The Clean Energy Regulator (CER) checks small-scale systems in two ways: it validates the certificates you create, and it inspects or audits installations and the businesses behind them. Both are risk-based. That means the regulator puts attention where its data says problems are most likely.
What puts a claim or installer on the list
The CER does not publish a scoring formula, but its compliance updates and public statements point to the same themes each quarter:
- Photo anomalies. Reused images, photos with missing or mismatched time and location data, or pictures that do not show the required items.
- Attendance. Accredited installers who cannot show they were on site, or whose daily workload looks impossible. See the same-day rule.
- Completion claims. Systems declared complete that are not. The CER has acted against retailers over false completion statements.
- Product and serial data. Duplicate serials, products not on the approved list, or mismatches with what was installed.
- Installer and retailer history. Prior failures, complaints and inspection results.
- Complaints and referrals. From customers, state regulators and accreditation bodies.
Validation versus inspection
Validation happens in the registry: your claim is checked for eligibility before certificates are registered. It can be quick or can run for weeks. Inspection is physical, with an inspector attending the property to check the installation against the standards and the claim. A failed inspection can lead to certificates being invalidated, as covered in what happens when an eligibility audit fails.
Keeping your claims out of trouble
The best protection is a claim that answers its own questions. Complete photos in the right order, serials that match the invoice and the product list, signed forms, and an accurate statement of the installation type. The STC photo requirements and how STC audits work guides cover each item.
What this means for installers
- Treat every job as if it will be inspected, because some will be.
- Build a consistent evidence folder per job and keep it for the full audit period.
- Fix repeat issues quickly. Repeat failures lift your risk profile.
- Check your trading agreement for who bears the cost of an invalid certificate. See STC clawback.
A trader’s compliance pre-check catches many of these problems before lodgement. See how Energy Merchants checks claims, or read the pillar on STC trading. For the current regulator priorities, see CER solar compliance priorities.
Where your own data helps
You hold more information about your risk than the regulator can see from the outside. Track your failure rate by reason, how long your claims sit pending, and how many jobs need rework. If you see a rising pattern, such as one crew producing most of the photo failures, you have found your audit risk before the CER does. Fixing it is cheaper than explaining it later.