Serial numbers are the identity of the system. Get them wrong, and the claim fails validation or, worse, passes and fails an audit. This page covers the full process for panels, inverters and batteries, including what the photo should show for each.
Solar panels
The Regulator requires accurate PV module serial numbers for each panel installed. There are three common ways to capture them:
- Barcode scanner or phone scanning app on the label, before the panel goes on the roof. This is fastest and avoids typing mistakes.
- A photo of each label taken on the ground or at the pallet, sharp enough to read every character.
- Manufacturer data, such as a packing list or a distributor’s serial export, used as a cross-check, not as the only source.
Acceptable photo evidence is a clear picture of the barcode label or sticker on each panel. Photos taken after the panel is on the roof are mostly unreadable, so capture them first and keep the originals.
Inverters
Inverter serial numbers are required in addition to panel serials. Photograph the compliance plate or the serial label on the inverter and show the model and serial together. For systems with microinverters or optimisers, check what your trader expects, as the count can be large.
Batteries
For batteries, the label photo has to show the model and serial in a legible way, and from 1 March 2026 battery photos must be geotagged and timestamped, with metadata matching your on-site installer photos. See the battery photo guide and the label photo requirements. Accepted formats are JPEG, PNG and HEIC, not PDF.
Habits that prevent errors
- Scan, do not type. A transposed digit is the number one cause of mismatches.
- Record against the job straight away. Not in a notebook that gets typed up on Friday.
- Count the panels. The number of serials should equal the number of modules in the design and the system size.
- Keep the originals. The file you scanned is evidence.
- Check the product is listed. A serial on an unlisted product is still a failed claim; see mixed brands.
From the desk: photograph the label of the first panel and the last panel on every pallet, as well as scanning. When a serial fails validation months later, those pallet photos can settle the argument.
When a serial does not match
If the registry rejects or queries a serial, see what to do about a serial number mismatch. The photo-specific rules sit in the photo checklist and in the STC photo requirements.
What this means for installers
Treat serial capture as part of the install, with a named person responsible for it. Energy Merchants’ compliance desk checks serials against the claim and the photos before lodgement, which is far cheaper than a failed validation. See how it works, STC trading and battery STCs.