Assignment is how the value of the certificates moves from the person who owns the battery to the installer. Without it the installer has no right to the STCs and cannot offer the discount.
What assignment does
When a battery is installed, the system owner is entitled to the STCs. By signing an assignment form the owner transfers that entitlement to the installer, or to a registered agent the installer nominates. The installer then lodges the claim, sells the certificates, and the value is passed to the customer as a reduction in the price. The Clean Energy Regulator expects the form to be on file.
What the form needs to show
The form should identify the owner, the property address, the battery and its serial numbers, the installer or agent receiving the STCs, and the date signed. It should state that the owner understands they are giving up the right to the STCs in exchange for the discount. See the STC assignment form guide for what each field must carry.
Timing and common errors
- Signed before the battery is installed, with the wrong serial number or no serial number.
- Signed by someone who is not the property owner.
- Not dated or dated after the claim is lodged.
- Scanned so poorly that the signature or serial is not legible.
- Names that do not match the electrical certificate or the regulator registration.
When assignment goes wrong
The most expensive assignment problem is a dispute. A customer who later says they did not understand they were giving up the certificates can complicate the claim. A clear explanation on the day, a legible form and a copy sent to the customer are cheap protection against that outcome.
What this means for installers
If you sell the STCs through a trader, they will ask for the assignment as part of the claim. A claim cannot clear without it. Read battery STC assignment form for the form-specific angle, then see the battery STC pillar and how it works. If you want us to check the documents before you lodge, start trading. The battery submission guide lists the other evidence.