By Kraken Power Engineering Team
Across Australia and New Zealand, battery-based portable and onboard power systems are transforming how tradespeople, emergency services, and field operators work. Yet the rules written decades ago for engine-driven generators still govern much of this equipment today.
For many emergency service agencies, particularly in the firefighting sector, onboard inverter-based 230-volt systems have long been viewed with caution. Early inverter technologies lacked proper earthing control and could present unpredictable voltages or non-functioning RCDs. Those concerns were fair at the time — but the technology has matured dramatically since then.
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The rise of intelligent power systems
Modern inverter/charger systems are far more than DC-to-AC converters. They are smart power conditioners that continuously monitor voltage, current, frequency, and grounding, and manage their neutral-to-earth bonding automatically depending on the source in use.
When the inverter is the source of supply, the system creates a neutral-to-earth bond (MEN) at its output, ensuring downstream RCDs and safety circuits function exactly as they would on grid power.
When external or “shore” power is connected — which already includes an MEN link upstream — the system opens its internal bond to prevent double-bonding or circulating earth currents.
This behaviour mirrors the requirements in AS/NZS 3000 (Wiring Rules), AS/NZS 3010 (Generating sets), AS/NZS 4763 (Portable inverters), and AS/NZS 3001 (Transportable structures and vehicles). Together, these standards define when and how neutral-to-earth bonds must be established and how RCDs are expected to operate.
At Kraken Power, every product — from our Charging Hub for vehicle installations to our deployable power modules — is designed with these principles in mind. The systems automatically manage bonding and isolation to remain compliant and safe across all modes of operation.
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Why so many systems still “float”
If you’ve used a portable generator or imported inverter pack, you’ve probably encountered a floating neutral.
Most global products ship that way because, under European and North American safety codes, floating outputs are perfectly acceptable for single, double-insulated loads.
In Australia and New Zealand, however, we use the Multiple Earthed Neutral (MEN) system: every supply point must have a clearly defined neutral-to-earth connection so that RCDs and protective devices reference a known potential.
This mismatch means that many international power products, though safe and certified elsewhere, don’t automatically align with local wiring practice until properly configured for MEN operation. It’s a difference in philosophy, not in quality — and it’s one the industry is steadily closing.
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Why emergency services should revisit old restrictions
Some emergency agencies have historically taken a cautious stance on installing inverter-based AC systems onboard firefighting and rescue vehicles. Those positions were developed when inverter outputs were unreferenced, bonding was manual, and RCDs couldn’t be trusted to trip predictably.
But technology — and field experience — has moved forward.
Today, sectors such as defence, mining, communications, and overland transport rely on inverter systems every day, with full compliance under AS/NZS 3010 and AS/NZS 3001. These systems run sensitive electronics, lighting, and tools with clean, regulated power and automatic bonding logic.
There is no technical reason emergency services cannot benefit from the same progress. Modern inverter systems are quiet, efficient, and emission-free, and when properly engineered they meet the same safety objectives that older rules were designed to protect.
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Kraken Power’s perspective
Kraken Power was founded by engineers who bridge the worlds of portable power, vehicle systems, and stationary electrical design. We understand that compliance doesn’t come from paperwork — it comes from architecture.
Our Charging Hub exemplifies that philosophy:
• In shore-connected mode, it synchronises with the upstream MEN and disables its internal bond to avoid duplication.
• In stand-alone inverter mode, it establishes a local MEN link so RCDs and protective devices downstream operate correctly.
• Throughout both, it continuously monitors current paths and ground integrity, ensuring safe, standards-aligned operation.
This approach allows our systems to integrate seamlessly with shore power, alternators, solar arrays, and battery storage — supporting everything from fire apparatus to mobile command units.
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Moving forward
Australia and New Zealand have long led the world in electrical safety, and that will never change. But it’s time for regulations and policy frameworks to recognise how intelligent inverter technology now meets those same safety goals through active monitoring and bonding control.
By updating internal guidelines and embracing proven, compliant inverter systems, first responders can reduce noise, emissions, and maintenance, while gaining immediate, silent power wherever they deploy.
At Kraken Power, we see portable and onboard electrical systems not as a niche but as the future of operational readiness. Our mission is to make that future safe, compliant, and intelligently grounded — in every sense of the word.
Kraken Power Engineering Team
Smarter Power for Demanding Environments