Important notice
For manufacturers, retailers and industry
The Clean Energy Council is updating its PV module application requirements to the 2021 version of the IEC 61215 Standards series. PV Modules that do not comply with the new Standard after 1 October 2024 will not be considered Clean Energy Council approved. Check the product nameplate label for which version of IEC 61215 the PV Modules are certified to.
Approved products
The Clean Energy Council maintains lists of approved inverters and power conversion equipment (PCE), PV modules and energy storage devices (lithium-based batteries) that meet Australian and international standards for use in the design and installation of solar and battery storage systems.
The use of the Clean Energy Council’s listed products is a requirement of several electricity grid operators (DNSPs) and federal and state government rebate programs. Only systems with listed products are eligible to receive small-scale technology certificates (STCs) under the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES).
Installers, retailers and stock keepers should always refer to the lists before purchasing stock and performing an installation. The lists are dynamic and products can be de-listed at any time. It's important to regularly check and look out for Clean Energy Council and manufacturer notifications.
Batteries
Inverters
Modules
Frequently asked questions
ecogeneration has a free Warranties and Insurance E-Guide that provides a summary of the relevant legislation, rules, codes and guidelines in the Australian solar market.
For small-scale technology certificate (STC) creation, products must be on one of the Clean Energy Council’s approved product lists at the time of installation. Please ensure you check regularly as products may be de-listed at any time.
Most network providers also have requirements around current product approval within their connection agreements.
Products may be removed from a list if the certificate on which the listing was based becomes invalid or the products were found not to conform to the certificate.
If a product is to be removed from a list, the Clean Energy Council advises the manufacturer of the impending delisting and tells them to notify their distributors in Australia. In some instances, installers may not receive this notification.
The Clean Energy Council sends out de-listing notifications to installers via a monthly newsletter.
The Clean Energy Council's listing of compliant PV modules shows the certificate holder, model number, power rating and certifier for each approved module. This must correspond directly with the module label.
The modules must be advertised and sold under the certificate name and model numbers which are used on the Clean Energy Council list. Brand names may only be used in association with the certificate holder name and must be owned by the certificate holder.
The module label must show the correct Certifier Mark (logo) corresponding to the Clean Energy Council listing. Installers or inspectors may send a photo of the label to products@cleanenergycouncil.org.au to check against the Clean Energy Council’s file copy.
Products only need to be listed with the Clean Energy Council at the time of installation for claiming of STCs and for connection approval within many distribution networks.
Like-for-like replacement for a faulty panel/inverter is regarded as a repair under AS 3000. Therefore, the replacement panel/inverter only needs to conform to the standards that applied at the time of original installation. This applies to product listing as well.
A technical note with detailed requirements for alterations, additions, repairs and upgrades to existing systems is available in the login area.
Apply to have your products approved
About our team
The Product team comprises registered engineers and service delivery specialists.
This team is supported by Program Governance leaders and diverse Senior Technical Advisors with engineering and installation backgrounds. When you speak with our team, you're speaking with industry experts.
If the Clean Energy Council's testing identifies non-conformance with the device's certification:
- the Clean Energy Council may suspend or remove the listing of the device until compliance can be verified;
- the Clean Energy Council may also suspend or remove all device model numbers listed for that manufacturer or applicant;
- the Clean Energy Regulator, state electrical authorities and the industry may be notified;
- a new application listing will not be processed until any corrective actions are completed to the satisfaction of the Clean Energy Council.
An appeals process for decisions made by the Clean Energy Council on the listing and de-listing of devices is available via the Product Listing Review Panel.
An applicant may appeal against a decision via email to products@cleanenergycouncil.org.au. This will refer the decision to the Product Listing Review Panel.
Appeals must be lodged within five business days of the Clean Energy Council informing the industry of the de-listing.
Product faults and testing
As part of the Product Assurance Program, the Clean Energy Council runs product testing to ensure the compliance of modules, inverters and batteries on the approved product lists.
The Clean Energy Council purchases selected devices from the Australian market on the basis of risk-based profiling or random selection and has them tested at a number of testing laboratories.
The objective of this testing is to confirm the safety and compliance of the devices with the relevant product standards, the certification for that device and our terms and conditions for listing products.
Our product testing program relies on feedback from installers and solar businesses on issues they are experiencing with products in the field. If you have concerns about the quality of a product that you have used or inspected recently, please complete the form.
Product recalls
Find warnings and recall notices related to products, including those issued by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
Our product lists are dynamic and products can be de-listed at any given time if found in breach of the Clean Energy Council's product listing terms and conditions, or voluntarily removed at the request of the manufacturer for products that are not actively imported.
Product listing review panel
The Clean Energy Council may reject an application to list a product, and may de-list a product, where the terms and conditions of listing have not been satisfied or have been breached.
The Product Listing Review Panel is an independent panel with industry and consumer representation. It is responsible for hearing appeals against decisions made by the Clean Energy Council to refuse to list or to de-list a product. The Panel meets regularly to ensure the product listing scheme is operating effectively and is meeting the identified objectives.
Appeal denied: Jiangsu Aiduo Photovoltaic Technology
25 October 2019
All modules produced by Jiangsu Aiduo Photovoltaic Technology are immediately delisted. This matter involved extremely serious and clear breaches of the Australian Standards and the CEC’s Terms and Conditions for Listing. The CEC followed the correct procedure for testing and de-listing.
Appeal denied: Shenzhen JingFuYuan Tech. Co., Ltd
19 March 2018
The Sunleaf 3000TL inverter from Shenzhen JingFuYuan Tech. Co., Ltd is de-listed. This matter involved serious and clear breaches of the International and Australian Standards and CEC's Terms and Conditions for Listing. The CEC followed the correct procedure for testing and de-listing.
Appeal upheld: Yingli Green Energy Australia
18 January 2018
Yingli, and any other similarly affected market participant, may apply to move onto the new Terms and Conditions prior to 1 February 2018. If their application is successful, the modules that were subject of this appeal may continue to be listed until 30 November 2018 under their existing IEC 2011 and 2013 certification. No further extensions of time will be granted. The modules in question will be now be delisted on 1 December 2018.
Dr Penelope Crossley works at Sydney Law School as an academic specialising in the complex legal issues associated with the energy and resources sectors. In particular, her research focuses on the fields of comparative renewable energy and energy storage law, electricity market governance and the intersection between tort law and the energy and resources sector. Her PhD, ‘Reconceptualising Renewable Energy Law: A Comparative Study of the National Laws Designed to Accelerate the Deployment of Renewable Energy,’ was awarded in 2015.
Penelope has extensive experience advising and capacity building foreign governments in the areas of designing efficient regulatory frameworks and effective contract negotiation in the energy and resources sectors. Prior to entering academia, Penelope practiced as a Solicitor in London and Beijing for a Magic Circle law firm specialising in global energy and infrastructure law. She has also worked in-house for a super major energy company advising their alternative energy division on issues related to emissions trading, renewable energy, emerging consumer markets and technologies.
Nigel Morris has been involved in the solar industry for more than 25 years, in almost every aspect of the industry, including manufacturing, installing, selling and designing solar, monitoring and storage systems around the world.
Prior to joining Solar Analytics, he was Chief Executive Officer of RoofJuice, a premium solar retailer, as well as the founder of Solar Business Services acting as a consultant, analyst, industry advisor and business coach. He was a senior manager at BP Solar for almost 12 years, and prior to that, a director, installer and salesperson at a medium-sized solar company.
He is a prolific blogger, sits on a number of advisory boards in the solar industry and is a proud solar citizen and electric motorcycle owner.
Dean Lombard is an energy advisor and social worker who worked in community development before spending nearly two decades in energy consumer advocacy and policy development for the Victorian Council of Social Service (community services peak body) and Renew (community-based environmental non-profit), working on issues as diverse as household energy efficiency and fuel choice, consumer empowerment and protections, electricity tariff reform, renewable energy integration and energy system transformation.
Currently, as an energy advisor at Energesis, he advises energy businesses on customer engagement and renewable energy integration, and delivers information sessions to households on new energy technology and energy efficiency for Renew.
Dean also represents Renew on the New Energy Tech Consumer Code (NETCC) governing council.