Some CER-related requirements sit outside the main installation, equipment safety, inverter connection and interoperability standards. These include energy efficiency requirements, market settlement metering rules, ancillary service specifications, EV charging trade measurement rules and standards for UPS systems.

Key points 

• GEMS sets energy efficiency and labelling requirements for regulated products supplied in Australia.
• In-device metering may support separate settlement for devices such as batteries, EV chargers and other CER assets.
• The Market Ancillary Services Specification sets technical requirements for participating in FCAS markets.
• EVSE used for trade purposes may need to meet National Measurement Institute requirements.
• UPS systems may be treated differently from micro embedded generators depending on how they connect to the installation.

GEMS: Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards

The Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards (GEMS) framework is Australia's national regulatory system for energy efficiency and environmental performance of products. It is administered by the federal Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) under the Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards Act 2012.

GEMS establishes mandatory requirements for specified product classes sold or supplied in Australia covering both minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) and energy labelling. MEPS define the least efficient performance a product can legally have, while labelling requirements ensure consumers receive clear information about energy consumption.

Manufacturers and importers of regulated products must register them with the GEMS Regulator before sale. Registration requires testing to Australian or internationally harmonised standards at accredited laboratories. Compliance is enforced through market surveillance, audits, and penalties for non-compliance.

Products regulated under GEMS include:

• Air conditioners (single-phase and three-phase)
• Refrigerators and freezers
• Clothes washers and dryers
• Dishwashers
• Televisions
• Computer monitors
• Lighting products (e.g. linear fluorescent lamps, CFLs, LEDs)
• External power supplies
• Electric water heaters
• Commercial refrigeration units
• Distribution transformers
• Electric motors
• Set-top boxes
• Uninterruptible power supplies (UPS)
• Chillers

The GEMS Register and legislation are publicly accessible via the Energy Rating website, which also provides technical documentation, registration guidance, and updates on proposed changes to standards. Developers should consult the register to confirm whether their products are covered and ensure testing and documentation align with current requirements.

Market settlement using in-device metering

AEMOs Metrology Procedure defines meter types from Type 1 to Type 9, each with specific roles in market settlement. They include the following common customer metering types:

• Type 4: Remotely read interval meters (smart meters) for residential and small business customers
• Type 4A: A manually read interval meter.
• Type 5: Manually read accumulation meters (legacy meters being phased out by 2030)
• Type 6: Manually read basic meters for small customers (also being phased out by 2030)

These metering types are typically situated at a Market Connection Point and are used for market settlement for a whole customer premises.

In 2024, the AEMC introduced changes to the NER to allow for a SSP at customer premises. The intent of these reforms is to enable greater flexibility and innovation in the deployment of CER by allowing energy flows to be settled at multiple connection points within a single customer installation. For example, a BESS or EVSE, or multipoint EV charging station at a customer premises could be separately settled against a dynamic tariff with the consumption metered separately to the customer’s site load.

The reforms introduced three new metering types:

• Type 8A: Metering for an SSP at large customer sites, with ±1.5% accuracy and a 750 MWh/year volume limit.
• Type 8B: Metering for an SSP at small customer sites, with ±2% accuracy and a 750 MWh/year volume limit.
• Type 9: Metering for primary connection point for public infrastructure (e.g. street lighting, kerbside charging), with ±1.5% accuracy, 750 MWh/year limit,

These new meter types are intended to lower minimum specifications to enable them to be deployed more flexibly and at a lower cost. Both types 8A and 8B may use in-device or external metering devices if compliant with AEMO’s Metrology Procedure and approved by the National Measurement Institute. Type 9 metering may use a central management system for collection of data from multiple connection points where AEMO, in consultation with the nominated MC, determines that the metering installation meets the conditions for a type 9 metering installation in the Metrology Procedure.

The AS 62052 series is part of the broader suite of standards governing electricity metering equipment in Australia and New Zealand. It generally aligns with the international standard IEC 62052 and includes the following parts:

• AS 62052.11: General requirements, tests and test conditions for metering equipment.
• AS 62052.21: Static meters for active energy (classes 1 and 2).
• AS 62052.31: Metering equipment with remote communication capabilities.

The Metrology Procedure references AS 62052 as part of its compliance requirements. Specifically, meters used in the NEM must meet the performance and accuracy standards outlined in AS 62052 to be considered valid for market settlement purposes.

Updates to the Metrology Procedure and AS 62052 are planned to give effect to these reforms.

Market Ancillary Services Specification

The MASS defines the technical and operational requirements for ancillary services used to maintain power system security and reliability in the NEM. These services include Regulation FCAS and Contingency FCAS services which are discussed in Participating in a frequency control market.

The MASS outlines how each service type must be measured, verified, and delivered. It specifies metering and telemetry requirements, including minimum data resolution, accuracy, and communication protocols. For CER product developers, MASS is critical for designing systems that can participate in ancillary service markets, particularly for Contingency FCAS services.

The MASS is updated periodically by AEMO to reflect evolving technologies and market needs. CER product developers must ensure their products and systems comply with the latest version to access FCAS markets.

Trade measurement requirements for EV’s

The National Measurement Institute is introducing a trade measurement framework for EVSE used in trade applications. Trade use is defined as situations where customers are billed for the quantity of energy delivered, such as public charging stations, workplace charging offered on a pay-per-use basis, or fleet depots billing third parties. In these cases, EVSE must measure and display energy delivered in accordance with the framework.

From 1 April 2026, all new EVSE installed for trade use must comply with a General Certificate of Approval (NMI 14/4/0), which sets requirements for measurement accuracy sealing, and marking. By April 2036, all EVSE in trade use, including equipment installed prior to 2026, will be required to comply. The framework references OIML G 22:2022, which specifies maximum permissible errors, verification testing, and requirements for metrology sealing and marking. Future updates will align with the forthcoming OIML recommendation.

The requirements do not apply to private charging, where no commercial transaction occurs.

Treatment of UPS systems

An UPS is designed to provide backup power to specific, dedicated loads. It typically connects directly to those appliances through its own outlets or a dedicated sub-circuit and may include a bypass arrangement so the load can be supplied from mains when available. Because it never feeds into the wider installation wiring, a UPS falls under the AS/NZS 62040 series rather than AS/NZS 4777 series.

A Micro EG, by contrast, is connected at the switchboard and can supply the general installation wiring of a home or business. In this case, the relevant requirements are set out in AS/NZS 4777.1 (installation) and AS/NZS 4777.2 (inverter performance), even if no export to a distribution network occurs.

A key consideration for product developers is that the connection point defines compliance requirements. If the inverter connects through the installation switchboard and can energise general wiring, it is a Micro EG. If it only supplies its own connected appliances directly, it is typically classed as a UPS and covered by AS/NZ 62040. Specific product applications will need to be considered when assessing USP vs Micro EG applications.