Checking a solar installer's accreditation before you sign
Confirm the installer's SAA accreditation, approved panels and inverter, the retailer's written quote and the STC discount before you sign a solar contract.
A rooftop solar or battery quote usually comes from a retailer, but the people who design and install the system need their own accreditation, and the federal discount on the price depends on it. Before you sign, you can check who will do the work, whether their accreditation is current, whether the products are on the approved lists and how the certificate discount is written into the contract. This guide uses the Clean Energy Regulator, Solar Accreditation Australia, the Clean Energy Council and the New Energy Tech Consumer Code as its sources.
Know who accredits the people on your roof
Australia's Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme is run by the Clean Energy Regulator. On 29 February 2024 the regulator announced Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA) as the operator of the installer and designer accreditation scheme, and only SAA accredited designers and installers can take part in the scheme. Many state rebate programs also require an accredited person. SAA accredits individuals, not companies. A business can advertise accredited installers, but the person who designs your system and the person who installs it each need current accreditation, and one person may hold both roles. Accreditation is held for a class of technology (grid connected photovoltaic systems, grid connected battery systems or stand-alone power systems) and for a type of work (design only, install only, or design and install). SAA states that under the Cheaper Home Batteries Program a grid connected battery must be designed and installed by a person with the battery class to be eligible for certificates, so a solar-only accreditation is not enough for a battery job.
Explains the classes and types of accreditation and when they are required for certificates and rebates.
Solar Accreditation Australia: about accreditationConsumer page confirming that accreditation applies to individuals and listing what to look for in an installation company.
Solar Accreditation Australia: how SAA supports consumersCheck the accreditation before you sign and again on the day
SAA advises obtaining the installer's details before the installation begins and checking them with its accreditation status tool. Ask the retailer, in writing, for the name of the accredited designer and the accredited installer who will attend your property, then ask for each person's accreditation number and the class they hold and confirm the status with SAA's tool. The Clean Energy Regulator says retailers must give you the accredited designer and installer names and details before the sale, so ask for them before you sign and treat a refusal as a reason to pause. On installation day, the regulator suggests confirming the installer is the person named and asking to see their accreditation and licence details. If the installer will not be on site for the whole job, confirm they will be there for the job setup, the middle of the installation and commissioning. Accreditation is separate from an electrical licence. Installations must comply with state and territory electrical safety requirements, and the regulator recommends a licensed electrician who is also SAA accredited for later safety checks, so ask to see both credentials.
The official tool for confirming that an individual installer or designer holds current accreditation.
Solar Accreditation Australia: check installer accreditation statusThe regulator's guide for householders, including what to confirm with the installer on the day.
Clean Energy Regulator: rooftop solar step by stepRead what the retailer must put in writing
The retailer sells the system and arranges the installation, and the Clean Energy Regulator sets out what it is responsible for. Retailers must use installers who are appropriately accredited for the system being installed, use components on the Clean Energy Council approved products lists, comply with electrical safety requirements and size the system to the energy use of the premises. Before the sale, the retailer must give you written evidence covering the contract or accepted quote and its grid connection obligations, the designer and installer names, and how the system is expected to perform and the circumstances in which it may not. The same written information must cover feed-in tariffs and export limits, the expected payback period and energy or cost savings, and any conflicts of interest. The regulator also publishes a list of retailers declared ineligible to make the written statements the scheme relies on. Separately, the New Energy Tech Consumer Code is a voluntary code for retailers of solar, batteries and similar products. Its Approved Sellers commit to quotes that itemise inclusions, costs, installation times, expected performance and limitations, and to no pressure selling. Approved Sellers commit to the code's standards and complaints about them go to the code administrator. The code is being updated with effect from 1 December 2026, so check the current version. Get more than one quote and compare the written details, not just the price.
Lists the retailer's responsibilities and the written information that must be provided before a sale.
Clean Energy Regulator: rooftop solar and solar battery retailersSummarises what Approved Sellers commit to across advertising, quoting, contracts, installation and complaints.
New Energy Tech Consumer Code: the standardsSearch tool for checking whether a retailer is a current Approved Seller.
New Energy Tech Consumer Code: find an Approved SellerCheck the panels, inverter and battery against the approved lists
To be eligible for small-scale technology certificates, a solar system's panels and inverter must appear on the Clean Energy Council's approved products lists and the system must meet Australian and New Zealand standards. The regulator's rooftop solar page sets the small-scale limits at less than 100 kilowatts of capacity and less than 250 megawatt hours of annual output, with a separate mid-scale process for larger systems installed from 1 October 2026. The council maintains separate lists for photovoltaic modules, inverters and power conversion equipment, and lithium-based batteries, and it says the lists are dynamic: products can be suspended or removed at any time, and recalled products may be taken off. Ask the retailer for the exact make and model of each component in the quote and check each one against the current list yourself. The regulator's Solar Panel Validation Initiative adds a second check for panels. Participating installers scan panel serial numbers on site and the system verifies them against manufacturer databases, after which the consumer receives a record of the make, model, serial numbers, installation date, time and location. The regulator suggests asking your retailer for evidence that your panels are validated. It also notes that a small number of businesses have imported and installed substandard panels. For batteries, the regulator says eligible systems have a nominal capacity between 5 and 100 kilowatt hours, and that an additional battery at the same premises is not eligible after the first claim. Ask how your battery is sized relative to the solar system and the household's needs.
Access point for the approved lists of panels, inverters and batteries and for recent suspensions and de-listings.
Clean Energy Council: Approved Products programHow serial number validation works and what record the consumer receives.
Clean Energy Regulator: Solar Panel Validation InitiativeUnderstand the certificate discount before you accept it
The upfront discount on most quotes comes from small-scale technology certificates. The Clean Energy Regulator describes them as a financial incentive rather than a rebate: the regulator does not pay money to system owners, it registers validly created certificates that can be traded. Most owners assign their right to create the certificates to a registered agent in exchange for a discount on the purchase price, usually as part of the purchase contract, and the right can only be assigned to one agent at a time. You can instead create and sell the certificates yourself, but you must do so within 12 months of installation and cannot do so if you have already assigned the right. The regulator does not set the certificate price and does not get involved in disputes between owners, retailers and agents, which it treats as contractual matters. So read how the discount is calculated, what happens if the certificate claim fails, and who bears that risk. Certificates are tied to the property address rather than the owner and are claimed when the system is installed, so second-hand systems and panels re-installed at a new property are not eligible, and a system expanded before its first claim is approved can put the whole claim at risk.
Explains what certificates are, how they are created and traded, and the role of registered agents.
Clean Energy Regulator: small-scale technology certificatesDescribes how assignment works, what agents must verify and how the regulator treats disputes.
Clean Energy Regulator: registered agentsKnow where to go if something goes wrong
The Clean Energy Regulator's complaint pathway starts with your sales contract and the retailer whose details appear on your invoice or contract. If that does not resolve the matter, you can lodge a complaint with the fair trading or consumer protection agency in your state or territory. Concerns about the quality of an installation can be raised with Solar Accreditation Australia as the accreditation scheme operator. If the retailer is an Approved Seller under the New Energy Tech Consumer Code, you can also complain to the code administrator, which investigates breaches of the code but cannot award compensation or resolve financial disputes. Problems with an electricity retailer or network, such as connection, supply or billing issues, go to the energy ombudsman in your state or territory. Suspected fraud, including certificates created for unapproved panels, can be reported to the regulator. After installation, keep the contract, the written statements, the panel validation record and the installer's details together, and arrange a safety check by a licensed electrician with SAA accreditation every year, as the regulator recommends.
The regulator's steps for complaints about retailers and installations, with links to each state's consumer agency.
Clean Energy Regulator: rooftop solar complaints informationConsumer advice on quotes, contracts, costs and what to do if things go wrong, including ombudsman contacts.
New Energy Tech Consumer Code: buying new energy techYour quick checklist
Tick these off as you go. This checklist resets when you leave.
Useful starting points
General information to help you ask questions. Check requirements for the particular service and your state or territory.