Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA) is the accreditation body for rooftop solar installers and, more recently, battery installers. Alongside the Clean Energy Regulator (CER), it checks that accredited people are doing what their accreditation says.
What an SAA audit looks at
Audits usually combine paperwork and workmanship:
- Documentation. Photos, circuit diagrams, test results, commissioning records and the signed declarations for sampled jobs.
- Workmanship. Compliance with the relevant standards, including AS/NZS 5033 and DC labelling, AS/NZS 3000 wiring and AS/NZS 4777 inverter settings, covered in the wiring and inverter standards page.
- Attendance and supervision. Whether the named installer carried out or supervised the work as claimed.
- Product. Whether installed equipment is approved and matches what was declared.
Audit results
Outcomes generally fall into three groups. A clean result needs no action. A minor defect leads to a requirement to rectify and show evidence. A serious or repeated defect leads to action against accreditation. SAA runs a demerit points system, with suspension periods that lengthen for repeat offences. Reported thresholds change, so check the SAA compliance page for current figures.
SAA and the CER have also published aggregated findings, particularly around labelling, which feeds the training material issued to the industry.
Compliance requirements for installers
In plain terms, accreditation asks you to:
- Install to the standards and the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Be on site when the rules say so and keep evidence.
- Declare only what you did, accurately.
- Respond to SAA and CER notices by the deadline. A failure to respond can itself lead to suspension.
- Keep your details, insurance and training up to date.
What this means for installers
Audit-proof habits are boring: consistent photos, complete test records, current accreditation. If a notice arrives, read it the same day, collect the job file and respond within the deadline. If it concerns a certificate that has already been traded, tell your trader early, because the contract may require it. See STC clawback.
Further reading: how STC audits work, suspension and reinstatement and the pillar on STC trading. Our compliance pre-check is designed to find paperwork gaps before they become audit findings.
Preparing a job file
A good job file holds the signed contract, the single-line diagram, the equipment list with serials, photos in sequence, test results, the electrical safety certificate and the network approval. Put the file in one folder per job, named by address and date. If an audit notice arrives you can produce it in an hour rather than a week, and that speed reads as competence.