Two related questions come up: SAA accreditation for batteries, and SAA accreditation for SPS. Both are extensions of the same scheme, but they are separate categories.
Batteries
Under the Cheaper Home Batteries Program, STCs for a home battery depend on installation by an accredited installer, a CEC-approved battery that is VPP-capable, and the program’s evidence rules. An installer who is accredited only for grid-connected PV should not assume that covers a battery. SAA lists a battery category, and training providers run battery courses against the relevant standards, including AS/NZS 5139 for battery installation safety.
The detail, including what to show for a claim, is in battery installer accreditation and SAA battery accreditation requirements. The installer guide to the program covers products, tiers and evidence.
Stand-alone power systems (SPS)
An SPS runs without grid connection, typically with solar, a battery and often a generator. Anyone designing or installing SPS to be eligible for STCs must be accredited under SAA, and many state programs also require accreditation. Accreditation types are design only, install only, or both. Training providers run SPS courses that cover the CEC-era units of competence, and you must already hold an unrestricted electrical licence to enrol.
SPS jobs are less common than grid-connected installs, but remote properties and farms make them a real niche. They also bring different design and documentation obligations.
What to line up before you quote
- SAA accreditation for the system type you are selling
- A current electrical licence in the state where the work is done (state pages)
- Insurance that covers battery work; ask your broker, because not every policy does (insurance answer)
- Product knowledge for approved batteries; see checking the CEC approved battery list
From the desk: battery claims need photo evidence under rules that tightened on 1 March 2026. An accreditation that is current but a claim with missing battery photos still stalls. See the battery submission guide.
What this means for installers
Adding battery or SPS accreditation widens your work and your risk. Budget for the training, the CPD and the insurance review. Once you are installing, the battery STC page and battery STC calculator show how the certificates are worked out, and the installers hub has more on the business side.