The rule is simple: STCs must be created within 12 months of the installation date. The sensible practice is much tighter than that.
Why days beat months
The factor is set by installation date, so waiting does not change the count. But waiting still costs you. Installers hand over the discount on the day, so every week of delay is a week of money tied up; see battery rebate installer cash flow. Evidence also fades: serials, photo metadata and customer signatures are far easier to get while the crew is still fresh on the job. And the rules move. New evidence requirements applied from 1 March 2026, and the factor steps from 6.8 to 5.7 on 1 January 2027, so jobs with unclear dates become audit targets.
| Stage | Reasonable target |
|---|---|
| Photos, serials and form uploaded to job file | Same day as install |
| Electrical compliance certificate on file | As issued |
| Claim lodged in the registry | Within a few days |
| Trader sign-off and settlement | Per your trader’s terms |
What if you are close to 12 months
If a job is approaching the deadline, deal with it immediately. Registration or a missing assignment form can take longer than expected, and a registered agent can lodge on your behalf. Do not wait for a perfect pack: an eligible claim with minor gaps can be fixed, an expired one cannot.
Bulk submission
The REC Registry allows bulk upload of battery claims through a structured file, in the same way as solar and solar water heaters. Bulk upload suits installers lodging many jobs a week, because the data is entered once from your job system. Two cautions: errors replicate across rows, so validate serials, capacities and dates before upload, and each claim still needs its own photos and assignment form. Some traders also take bulk files and lodge for you, which removes the registry step. See the STC submission process and the battery submission guide.
What this means for installers
Treat lodgement as part of the install, not a back-office chore. A weekly batch run is the minimum; daily is better in busy months. Tools worth having are a job app that captures photos and serials on site, and a template that exports to the registry format.
From the desk: sort your jobs by installation date, not lodgement date, when you chase paperwork. The oldest unlodged job is your biggest risk.
Details of the scheme are on battery STCs. To get settled quickly after lodgement, see how it works and start trading.