AS/NZS 5139 is not a certificate you attach to a claim. It is the installation standard for battery systems, covering where a battery can go, clearances from habitable rooms, fire separation and protection. What you hold is evidence that the job followed it: the installation photos, the equipment serials and the electrical compliance certificate your state requires.
The date question
Searchers often ask which date a certificate of electrical compliance must carry for a battery to qualify for the rebate. The date that matters for eligibility is the installation date, not the date the paperwork was issued. Under the Cheaper Home Batteries Program, a battery installed on or after 1 July 2025 can create STCs. The electrical compliance certificate will normally post-date the work by days or weeks, which is fine as long as the installation itself happened inside the program window and the certificate covers that job.
Where it goes wrong is a mismatch: an installation date on the claim that does not line up with the certificate, the commissioning record or the photo metadata. Auditors read those dates against each other.
What to hold for every battery job
| Item | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| CEC-approved battery model | Only listed models are eligible |
| VPP-capable confirmation | A program condition |
| Accredited installer details | The installer must hold battery accreditation |
| State electrical compliance certificate | Evidence the work was certified |
| Photos with serials, location and protection | CER evidence rules tightened from 1 March 2026 |
| Signed STC assignment form | Proves who owns the right to the certificates |
Our battery photo guide and the battery submission guide list the exact shots. The standard itself is explained in AS/NZS 5139 battery installation.
Common gaps on battery jobs
The recurring problems are a certificate issued for a different address or customer name, a commissioning date after the claimed installation date, a model that is not on the CEC-approved list, a photo showing the battery before it was permanently fixed and no evidence of the clearances that the standard requires. Each is easy to spot before lodgement and awkward afterwards.
What this means for installers
Build the compliance pack at commissioning, not at claim time. Photograph the battery in its final location against the clearances in the standard, capture the serial and the isolator labelling, and file the certificate number against the job record. A claim that cannot show the installation met the standard is exposed to rejection or a later audit; see how STC audits work and top STC claim rejection reasons.
From the desk: the certificate number and the installation date in your own system should match the claim to the day. Fix mismatches before lodging, not after a query.
Where to go next
The wider scheme rules sit on the battery STCs page, and the detail of what each claim is worth is in the battery STC calculator. If you want a second pair of eyes on the pack before lodgement, start trading and the compliance desk will pre-check it. Current buy rates are on pricing.