Both installers and homeowners search for the same thing: is this person really accredited, and for what? The register answers that in a minute.
The check, step by step
- Get the details. Ask for the full name and the SAA accreditation number. Old CEC numbers do not count; see CEC accreditation transferred to SAA.
- Search the SAA register. Use the installer search on the Solar Accreditation Australia website, searching by number or name.
- Read the record. Check the status is current, the expiry is in the future and the categories cover the work: grid-connect solar, battery, or SPS. See battery and SPS accreditation.
- Match the identity. The person on site should be the person on the record. A crew who borrow a boss’s number are a compliance problem.
- Check the electrical licence. SAA accreditation sits on top of a state licence, so verify that on the state register too. The state pages start at NSW.
- Save a copy. Take a screenshot with the date, and keep it in the job file.
For installers and retailers
If you engage subcontractors, check them before every job, not once a year. Accreditation can lapse or be suspended. A job installed by someone not accredited on the install date cannot support an STC claim, and the cost lands on the business that took the job. See installer written statements and how audits work.
Our shorter companion answer, how to check an installer accreditation number, covers the same ground from the CER point of view.
For homeowners
Check before you pay a deposit. Look for the name on the contract matching the register, and ask who will actually be on your roof. A business that cannot name an accredited installer is a warning sign. If an installer disappears after taking money, see what to do when a solar installer disappears after taking a deposit.
From the desk: a mismatch between the installer number on a claim and the register is one of the simplest things for a compliance desk to catch, and one of the commonest. Do the lookup before you lodge, not after rejection.
What the register will not tell you
It will not tell you whether the installer is insured, whether the business is solvent or whether past jobs were compliant. For insurance, ask for a certificate of currency (insurance guide).
What this means for installers
Make the lookup part of your job-opening checklist, alongside photos and the assignment form. When the claim is ready, start trading with a trader whose compliance desk pre-checks it, and visit the installers hub for related business questions.