AS/NZS 5139 installer screening

See where a home battery may fit—before the tape measure comes out.

Place a generic battery and inverter system around a cutaway home. The tool flags habitable rooms, ceiling and subfloor spaces, exits, openings, access paths, appliances, fire-spread barriers, vehicle impact and environmental checks.

Open the interactive house

Interactive placement screening

Move the battery, then check the site details.

Drag the stack around the two-storey cutaway house, or tap a highlighted area. The assessment changes with the floor, location and your measured site conditions.

Generic equipment

Battery + inverter system

The diagram uses one inverter above a generic three-module-height battery enclosure. It represents no manufacturer, model or capacity.

Fixed visual form

Capacity and module count are deliberately excluded. For a real design, replace this generic shape with the selected product’s actual dimensions, mass, footing and service clearances.

Mounting wall / barrierWhat is behind this wall?Exit, opening, access-path and appliance clearanceFreestanding more than 300 mm clear of the wallFor a ground-mounted system—not a wall-mounted one. This can remove the additional behind-BESS barrier trigger where a habitable room is on the other side.Exposed to vehicle or trolley impactDirect sun, rain, flooding or harsh exposure

Candidate areaMeasure and resolveRestricted location

Two-storey cutaway of a New Zealand home showing upper bedrooms, an upper landing and bathroom, a ground-floor garage, utility room, hallway, kitchen and living room, an attic, crawlspace, an upper-floor door opening onto a raised wraparound access deck, a fixed ground-to-deck access ladder, a full-height bay below the deck and a heat-pump condenser beside the exterior house wall

Tip: drag the equipment with a mouse or finger, then release it. It snaps onto the floor or supporting surface for that location. Keyboard users can choose every location with the buttons below the house.

Preliminary result

Potentially suitable

No obvious conflict is shown in the selected screening inputs. Complete the full design and clause review before relying on the position.

Selected positionClear outdoor wallExterior ground or plinth
Exterior · Outdoor location and environmental conditions

Location type

Often the simplest starting point when the wall, openings, weather exposure and manufacturer clearances are suitable.

Clearance and access path

You marked the equipment as at least 600 mm clear to either vertical side, not within 900 mm below an exit, habitable-room window or vent, or unrelated appliance, and clear of the usable access and escape path. Record every actual dimension.

Wall / barrier starting point

The selected wall description is favourable, subject to thickness, extent, penetrations and installation details being verified.

Impact exposure

No vehicle or trolley exposure is currently selected. Confirm this during the site walk-through.

Environmental starting point

No harsh exposure is selected. Still verify ventilation, operating temperature, water entry and service access.

Generic form factor

The fixed illustration is not a capacity selector. Replace it with the selected product’s exact dimensions, mass, foundation loads and service access before measuring the final location.

Screening result only

Do not quote, install or certify from this result alone. Verify the current AS/NZS 5139 edition and amendments, AS/NZS 3000, manufacturer instructions, battery classification, fire barrier, physical protection, environmental limits and measured site geometry.

Screening basis

A visual first pass—not a substitute for the standard.

The rule set currently models common residential location concepts from AS/NZS 5139:2019: restricted room types, the 600 mm side and 900 mm below-opening zones, escape routes, under-stair and under-access-walkway locations, relevant under-floor locations, protection against fire spread to habitable rooms, the more-than-300 mm freestanding wall-separation pathway, environmental conditions, safe access and mechanical damage.

Amendment 1:2025 treatment of wide openings is deliberately shown as a manual verification item. Always compare the result and every measurement against a licensed current copy of the standard and confirm the New Zealand application before deciding on an installation location.

AS/NZS 5139:2019 — Standards New Zealand ERAC battery-location interpretation Installer location and fire-spread guidance About AS/NZS 5139:2019