Accreditation
Your new installer accreditation scheme operator
On 29 February 2024, the Clean Energy Regulator (CER) approved Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA) as the new installer and designer accreditation scheme operator (ASO) under the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES).
Following the legislated three-month transition period, the accreditation program has now fully transitioned to SAA.
Installers and designers must now apply with Solar Accreditation Australia for any new or renewing accreditation, in order to be eligible for Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs).
Information you will need to apply with SAA:
- name, address and contact details
- business details including ABN/ACN (as applicable)
- proof of identification (for example, driver’s licence)
- current electrical licence number (if you hold grid-connect install accreditation)
- current Clean Energy Council (CEC) accreditation number and expiry date
- current picture of yourself (a selfie is acceptable)
- any information on outstanding compliance or rectification works.
Important information for installers and designers
SAA will issue you with a new Accreditation number which will need to be used to claim STCs for all installations from 30 May 2024, or the date you receive your new accreditation number, whichever is earlier.
Your Clean Energy Council accreditation number can only be used to claim STCs for installations that were completed before 29th May 2024 or until the time you received your new SAA accreditation number, whichever is earlier.
If you have not transferred your Clean Energy Council accreditation to SAA, you will need to apply for accreditation with SAA and pay a fee. You are ineligible to claim STCs until you have received your new accreditation number from SAA.
The Clean Energy Council continues to offer CPD-eligible courses, and Solar Accreditation Australia will recognise CPD Points completed through the Clean Energy Council.
Core courses are eligible for 20 points and electives are eligible for 10 points per course.
Our reflection
We are proud of the role we have played in building robust installer and accreditation programs, alongside administering the New Energy Tech Consumer Code (NETCC) program for retailers and product listing program for manufacturers.
The rooftop solar industry in Australia is world-leading and over the past 16 years our CEC team have played a critical role in upholding the regulatory framework to drive industry best practice and improve behaviour to ensure customers are treated fairly and honestly.
Together with the industry, we have been building significant social license with communities as they benefit from power bill savings.
The CER undertook a rigorous application and evaluation process to approve SAA as the new accreditation scheme operator.
After operating for over 16 years as an administrator, the CEC chose not to apply to be an accreditation scheme operator and its services have now ceased. The CEC deeply considered how our technical experts can best support the industry amid complex and competing priorities including standards changes and regulatory reforms.
Transitioning out of the role of administering accreditation will now allow the CEC to focus on strong advocacy for the solar industry.
Over the past few months, our team have worked closely behind the scenes with the CER and SAA to ensure a smooth handover of this function for the benefit of accredited installers, the rooftop solar industry and for consumers.
Further information on the changes CEC made during the transition is included below.
Further information for installers and designers is available on the Clean Energy Regulator (CER) website.
Compliance activity
Effective 29 February 2024, Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA) is responsible for the accreditation of installers and designers.
The Clean Energy Council finalised all Installer and Designer compliance activity on 29 May 2024.
Read reports that summarise compliance activity for each month:
Information shared before decision date
The following is a reminder of some key information the Clean Energy Council has shared regularly prior to the decision date.
In order to prepare for the transition of accreditation away from the Clean Energy Council, installers and designers were requested to:
- Finalise any outstanding compliance activities requested.
- Update contact details via the Clean Energy Council Portal to ensure relevant electrical licenses are up-to-date.
- Once the new provider was announced by the Clean Energy Regulator, the Clean Energy Council ceased to have the authority to issue accreditation.
This means the Clean Energy Council had to process all applications by the announcement date. If there was an application pending with the Clean Energy Council, we had requested practitioners to respond to our requests for further information as soon as possible.
Applications that were not finalised before the Clean Energy Regulator announced their decision were cancelled and those applicants will need to re-apply with Solar Accreditation Australia. To support a smooth transition to new provider, the Clean Energy Council had introduced key changes to our accreditation to ensure all applications were processed before the Clean Energy Regulator's decision date.
Change one
Cut-off period for applications were introduced and further extended
|
Application acceptance cut-off date |
|
|---|---|
|
Scenario 1: New/Provisional/additional components |
9 February 2024 (previously 12 January 2024) |
|
Scenario 2: Upgrade |
18 January 2024 (previously 22 December 2023) |
|
Scenario 3: Upgrade additional component |
18 January 2024 (previously 22 December 2023) |
|
Scenario 4: Renewals due before Feb 2024 |
22 February 2024 (previously 25 January 2024) |
|
Scenario 5: Month-by-month extension |
22 February 2024 (previously 25 January 2024) |
Change two
Reduced application fees
- Any provisionally accredited persons with an expiry date between January and April 2024 has had their provisional accreditation extended until April 2024.
- For all upgrade and renewal applications processed between 17 November 2023 and 12 January 2024, the accreditation expiry date has been set to April 2024.
- For all upgrade and renewal applications processed after 12 January 2024, the accreditation expiry date has been set to May 2024.
Change three
Shorter accreditation period with the Clean Energy Council and heavily discounted application fees
|
Fees prior to November 2023 |
Revised fee effective November 2023 |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Scenario 1: New/Provisional/additional components |
$182 incl. GST ($165 + GST) |
Remains unchanged |
|
Scenario 2: Upgrade |
$605 incl. GST ($550 + GST) |
November 2023: $250 incl. GST ($227.27 + GST) December 2023 and January 2024: $200 incl. GST ($181.82 + GST) |
|
Scenario 3: Upgrade additional component |
$209 incl. GST ($190 + GST) |
$200 incl. GST ($181.82 + GST) |
|
Scenario 4: Renewals due before Feb 2024 |
$264 incl. GST ($240 + GST) |
November 2023: $110 incl. GST ($100 + GST) December 2023: $88 incl. GST ($80 + GST) January and February 2024: $66 incl. GST ($60 + GST) |
|
Scenario 5: Month-by-month extension |
$132 per month ($120 + GST) |
$66 per month ($60 + GST) |