For years, installers said they were CEC accredited. Today the right answer is SAA accredited. Many quotes, websites and older forms still use the old label, which causes confusion.
What happened
On 29 February 2024 the Clean Energy Regulator approved Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA) as the accreditation scheme operator for installers and designers under the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme. Every CEC-accredited installer and designer needed to transfer to SAA by 29 May 2024 to stay accredited. There was no fee to transfer, though renewal fees applied where an accreditation was due to expire. SAA recognised CEC-era professional development for the first 12 months.
The CEC still runs other things, including the approved product lists for panels, inverters and batteries, and its voluntary retailer code. That is why you still hear “CEC approved” for a product: it is the product listing, not installer accreditation.
CEC accredited vs SAA accredited
| CEC accredited (before 2024) | SAA accredited (now) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who runs it | Clean Energy Council | Solar Accreditation Australia |
| Applies to | Installers and designers | Installers and designers |
| Needed for STCs | Yes, until the transfer | Yes |
| Product lists | CEC approved products | Unchanged; the CEC keeps these |
How to check you are covered
- Look up your own profile on the SAA register. The steps are in how to check an SAA accreditation number.
- Confirm the expiry date and the categories you hold.
- Update your quotes, website, email signatures and contract templates to say SAA accredited, and use your SAA number rather than an old CEC one.
For the full picture of what accreditation covers, read the SAA accreditation overview. Some older answers on this site still mention the Clean Energy Council because the rule they describe is the same, with SAA now administering it.
From the desk: if a subcontractor gives you a CEC number from the old scheme, do not accept it. Ask for the current SAA number and check it before the install.
Why it matters for claims
The claim carries the accredited installer’s details. A wrong or outdated number can trigger a mismatch with the register and a rejection. See why STC claims are rejected and top rejection reasons.
What this means for installers
If you transferred, nothing further is needed beyond keeping current (renewal and CPD). If you are new, apply direct to SAA with the steps in how to become an SAA accredited installer. The installers hub and STC trading cover the rest.