“Solar retailer” is not a licence category. It describes the business that sells the system to the customer, and the rules attach to what that business does.
Do solar retailers need to be registered?
Not nationally. The Clean Energy Regulator (CER) publishes guidance for rooftop solar and battery retailers, but you do not apply to join a register. What you need comes from three places.
State licensing. Selling and contracting to install solar usually requires an electrical contractor licence or, in some states, a building licence, with the electrical work done by a licensed electrician. The state pages cover the detail: NSW, Victoria, Queensland, WA and SA, Tasmania, ACT and NT.
Accreditation. The person installing, or directly supervising, must hold current SAA accreditation for STCs to be created. See electricians and solar accreditation.
Consumer law. Selling to households brings the Australian Consumer Law into play, including rules on door-to-door sales and advertising. See consumer law for solar installers.
The retailer written statement
For each system sold, the retailer completes a written statement that goes with the claim. As the CER describes it, the statement names the installer and says whether that person is an employee or a subcontractor of the retailer. It also declares whether the retailer was involved in procuring, selling and installing the system. If no retailer was involved, the CER can ask for evidence of that.
This is separate from the installer written statement, which is the accredited person’s own declaration about the work. A complete claim usually carries the retailer statement, the installer statement and the signed STC assignment form.
Program-specific approvals
Some programs add their own gate. Solar Victoria installer approval is a separate application for businesses wanting to work under the Victorian rebate. For batteries, the Cheaper Home Batteries installer guide lists the program’s accreditation and product rules.
Industry codes
The Clean Energy Council runs a voluntary approved solar retailer code of conduct. It is not a legal requirement, but customers and some finance providers look for it.
From the desk: the retailer statement is only as good as the roles it describes. If you sell the job and a subcontractor installs it, say so plainly. A statement that hides the arrangement is the kind of thing that turns a routine audit into a long one.
What this means for installers
If you only install for other retailers, your obligations centre on licence, accreditation and your own statement. If you sell, you also carry the consumer-law and statement burden. Either way, the claim has to be complete before a trader can settle it. How STC audits work shows what gets checked, and the installers hub collects the rest.