A registered agent can create and manage STCs for system owners. It is a regulated role, not just an account setting.
Who needs to register
You only need agent registration if you want to create certificates for systems you do not own, which means for your customers. An installer who simply wants to be paid for STCs can assign them to a registered agent or trader and skip the process. See what an STC agent is.
The steps in outline
- Set up a registry account. See registry account setup.
- Apply to be a registered person with the Clean Energy Regulator (CER), declaring the business structure and the people who control it.
- Pass the fit and proper person test. The CER considers history of compliance, honesty and financial standing for the business and its key people.
- Complete agent requirements. Information about how you will act for owners, including the authority forms you will use.
- Wait for approval, then set up users and processes before you create anything.
Requirements and forms change, so use the CER’s current registered agent guidance as the source. If anything below conflicts with it, follow the CER.
What you take on
- Valid authority for every claim, usually a signed assignment form.
- Accurate creation and the evidence behind it.
- Record keeping, cooperation with audits and potential suspension if you fail the test. See agent obligations and suspension.
- Commercial obligations to pay owners and to manage disputes and clawbacks.
- Funding, since you typically pay before you sell, which is a cash flow and credit risk.
Is it worth it?
For a small or mid-sized installer, usually not. You take on regulatory exposure and working capital needs in exchange for a margin that a trader would otherwise earn. For a large business doing thousands of systems a year, in-house creation can make sense. See is it worth self-registering and agent fees explained.
What this means for installers
Decide on volume, risk appetite and cash. If you stay with a trader, your job is clean evidence and a trader with a long history. Energy Merchants is backed by REC Traders, trading since 2004, with a compliance desk that pre-checks claims. Read how it works, the start trading page or the pillar on STC trading.
A middle path
Some installers want more control without the burden of being an agent. A common middle path is to assign to a trader but retain visibility: ask for status reports, a named account manager and clear failure reasons by category. You get most of the insight with none of the registration duty. It is worth testing before you commit to the full process.