, no temperature inputs, no HDMI, no relays. That is the whole point of the product. Victron positions it as "an ideal choice for ESS and off grid installations built around the Multi RS", because the RS and HS platforms talk VE.Can rather than VE.Bus, so the missing VE.Bus port costs you nothing in an RS-based system.
Read the other way round: if you are building on MultiPlus or Quattro, which are VE.Bus, you still want a Cerbo GX MK2 or an Ekrano GX. Victron says it plainly: "When having to add multiple accessories, do consider using a larger GX device instead." It is also explicitly not aimed at marine.
NZ availability: Not yet in the MEDA range. We stock the Cerbo GX MK2 and Ekrano GX. Contact us to register interest in the Nucleo.
Source: Victron Professional news
GlobalLink 530 (Now shipping, 7 July 2026)
We flagged this in June as announced. It is now shipping and in general stock. The change from the GlobalLink 520 is the cellular technology: the 530 uses standard 4G LTE with 2G fallback rather than LTE-M, which is a materially better bet anywhere LTE-M coverage is patchy. It ships with the same 5 year prepaid SIM and lists at the same price as the 520, so outside the United States the 530 is now simply the default choice. Victron still recommends the 520 for the USA, where the 530 is not certified.
NZ availability: Not currently in the MEDA range. Contact us if you have a remote site that needs it.
Source: Victron Professional news
Energy Meter VM-3P5A (Announced 20 August 2026)
A three-phase energy meter that uses industry-standard 5A secondary current transformers rather than the fixed snap-on CTs of the VM-3P75CT. The CTs are not included, and that is the feature: by choosing the CT you set the primary rating, giving a measurement range from 10A up to 6,000A per phase.
Other details worth knowing: it is self-powered from all phases and keeps working if one or two phases are lost, refreshes every 100ms, offers Modbus UDP over Ethernet as well as VE.Can, and can be configured as a grid meter, PV inverter meter, AC genset meter or AC load meter. DIN rail, 90 x 71 x 59 mm.
This is the meter for anything bigger than a house: commercial and industrial grid metering, large PV inverter metering, and any switchboard that already has CTs fitted that you would rather re-use.
NZ availability: Announced and already supported in VictronConnect v6.40, but it had not reached the Q3 2026 price list, so general availability is still firming up. Contact MEDA before committing it to a commercial job.
Source: Victron Professional news
Batteries
Lithium SuperPack NG, Larger Models (Still not shipping)
An honest update on what we reported in June. The 24V 200Ah and 48V 100Ah SuperPack NG models were scheduled for Q2 2026. As at the Q3 2026 price list they are still not listed. Only the 12V 100Ah, 12V 200Ah and 24V 100Ah NG models appear. Victron's marketing page does show five sizes, but a marketing listing is not an availability statement. Treat the larger models as not yet available and do not quote them.
Orion XS 12/12-70A (Orderable, but backordered)
Now on the price list, but still backordered at multiple distributors. No new Orion XS models arrived this quarter, and despite roadmap talk earlier in the year there is still no 24/24 and no 48V Orion XS on the price list.
NZ availability: MEDA stocks the Orion XS 12/12-50A and the Orion XS 1400 (12/24V). The 70A remains a pre-order, so for most dual-battery jobs the 50A is still the practical choice today.
💻 Software & Firmware Updates
VictronConnect v6.40 (21 July 2026)
One correction to our June write-up: we led on dark mode, but Victron's own headline for v6.40 was Bluetooth support on Windows. Both matter, and the Windows one probably matters more day to day.
- Bluetooth on Windows. A Windows laptop can now connect directly to Victron Smart products. Victron frames the benefit as "eliminating the need for dedicated cables like VE.Direct USB or MK3-USB interfaces during installations". You need a Bluetooth adapter in the laptop and normal BLE range limits apply. Be aware: the in-app troubleshooting guide on Windows still says Bluetooth is not supported. A Victron moderator has confirmed that is stale documentation, not a missing feature, so do not give up on it.
- Dark mode. The app follows your phone or laptop theme automatically, or you can force Light or Dark independently. Oddly, it is not documented anywhere in the app manual, so the setting lives in the app's own Settings alongside the other app-level preferences.
- Settings file compatibility. Any settings file created with v6.30 or later now opens on any machine running v6.40 or later, as a demo product. You can read a customer's emailed configuration without hunting for the matching app version.
- Lynx Smart BMS NG per-battery detail over remote. Individual voltage, temperature and status per battery, visible over VRM. You can identify a weak battery without a site visit.
- SolarSense 750 history export to CSV, plus support for the new VM-3P5A energy meter.
- Remote console portrait mode, although the rotation itself needs Venus OS v3.80 on the GX.
Source: Victron Professional news
VictronConnect v6.41 and v6.42 (25 August and 9 September 2026)
Two maintenance releases. v6.42 is the current stable and worth updating to. The ones that matter in the field:
- v6.42 fixed an issue where the Android device list could stay empty. If a customer says the app shows nothing on their Android phone, update to v6.42 first.
- v6.41 fixed Android reporting VictronConnect as crashing in the background, and fixed manual SoC setting on a BMV or SmartShunt when the reported SoC is undefined, which bites when commissioning a new shunt.
Known Bugs Still Present in v6.42
Three fixes are sitting in the v6.50 beta and have not reached stable yet:
- A Windows process can remain running in the background after you close the app
- A crash when loading saved settings files for certain products, which is worth knowing given v6.40 actively encourages you to open more settings files
- A crash on older Android devices with a 64-bit CPU running a 32-bit OS
One bug you can ignore: the CSV trend export timestamp issue only affects regions with a negative UTC offset. New Zealand is UTC+12 and +13, so we are not affected.
VictronConnect v6.50 (Beta, not yet released)
Frame these as coming, not available. The three worth watching: Apple CarPlay support, CSV export of stored trends on any product that supports them, and a deep VRM merge that lets you create a VRM site, and even a VRM account, from inside VictronConnect. That last one removes a real friction point at commissioning.
VRM Portal
Seventeen releases in the quarter. The ones with practical value:
- DC sources as dashboard cards (9 September). Alternators, fuel cells and DC generators now get their own cards with history and power flow, matching the GX interface. Directly relevant to motorhome and off-grid systems with alternator charging.
- A dead-site widget in Fleet monitor listing sites with zero consumption for a period. Genuinely useful if you look after a fleet of installs.
- Teams and Installation Groups rebuilt (2 September), with bulk removal and better access control. This is the fleet-access plumbing for anyone managing a lot of customer sites.
- Switches everywhere: phone widgets on Android and iOS, Apple Watch control, and every switch change now recorded in the event log showing who changed what, when.
- The VRM dashboard inside VictronConnect was restyled on 21 September, with more at a glance and clickable elements. It deployed server-side, so there is nothing to update.
No VRM pricing or plan changes were announced in this period.
Multi RS and Inverter RS Firmware v1.32 (28 August 2026)
Worth flagging on its own because of what it fixes. v1.32 corrects the energy counters on the Multi RS 48/6000, and those counters feed the Dynamic ESS forecasting algorithm. In other words, Dynamic ESS accuracy on that model was wrong before v1.32. It needs Venus OS v3.79 or newer to take effect. If you have a Multi RS running Dynamic ESS, this is not optional.
⚠ Discontinuations & Changes to Watch
New Compatibility ID on Product Labels: Check This Before You Order a Spare
This is the quiet change with the biggest practical bite. From 14 September 2026, the Compatibility ID printed on inverter/charger labels carries an extra letter suffix, for example "2617_B". The Comp ID determines which units can safely run in parallel on the same phase.
Victron's instruction is blunt: "Please always check the full Comp ID, including the letter, before installing or combining units in parallel systems." When replacing a failed unit or expanding an existing system, you have to work with your distributor to make sure every unit in parallel on that phase has an identical Comp ID including the letter. If they cannot be matched, the distributor may have to supply replacement units for the whole system.
What this means in practice: if you keep a MultiPlus or Quattro on the shelf as a spare for a parallel or three-phase site, that spare's Comp ID letter now has to match the units already installed. Check before you order, not after it arrives.
Source: Victron Professional news
Products Dropped From the Q3 2026 Price List
Victron published no formal end-of-life notice this quarter, so the following is drawn from comparing the Q2 and Q3 2026 price lists. Treat it as "no longer listed" rather than "officially discontinued", but plan accordingly:
- Inverter 48/250 VE.Direct AU/NZ (PIN481251300). The NZ-socket version is gone with no replacement number; the IEC version survives. Worth knowing if you use these.
- VE.Bus to VE.Can interface (ASS030520115). Already deprecated in Victron's documentation. Use a GX device instead.
- LiFePO4 12.8V/50Ah Smart (BAT512050610). Nearest options are the SuperPack 12.8V/60Ah or the 12.8V/100Ah NG.
- BlueSolar PWM-LCD&USB 48V-10A (SCC040010050). The 48V PWM controller is gone.
- Phoenix Charger 12/50(2+1) 120/240V, the Isolation Transformer 3600W Auto (replaced by a new 4500W Auto), and the older "series 4a" solar panel SKUs, superseded by new series 4c and 4d numbers.
- The non-smart Orion 24/12-40 and 24/12-70 converters also dropped off the list, though retailers still show stock and Victron has said nothing, so treat that one as probable rather than certain.
Several other items only changed order number without changing product, so do not read a renumber as a discontinuation.
Microgrid Application Manual Now at Revision 02
No Microgrid news item this quarter, but the manual has moved to Revision 02, dated August 2026. The headline addition is a new section on switching a Power Bank between Microgrid and Standard operation, covering an assistant, the setup procedure, wiring and the safety considerations. That is a meaningful change: a Power Bank no longer has to be committed permanently to Microgrid mode.
Everything else we reported in June still stands. The s97 firmware requirement is unchanged (s98 where External Transfer Switch functionality is used), 2x120V models are still unsupported, AC-coupled PV inverters and gensets are still not supported on the Microgrid bus, and the RS and HS platforms are still not in the supported list, so Microgrid remains VE.Bus only.
🇳🇿 NZ/AU Market Notes
NZ: The EWRB Mains Parallel Generation Endorsement Is Now Live
This is the biggest New Zealand change of the quarter and it has nothing to do with Victron. On 1 September 2026, endorsed registration classes commenced for four high-risk areas, one of which is mains parallel generation systems, meaning grid-connected PV and battery storage.
The rule: a registered electrical worker carrying out prescribed electrical work in an endorsed area must hold the endorsement before they next renew their practising licence on or after 1 September 2026. It applies to Electricians, Electrical Installers, Electrical Service Technicians and Electrical Appliance Servicepersons. The pathways are two NZQA Level 4 micro-credentials, one for grid-connected PV design and install and one for grid-connected battery storage, or recognition of prior learning, with ongoing CPD to maintain it.
What to do about it: if you subcontract any electrical work on grid-tied solar or battery jobs, check the endorsement status of whoever you are using. Note the sources address grid-connected work specifically and do not state that off-grid is exempt, so do not assume it is.
Source: EWRB
NZ: Cited Standards Deadline Is 12 November 2026
The transition under the Electricity (Safety) Amendment Regulations 2025 ends on 12 November 2026. From 13 November, only the new cited editions are legally permissible, and Certificates of Compliance must identify the version used. The ones that touch our work:
- AS/NZS 3000:2018 including Amendments 1, 2 and 3, replacing the 2007 edition
- AS/NZS 3001.1:2022 and AS/NZS 3001.2:2022, the motorhome and caravan standards
- AS/NZS 5033:2021 for PV array installation and safety, and AS/NZS 4777.1:2024 for grid connection
- AS/NZS 3004.1 and 3004.2 for marina and pleasure vessel installations
- AS/NZS 3010:2017 for generating sets and AS/NZS 4836:2023 for safe working on low voltage
Work started before 13 November 2025 can continue under the old standard indefinitely. Work started after that date must either finish by 12 November 2026 under the old standard, or move to the new one. Seven weeks to go.
NZ: Export Rules, and a Naming Trap Worth Understanding
The Export Limits Code Amendment has been in force since 11 May 2026, with the remaining clauses commencing 1 December 2026 alongside the Network Connections Amendment. The practical effect for a homeowner: a default 10 kW export limit under the new streamlined process, and critically, lines companies can cap export but not system size. Around 26 of roughly 30 lines companies now offer a flat 10 kW limit, Powerco included.
The naming trap: the rules lock in the "Australia A" voltage response, frequency and protection settings from AS/NZS 4777.2:2020. Despite the name, that is a New Zealand requirement under the NZ Code. It is a settings region that New Zealand has adopted, not an Australian rule being applied here. Expect to explain that to customers who read the commissioning sheet.
From 1 December the application paperwork changes for every grid-connected job, so factor that into project timelines running across the end of the year.
NZ: The Solar Regulatory Review, and a Consultation Closing 6 October
The Ministry for Regulation released its solar review on 30 July 2026, and Cabinet agreed a package announced on 17 August. The review found that installing solar in New Zealand can involve up to eight layers of sign-off, five site visits and four different entities. Agreed directions include legalising plug-in solar, moving to a proportionate risk-based inspection model trialled first, clarifying Building Act exemptions and exempting ground-mounted solar from resource consent.
Important caveat: these are Cabinet-agreed directions, not law, and no commencement dates have been published. Inspections have not gone anywhere yet.
Related and time-critical: the Electricity Authority opened a consultation on 8 September covering plug-in generation and distributed generation connection improvements. Submissions close 5pm on Tuesday 6 October 2026. Plug-in generation is currently prohibited in NZ under a WorkSafe notice, and that position is under review.
NZ: The Money Side Is Shifting in Favour of Batteries
Three things landed that change the payback conversation:
- From 1 July 2026, large retailers must offer at least one plan with cheaper off-peak rates, and at least one plan with time-varying buy-back rates for power exported at peak. Combined with the distribution peak export rebates that started 1 April, a battery discharging into the evening peak can now be paid from two directions. Be careful not to oversell it though: the Authority did not set a minimum buy-back rate, so retailers choose the cents.
- Power bills rose 6.8% on average over the eight months to 30 June 2026, per Electricity Authority data published 12 August. Lines charges drove 54% of that increase. That is the honest framing to give customers: solar attacks the energy component of a bill hardest, and lines charges are the part it struggles to touch, which is exactly why self-consumption and load shifting are now worth more than plain export.
- The Low Fixed Charge regulations end on 1 April 2027. The Authority wrote to distributors about it on 22 September. Low-user plans have muddied solar payback maths for years. Once fixed charges become cost-reflective, the fixed part of a bill rises and the variable part falls in relative terms, which reduces the value of each exported kWh but increases the value of genuinely leaving the grid.
One milestone worth celebrating: New Zealand passed 1,000 MW of installed distributed solar at the end of June 2026, having roughly doubled every 24 months since 2013.
AU: CSIP-AUS v1.2 Cutoff Is 1 October, and the CEC Fee Dropped
Australian requirement only, included as context. The 1 October 2026 cutoff is still standing with no extension: from that date CSIP-AUS v1.1a will no longer be accepted by NEPKI and systems need certification to CSIP-AUS v1.2. It then becomes mandatory in Victoria on 1 November, with NSW and South Australia following later in the year. Western Australia is the softest jurisdiction, still accepting the older compliance where manufacturers could not re-certify in time.
An update to what we published in June: we reported a $1,000 Clean Energy Council administration fee from 1 July 2026. The Council has since reduced it to $250, saying in its own words that it cut the fee "to help minimise costs for manufacturers transitioning to the new requirements". Our June figure was correct at the time and has since changed.
The MultiPlus-II range remains CEC-approved under AS/NZS 4777.2:2020 with approvals running into 2027 and 2028. We could not verify which Victron models appear on the CEC's CSIP-AUS v1.2 list, so the June advice stands: if you are quoting grid-interactive Victron for an AU-facing customer, confirm the specific model on the list before committing.
AU vs NZ: The Battery Subsidy Gap
Australia's Cheaper Home Batteries programme passed 500,000 installations in August 2026, backed by an estimated AUD 7.2 billion over four years. New Zealand still has no residential solar or battery rebate at all. Our support is targeted, through schools and farms programmes, or trial-based, like the Powerco flexibility trial at Omokoroa. The New Zealand lever is regulatory rather than fiscal: export limits, time-varying buy-back and peak export rebates. Worth knowing when a customer asks why their Australian cousin got a discount.
Sources: Victron Energy Blog • Victron Professional • Victron Community • Victron Q3 2026 price list • EWRB • WorkSafe NZ • Electricity Authority • Ministry for Regulation • Clean Energy Council
Last updated 23 September 2026