STCs are not listed on an exchange with a single closing price. That surprises people searching for a “daily STC spot price” or a “weekly STC price update”. Here is where the numbers actually come from.
Daily prices
Certificate brokers and trading desks quote a daily spot price to clients and often publish it. Some solar-industry sites and trader pages show a daily rate. Each is a snapshot from one source, and they can differ by a few cents depending on timing and what volume the quote assumes.
Weekly and quarterly updates
Brokers send weekly or monthly market updates with commentary on supply, demand and the Clearing House. The Clean Energy Regulator publishes a quarterly carbon market report with average STC prices and creation volumes. For history, see STC price history by year.
Spot versus the rate you are paid
Spot is the price in the wholesale market. Installers are paid a trader’s buy rate, which reflects spot less margin, and sometimes less fees. At the time of writing, that is a modest gap with a transparent trader and a wide one with a slow, opaque one. Find out why in how traders make their margin.
| Source | Frequency | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Broker quotes | Daily | Market reference |
| Trader published rate | Daily | What you will actually be paid |
| Clean Energy Regulator report | Quarterly | Official average and volumes |
| Broker market update | Weekly or monthly | Context and outlook |
How to use it
Check your trader’s published rate on the day you quote a job and again when you lodge. If the rate is locked at lodgement, the second check just confirms. If it is not locked until payment, your discount to the customer is a bet on the next few days.
What this means for installers
Do not chase the number. Pick a trader that publishes a rate daily, locks it when you lodge a complete claim and pays quickly, then quote from that. Energy Merchants publishes its rate every day on the pricing page. The STC calculator converts rates into dollars for a given system size, and what an STC is worth explains the arithmetic. For the Clearing House side, see spot versus Clearing House.