By Boat Battery editorial team · 2 minute read · Editorial policy
It sets requirements for electrical installations on boats. How it applies, and whether licensed or certified work is required, depends on vessel category, jurisdiction, voltage and the work performed.
Scope of boat electrical installation requirements
AS/NZS 3004.2 covers electrical installations on boats. It is not lithium-specific, but requirements around protection, cable, isolation, installation and documentation can apply directly to a lithium house bank.
Vessel category and electrical licensing
Do not treat one national sentence as a complete legal answer. Commercial-vessel rules, state or territory electrical law, voltage and the kind of work all matter. For example, Maritime Safety Queensland specifically requires an electrical contractor for mains-voltage work and explains how Queensland electrical laws interact with the standard.
Confirm applicable clauses and evidence
The standard is not reproduced here. Ask the person assessing the design which edition, clauses, licensing rules and evidence apply to this vessel before work begins.
Commercial and survey vessel requirements
Note that survey vessels, hire-and-drive houseboats and commercial craft carry additional requirements from their state authority or from the National Standard for Commercial Vessels. If your boat earns money, ask before you buy.
Evidence a competent assessor may look for
- Overcurrent protection at the source, correctly rated
- Conductors sized for the connected load with acceptable voltage drop
- Accessible isolation for the whole bank
- Mechanical restraint of the battery in its compartment
- Labelling of the system voltage, chemistry and isolation points
- Documented BMS and charging arrangement
Related installation planning resources
Use these notes to prepare your own measurements and questions. Check the exact equipment manuals and have the proposed system assessed for your vessel before buying or changing electrical components.
Calculate your boat battery capacity
The house bank calculator takes your loads, your nights on the hook, your solar and your alternator, and returns the bank, the DC-DC charger, the AGM equivalent and the weight you take off the boat.
Open the calculator