Photos are now the core evidence for a small-scale claim. The Clean Energy Regulator (CER) has moved from spot-checking to systematic monitoring, and three changes matter to installers.
1. Geolocation and time stamps
Photos need to carry time, date and location data from the device that took them. Images stripped of metadata, taken at the depot, or taken in a different suburb from the property address will not support the claim. Since 1 March 2026, the battery photo rules have been stricter, with clear geotagged, time-stamped images of the critical labelling. The detail is in the battery photo guide.
2. New installation verification
The CER has put onsite verification photo monitoring in place. The installer must show they attended the site, using photos taken on the day. Warnings have been issued over fake verification images. This ties directly to the attendance rules in the same-day rule.
3. Automated review
The regulator has reported using artificial intelligence to detect non-compliant labelling on batteries. Expect automated checks to be applied to more photo types over time. Automated review is unforgiving about the basics: a label that is blurred, cropped, or shot at an angle where text cannot be read is treated as missing.
How to pass first time
- Take photos on a phone with location services on, and do not edit, crop or re-save them.
- Photograph each required item in the order the checklist gives, with the label legible.
- Include the property context shot so the address is verifiable.
- Upload originals, not screenshots or messaging-app copies, which can strip metadata.
- Name or batch files by job so photos from different sites are never mixed.
What this means for installers
A claim that fails on photos is slow and costly to fix, because you may have to return to site. A pre-check by someone who is not on the job catches blur, missing items and metadata issues before lodgement. Read the full STC photo requirements and battery submission guide. If your claims keep bouncing on photos, see why STCs fail on photos.
Energy Merchants reviews photos as part of its compliance pre-check. The broader scheme context sits on the STC trading page.
A note on editing and apps
Photo apps that add watermarks, filters or compression can strip or alter metadata. Where a company uses a job-management app to capture images, test one upload end to end: take a photo on site, upload it, then check the time and location data survived. Do this once per phone model and after any app update, because settings change.