This page covers four overlapping searches: how to check eligibility, how to use the register, what if a model is not listed and how to search for a heat pump model. They are one process.
Step by step
- Get the exact model number. Not the brand or the range, but the full code from the quote and the compliance plate, including any tank size suffix.
- Open the register. The Clean Energy Regulator publishes the register of solar water heaters on its website. It lists both solar water heaters and air source heat pumps.
- Search. Search by brand and model. For a heat pump, confirm the tank is under 425 litres. For a solar unit, confirm it falls under the 700 litre guidance.
- Pick your zone and date. Enter the postcode zone and installation date. The entitlement depends on both. The install-year factor is 0.5 for 2026 and 0.4 for 2027.
- Record the figure. Screenshot or print the entry and keep it with the job file.
Does the brand matter?
The brand does not confer eligibility. A manufacturer can have a registered model and an unregistered one that look nearly identical. What counts is the model entry. See which heat pumps are eligible.
The model is not listed
If you cannot find it:
- Check the code. Dashes, spaces, tank size suffixes and revised model numbers cause misses.
- Ask the supplier. Registration is done by the manufacturer or importer. New models can be on sale before they are registered.
- Do not rely on a sister model. A listed model with a similar name does not cover an unlisted one.
- Do not quote the STC discount. If you are an installer, quoting a discount for an unregistered model creates a problem for you at claim time.
An unlisted model can still be worth installing. It just cannot create federal STCs, so a state scheme may be the only certificate route. See heat pump VEECs in Victoria.
What the register tells you
The register shows the STC figure for each zone, based on a 10-year life, and the calculation method then scales by the install year factor. That is why the same model gives different counts in 2026 and 2027. At roughly $38 to $40 per STC at the time of writing, you can price the discount straight from the entry. See do heat pump STCs reduce every year.
What else to check
Eligibility also depends on the installer’s licensing, the installation type and photo evidence of the unit, plate and serial number. The hot water checklist lists what to capture and installation type guide explains new versus replacement.
What this means for you
Homeowners: ask your installer to show you the register entry before you sign. Installers: build the check into your job sheet, and lodge only complete claims. Our hot water STCs page and pricing show how we settle them, and the heat pump STC calculator is a useful cross-check.