A failed claim is not always the end. The Clean Energy Regulator (CER) allows certificates to be created again for a system that has previously failed, provided the reason has been resolved. The process is straightforward but unforgiving of vague answers.
When recreating works
- Photo problems where you have, or can retake, compliant images. Retaking photos is only legitimate if they honestly show the installation. Images must be what they claim to be.
- Data errors such as a wrong serial, address, installer number or system size.
- Missing documents such as a signed assignment form or retailer written statement that exist but were not attached.
When it will not work
- The product is not on the approved list or is not eligible.
- An accredited installer was not on site as required.
- The system was not installed, or the claim was falsified.
- The time limit for creation has passed.
For these you may have to accept the outcome. See what happens when STCs fail.
How to resubmit
- Identify the exact reason from the registry or the CER notice.
- Correct the record or gather the missing evidence.
- Create the certificates again in the REC Registry. See creating STCs in the REC Registry.
- Indicate that the system previously failed, and enter the earlier accreditation code with a short, factual explanation of what changed.
- Upload the corrected evidence and submit.
If a trader lodges for you, supply the corrected evidence to them and ask them to recreate it. They will carry out the declaration. See also fix a failed STC claim.
Writing the explanation
Keep it short and true: what was wrong, what you changed, and when. “Photo of inverter label retaken on site 14 September after original was illegible” is better than “resubmitting”. Never claim a photo was taken on a date it was not.
What this means for installers
Resubmitting costs time, and time costs cash flow. The cheaper fix is catching the issue before the first lodgement. Use the STC photo requirements and the submission process. For batteries, the guide is battery photos missing, how to resubmit. Pillar: STC trading. Partners can ask their account manager at Energy Merchants to review a corrected claim before it goes back in.
Tracking recreated claims
Keep a simple log of every recreated claim: the job, the original failure reason, the fix, the date resubmitted and the outcome. Reviewing it monthly shows which fault is costing you most. Over a quarter you will usually find that two or three causes account for nearly everything, and they are all preventable.