A mismatch can show up as a failed validation in the REC Registry, as a flag from your trader’s compliance check or as a question in an audit. The cause is usually mundane. The fix depends on which kind of mismatch it is.
The four kinds of mismatch
- A typing error. A digit swapped, a letter O for a zero, an extra space. This is the most common and the easiest to fix.
- A wrong source. The serial came from a packing list or distributor file, not the label on the product that was installed.
- A product substitution. A different panel or inverter model was installed from the one on the quote, and the claim was prepared from the quote.
- A duplicate. The same serial was already used on another claim.
What to do first
- Compare the entry against the label photo. If the photo is clear, the photo wins.
- Check the count. The number of panel serials should match the number of modules installed.
- Check the product listing. A model that is not on the approved list is a different problem, covered in what happens when panels are not on the approved list.
- Look at the batch. If one serial is wrong, others from the same upload may be too.
Fixing it
If the claim has been rejected, correct the data and resubmit. If the certificates have been created and the error is found later, talk to your trader or the Regulator before editing anything. Always correct to the real serial, supported by evidence. Our guide to fixing a failed STC claim covers the general process, and the validation failure page explains the registry side.
If the photos are unreadable and you cannot prove the serial, you have a harder problem. Do not guess or reconstruct the number. Ask the manufacturer or distributor what they can supply, tell your trader, and keep a note of what you did.
For batteries
Battery claims depend on a legible label photo showing model and serial, geotagged and timestamped, from 1 March 2026. A mismatch between the label photo and the registry entry is treated seriously. See the battery photo guide.
From the desk: if you find an error after the money has been paid, tell your trader straight away. A voluntary correction is a better conversation than one that begins with an auditor.
Preventing it
Scan, do not type. Capture serials before installation. Run a count check against the system size. See how to capture serial numbers.
What this means for installers
A mismatch costs time, and time is the thing the 12 month deadline does not give you much of. A compliance desk that checks serials and photos before lodgement catches most of these early; see how it works and STC trading. The rejection reasons list the other common causes.